A journey of 30 years helping Insurgent Leaders Grow Their Tribe

September 11, 1993. Calcutta to Bangalore. Two restless souls, a shared dream. We left behind corporate cages for a different jungle: the wild world of entrepreneurial freedom. Here’s a glimpse into the WHY, HOW and WHAT of our ongoing journey, of over three decades.

At the time the Indian economy had recently been liberalized and early winds of globalization had just started stirring the country. Change was in the air and excitement around possibilities palpable.

Mitra was with the Times Of India Group, and I with Unilever (then Brooke Bond). I was part of a small team drawn from the core business, to set up the foods division at Brooke Bond. For me, the transition from a world of conformity and managing legacy, to the realm of leading change and creating the new, was exhilarating and deeply fulfilling.

However, the excitement was short-lived. Shortly after, Unilever announced the acquisition of UB Group's Kissan foods business, and it became evident that our roles would soon revert to managing the humdrum of a mature state business.

Even as I was pondering on whether or not to return to the mundane world of status-quo, one evening Mitra, usually as composed as a marble bust, walked in and slammed her briefcase on the table, the glass table-top reflecting the fury in her eyes. “Another useless meeting,” she spat, “another day wasted pushing paper while the world outside cries for change.” That sparked it, a shared outrage at the stifling confines, the disconnect between spreadsheets and dreams. We craved more, a canvas beyond the cubicle walls, a purpose that sang to our souls.

We quit our jobs and armed with meager savings, moved to Bangalore - the then fastest growing city in Asia. Think jumping off a cliff without a parachute – exhilarating, terrifying, and let's be honest, a little crazy.

Little did we know the challenges and triumphs awaiting us in the untamed world of entrepreneurship. Corporate trappings – monthly paycheck, house, car, pampered travel, and most importantly, a predetermined path – gave way to a vast directionless abyss. We would have to adapt, innovate, and build parachutes before time ran out.

THE WHY

LEAD - BUILD THE FUTURE:

In the early nineties, the recently unshackled Indian economic juggernaut had begun to roll and it was evident that change was here to stay. From my own experience of driving a new initiative at Brooke Bond, it was clear that to drive change would be hardest at large global corporations - the INCUMBENTS. Organizations with a legacy of scale and efficiency-driven mindsets tend to resist change by design. To forge new paths at such organizations, required a new breed of change makers - the INSURGENTS - be they challengers of status quo, disruptors, pioneers, or transformational leaders. This shaped our desire to make a difference by helping such leaders find and grow their tribe, and gave birth to our boutique executive search firm - Peyote Morgan.

THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME:

Crafting our brand we sought a name; powerful enough to command attention, distinctive enough to be remembered and, most importantly, emblematic of our purpose. With that in mind we brainstormed and opted for a compound name - Peyote Morgan - juxtaposing an easy to remember common word with an uncommon one.

‘Morgan’, resonates with solidity and constancy; it’s an old-world name that commands respect & admiration, and personifies the INCUMBENTS.

‘Peyote’, on the other hand, is a powerful psychedelic known for its transformative properties, indicative of those who challenge the status quo as they boldly embrace the new, embodying the spirit of the INSURGENTS.

The names combine to represent what we do best – bringing a bit of ‘Peyote’ to ‘Morgan’ - Insurgents for Incumbents.

The unintended benefit is that when people pause to decode the spelling and internalize the pronunciation - the name sticks and isn’t easily forgotten.

BRANDING IDENTITY:

Our earlier logo, designed in 1993, embodied a classic, timeless look. An elegant custom-font served as our brand's face for nearly two decades. While effective, it lacked the vibrant energy we felt within.

Then, in 2012, a keynote speech by marketing extraordinaire Vinita Bali, the then MD & CEO Britannia, sparked a pivotal transformation to our brand identity. Her message, "Incumbent brands should think like insurgents," resonated deeply.

Inspired, we embraced the "insurgent" label, which had hidden behind more "politically correct" synonyms. This boldness aligned perfectly with our core: empowering changemakers at established companies - Insurgents tribes for Incumbent organizations.

