Three Indian Americans among top drawing 200 CEOs in U.S.

Three Indian Americans among top drawing 200 CEOs in U.S.Tuesday,

April 08, 2008

New York: Three Indian Americans are among the 200 CEOs of large public companies who received an average of over $11 million compensation in 2007. Besides Indra Nooyi and Vikram Pandit, Rajiv L. Gupta of Rohm and Haas is one of them.

Gupta's package was $7.3 million, cash pay being $2.8 million, according to the CEO pay tabulated Sunday by The New York Times based on proxies filed by companies.

Muzaffarnagar-born, IIT educated, Gupta took over as chairman and CEO of the Pennsylvania-based chemicals multinational in 1999.

For Nooyi, chief of PepsiCo, the total annual package was $14.7 million, with a cash pay of $4.9 million, stock awards and option awards making up the rest.

Pandit, who took over as chief of Citigroup only in last December, received a total of $3.2 million, out of which a huge chunk of $2.9 million was in stock awards.

The highest compensation - a whopping $84 million - went to Johan Thain, chief of Merrill Lynch, while Rupert Murdoch of News Corp took home $24 million.

Steven Jobs of Apple chose to take only a token $1. Even the richest man in the world, Warren Buffett, took only $175,000 from his company, Berkshire Hathaway.

Siliconindia News Bureau. You can read more top news at http://www.siliconindia.com/

New NASSCOM Chairman - Mr Ganesh Natarajan

Ganesh Natarajan named Nasscom Chairman

Tuesday, April 08, 2008
New Delhi: The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) has named Ganesh Natarajan, deputy chairman and managing director of Zensar, as its chairman for 2008-09.

He takes over from Lakshmi Narayan, vice-chairman of Cognizant Technology Solutions. The industry lobby also named Pramod Bhasin, president and chief executive of Genpact, as the vice-chairman.

Although Nasscom seeks to protect the interests of Indian service sector firms, notably in the IT and outsourcing businesses, its membership of around 1,200 companies includes over 200 from the U.S., Europe, Japan and China.

Announcing the Chairman and Vice Chairman for 2008-09, Som Mittal, President, NASSCOM said, "Ganesh Natarajan has been associated with NASSCOM for a number of years and has helped in setting up a several initiatives focussed on Innovation, as well as for the small and medium enterprises. An industry veteran, he is immensely respected and regarded by peers and colleagues not only for his adept leadership but also for his keen knowledge and focus on innovation. We are also delighted to welcome Pramod Bhasin as the NASSCOM Vice Chairman for 2008-09. He has been leading our BPO Forum and, we believe, with his vast experience he will add immense value to the entire industry which will bring a sharper focus on the BPO segment."

"It is an honour to be the Chairman of NASSCOM at a critical time for the industry. Creativity, community and collaboration would help sustain the growth momentum of the industry. The inherent creativity of this industry's people can be translated into commercial innovations to keep our leadership position intact and unleashing the power of community within and across industry segments will ensure that we remain buoyant in all market segments and geographies", said Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, Chairman, NASSCOM and Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Zensar.

Pramod Bhasin, Vice Chairman NASSCOM and President & CEO, Genpact said, "As a part of the NASSCOM Leadership team, I will be focusing on leading the Indian BPO and IT industry globally and focusing on key initiatives such as education and security that are crucial for growth of the industry in the years to come."

Siliconindia News Bureau. You can read more top news at http://www.siliconindia.com/

Top Ten Ways to Create a Freelancing Empire

Top Ten Ways to Create a Freelancing Empire by Shama Hyder of After The Launch.com

Sure, you are great at what you do, but have you ever considered building a freelancing empire around your skill set? If you have ever had a Pinky and The Brain moment about your services, read on.

1. Set yourself as the Go-To Guy or Gal in a Specific Industry- It is very tempting as a freelancer to offer your services to everyone you meet, but this method will bring you scattered results. However, if you hone in on a certain industry, you can really create a name for yourself. This doesn't mean that you only work with that niche, but that does become your primary target market. For example, let's say you choose to do web design for law firms. Now you can focus on that specific target market of attorneys. You can build a name for yourself within that group. Does this restrict you to only working for law firms? No, of course not. But it does help you create a name for yourself in a certain industry and reap the benefits of a strong reputation.
   


