How Punit Renjen became the first Asian global CEO of Deloitte
Punit Renjen attributes his success in Deloitte to hard work, good luck, inspirational mentorship and never forgetting where he came from
Punit Renjen grew up in the small Indian town of Rohtak. Hard work and a battery of mentors have seen him rise to become the first Asian global chief executive of accounting firm Deloitte.
The key to his ascension is "hard work, a bit of luck and great mentorship at Deloitte".
The 53-year-old believes his background and experience will help Deloitte become the world's most reputable professional firm by 2020.
"Asia is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world. My background and my culture will help me to lead the team to develop in the region," he said in an interview with the South China Morning Post earlier this week when he came to meet clients and colleagues.
Rohtak has a population of 370,000, which is not much more than Deloitte's global staff in 150 countries of 220,000. His father ran a small shop and the young Renjen worked hard and won a Rotary Foundation scholarship to study in Willamette University in the US, where he earned a master's degree in management.
When he was still in university, a local magazine profiled him as one of the top 10 students. A Deloitte partner read the article, tracked him down to offer him an interview and he was hired.