This shift demanded a visual evolution. We partnered with the aptly named "Headless Hippies," led by the insurgent spirit himself, Vibin Venugopal . His approach combined intensity with simplicity, mirroring our own values. The result? A logo that embodies our forward-thinking spirit, with the red line symbolizing the purposeful stride towards the future.

This journey wasn't just about aesthetics; it was about embracing our true identity. Today, our brand reflects more than just who we are – it reflects the transformative potential we unlock for our clients.

LOGO DESIGN CONCEPT:

In every statue of celebrated leaders and makers of history, you’ll find one common attribute – one foot forward - their right legs are placed forward, as they march with purpose towards their vision of the future.

The red oblique line of the logo, in 25? tilt, is symbolic of this commonality, because at Peyote Morgan, we take inspiration from the leaders of the past, to identify the ones of the future.

THE TAGLINE:

LEAD - Is the single word rallying call for our tribe, of clients, colleagues, and candidates, urging them to challenge the status quo and boldly do what hasn’t been done before.

The WHY in brief: We assist corporations with a celebrated past in orchestrating the future, by helping Insurgent leaders grow their TRIBE.

THE HOW

'STATE-OF-THE-HEART' STORYTELLING:

A Tribe is a group of people connected by a belief and united by a shared purpose.

As rational, and committed to logic and intellect, as we are - innovation, creativity, accomplishment, comes not from the ideas in our mind alone. They come from the ideas in our mind that are also fueled by some conviction in our heart. And it is that mind-heart connection that inspires us to believe in things that we may not have seen, but hope to create.

Even though so much has changed, the art of persuasion hasn’t changed in 2000 years. Aristotle believed the best way to transfer emotion from one person to another is through the rhetorical device of storytelling. Stories delivered from the heart, that touch the heart - and also test, unlock, and fuel beliefs - in not just all things bright and shiny, but also the dark and difficult. We call it state-of-the-heart storytelling.

"If you hire people just because they can do a job, they'll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they'll work for you with blood, sweat, and tears." - Simon Sinek

'State-of-the-heart' storytelling, taps into the deeper human desire for connection and meaning, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose. We use compelling narratives that capture the essence of an organization's journey, challenges and aspirations. Alongside we don't shy away from the rough realities, but rather use them to showcase resilience, growth, and the potential for a brighter future. This, in turn, attracts individuals who are not just qualified, but passionately aligned with the Insurgent leader's purpose & beliefs, forming the foundation to attract and grow their tribe.

A CULTURE OF LEARNING & COLLABORATION TO SUPPORT THE PROMISE:

Creating story narratives, delivering them to those who matter, and reeling them in, requires copious amounts of investigative research and execution ingenuity, in order to navigate and conquer the new and unknown.

But do remember - Intent, imagery and sloganeering are meaningless without the underlying foundation of an organizational culture for us to walk the talk.

“An organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage" - Jack Welch

At its core, Team-PeyoteMorgan, embodies a culture of shared learning in a safe environment, honed over the decades, where individuals feel supported, trusted, and respected. This sense of safety allows individuals to take risks, share ideas, and collaborate openly without fear of judgment or retribution, leading to increased creativity, innovation, and collective performance.

A culture further defined by the belief where ‘nobody wins unless everyone does’. No internal competition, no employee of the month awards - only a tribe of empowered and trusted individuals, combining their strengths and looking out for each other, as innovative leaders of outcomes, rather than slaves of process.

“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together” - African Proverb.

Our "how" would be incomplete without acknowledging our ancestral tribe of colleagues. We express profound and heartfelt gratitude to every past member who helped build the foundations of our unique work ethic and collaborative spirit. Your legacy lives on in our current tribe.

The HOW in brief: Modelled as a 'special forces' learning unit - staying soulful, nimble & small by choice - enables us to be the ‘charioteer’ for when Insurgent warriors need one.

THE WHAT

BUILDING ORGANIZATIONS:

Traditionally, the Executive Search industry operates in vertical industry and function silos.

From the outset, we embraced a horizontal approach, driven by the belief that the insurgent tribes we seek to nurture, transcend industry and function silos. Filling a traditional position in a silo, is anyone's game; assembling tribes that build organizations takes much more. It requires insider collaboration and a shared vision. It's a tribe thing: tribes attract tribes!