2. Network Outside of your Regular Group - If you only hang out with fellow freelancers, you won't get very far in terms of building your empire. It is necessary to spend time with colleagues, but you won't always get more business that way. If you really want to brand yourself and get more clients, you have to network outside of your regular group.



3. Always Ask for Testimonials- What do all the top dogs have in common? They have built up one heck of a reputation. And you can too. Always ask for a testimonial for work well done. It doesn't matter if you don't need them at the moment or don't have a place to display them. If they liked your work, get it in writing. Just collect them for future reference. You never know when they might come in handy.
   


4. Always Ask for Referrals-If you do a good job on a project for a client, always ask if they know others who could use your services. I am shocked at how many freelancers don't do this. Don't assume that your clients don't talk to others about your work. Most people love to brag about a job well done. Be sure to make it clear to them that you appreciate referrals and would love to be of service to their friends and associates.
   


5. Build a Relationship with Clients- Let's say you bid on a project and win it. The client provides the details, and you do a fabulous job for them. They pay and you move on to the next client...UNLESS, they pay and you keep in touch with them. Every now and then send them an email, and see how that project you did for them is working out. Do they need anything else? If so, you would love to work with them again. Did you mention that you just got married? And did they have a good Thanksgiving? Build a relationship with your clients. Keep in touch and communicate. Let them see you as more than a just a freelancer. If they start seeing you as a friend, the chances of you receiving future work and more referrals skyrockets.



6. Create a Marketing Plan- If you want to build a freelancing empire; people have to know about you. So, spend time marketing your services. And I don't just mean having an elevator pitch ready when someone asks you what you do. You should have a full fledge marketing plan in place. What mediums (online and offline) will you use to market your services? How much time and money will you spend with each medium? How will you check to see if the marketing efforts are providing you with a good return on investment?
   


7. Think of it in TERMS of a BUSINESS- So many freelancers consider themselves artists-and rightly so. But more than that, they are also in the business of providing a service. If you think of freelancing as one job or project after another-you start thinking short term. It is easy to forget that your services are actually a part of your business! The life of each job ends when you get paid and a new job or project begins. In order to create a freelancing empire, you have to see the separate jobs as a series of projects that are all connected. You are not just a freelancer, but a business owner who freelances.
   


8. Seek out Mentors AND Mentees- You may think mentors are strictly for corporate cubicle workers who want to move up the ladder, and not for a freelancer like yourself. But you must seek out mentors if you want to create a freelancing empire. These mentors don't have to be freelancers themselves, but just seasoned business owners who you can learn from. On the same token, become a mentor yourself. There are plenty of young freelancers out there who could use someone to teach them the tricks of the trade. A big part of building a freelancing empire is giving back to the community. You can start here!
   


9. Have a Website/Portfolio and Constantly Update It- You do good work,-display it! I hesitate to tell you the number of "serious" freelancers I have met, who don't have a website or portfolio. And many of those who do have a portfolio never bother to update it. It is not exactly confidence inspiring in a client when the last piece in your portfolio is dated 2000, and is an ad for Y2K.



10. Get Good with Numbers- You may hate math (and I did for a long time), but there is no getting around this one. You have to get comfortable with numbers if you plan on building your business empire. At the least, know your costs, your revenues, and your profit margin. I really love Win Web's free accounting software that is especially designed for freelancers and small business owners. You can check it out at http://www.winweb.com/.
    

Here is to you and the start of your freelancing empire!

Shama Hyder is an expert marketing consultant to independent professionals and professional service firms around the world. As the founder of After The Launch, Shama serves clients through her one-on-one consulting work, and through her company's several online and offline marketing services.

You can get her free report "101 Ways to Market Your Business" at http://www.afterthelaunch.com/

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Note: This artcile has been published by taking prior permission from original author - Shama Hyder of http://www.afterthelaunch.com/

Article published on this blog by Afzal Khan - Internet Marketing & SEO/SEM Professional of http://www.afzalkhan.org/