India-born Raj Subramaniam became the talk of the town as the world’s largest express transportation company, FedEx, announced him as its new CEO. Subramaniam will succeed founder Frederick Smith, who is set to step down as chief executive after some 5 decades atop the transport behemoth.
The company’s pick of an India-born CEO was welcomed by people from all walks including the chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra. Expressing happiness over Subramaniam’s promotion, Mahindra said, “You symbolise the Indian ‘Raj!’ (Not the British Raj).”
“To succeed a legend like Frederick Smith is, in itself, the stuff of legends. Thank you for making us proud,” the Mahindra Group chairman added.
Originally from Kerala, Subramaniam lives in Memphis, Tennessee, FedEx’s global headquarters. 56-year-old Subramaniam is currently serving as the company’s president and chief operating officer (COO). He will continue to serve as a director on the FedEx board to which he was elected in 2020.
He will replace the incumbent CEO Smith, who will step down from this position on June 1. In a letter to FedEx’s 600,000 employees, Smith described Subramaniam as a “brilliant and humble man with great empathy for our various constituencies especially our frontline team members and customers… a gentleman of impeccable integrity and is a consummate team player…(with) a wonderful family and a broad network of friends around the globe.”
“Given his mix of experience, I can’t think of a better executive in the world to take on the role of CEO of FedEx,” Smith added. The multinational courier delivery giant grew under Smith from a modest operation in the US state of Tennessee into a global titan with some 570,000 employees.
Subramaniam joined FedEx in 1991 and has held senior roles in Canada and throughout Asia and the United States.