IMPACT:

Alongside the fun of collaborating on complex new hiring missions - some no different than solving a "whodunnit" mystery, or pulling-off a pulse-pounding heist that would put Hollywood to shame - comes the sobering sense of a collective responsibility, of the long lasting impact of our work in the lives of the people, and the organizations, we touch. For us, the most important measurement of accomplishment is not reflected in numbers but in the satisfaction, fulfillment and spiritual rewards of a job well done.

MISSIONS ACCOMPLISHED [DECLASSIFIED]:

While confidentiality keeps most of our work and details under wraps: (think top-secret missions), these headlines of a few representative success stories, from over the years, illustrate the power of our horizontal approach to building enduring tribes:

Circa & onwards:

• 1994 - Levis Strauss - Launch to early growth - Helped, expats Sanjay Choudhuri , MD & Rajashekar K V, CFO assemble their executive team across, business, marketing, finance, HR, global-sourcing etc to successfully launch and grow Levis in India. To mention a few: Raju Vuppalapati , Marketing Head India went on to significant global roles in Levis worldwide, serving for over 19 years. with his last role as MD-ANZ, Africa & Middle East. Sanjay Gangopadhyay , GM Marketing for Dockers, served in India and globally for over 5 years. Shubha Siddhartha , Head HR India for over 6 years, Rajan Amba , Retail & Product Head for over 7 years, H S Vishwanath . , set up and grew global sourcing for Levis and served for over 26 years.
• 1996 - Standard Chartered Credit Cards - Launch to early growth - Helped Farhad Irani , Country Head, Subba Sattvic aka Subba Vaidyanathan , Head of Sales & Balachandar N , Head HR with early hires for the Cards business.
• 1998 - Coca Cola - Launch to growth - Helped Adil Malia , Director HR with early hires across business, finance, HR, supply chain & other corporate roles to help establish & grow Coke in India. To mention a few: Vamsi Mohan Thati , went on to serve globally for over 24 years with last roles as President, South Pacific & later, Mongolia & Greater China. Deepak Mehrotra as Regional Vice President served for over 5 years. Jawahar Solai Kuppuswamy (SK) , Finance, continues to serve globally for over 27 years. Sanjeev Kulkarni in Environmental Health & Safety served for around 3 years. Sandeep Boralkar , Director Commercial Product served for over 8 years.
• 2001 - Reckitt Benckiser - Regional IS Director & CIO - Helped Gurveen Singh hire Sekhar Rai Choudhuri as Regional IS Director, who served for over 10 years and was instrumental in major IT initiatives in South Asia and globally.
• 2003 - IBM India Research Labs - India set-up - Helped Dr. P. (Gopal) Gopalakrishnan with early hiring of Senior Research Scientists from across global Locations. Those were pre-internet days and since we were hiring senior scientists for research in the then futuristic technologies such as pervasive and quantum computing amongst others, it meant reading up and learning sufficiently to have meaningful initial conversations with PhDs - the ultimate experts in their fields. This was one of our early lessons in adaptability and learning-to-learn. Dr Gopal was truly a next level collaborator and guide, often sitting with our team in a food court, patiently spending time to help guide us. Biggest learning was, that in the world of applied research, scientists don't join organisations, they join the leader. Story telling helped in assembling Dr Gopal's tribe.
• 2005 - Motorola Mobility - Marketing driven turnaround story - Helped Reddiam Raghu Ram , hire the marketing insurgent, Lloyd Mathias as Head of Marketing and helped assemble their tribe that scripted a spectacular turnaround for Moto phones. From around 2% market share, against Nokia's over 80%, Motorola soon surged to 18% market share in under a year. That led to many more assignment from Gillian Standen-Thomas FCPHR GAICD in the APAC region and with Prashanthi Sylada Krishna we helped hire the entire leadership team for Motorola's India Manufacturing facility. Other roles hired for Motorola across the organisation and functions included, the Managing Director for Motorola Research Labs, Country Technical Product Service Head to setup a country services network, Director of IT/CIO, Director - Carrier Sales, Legal Counsel, and several others in multiple functional areas such as HR, Finance etc.
• 2006 - SAP, USA - Patents Attorney - This assignment came our way from SAP, USA when they were unable to close this role for over a year, through specialist international legal search firms. Never before having done a role of this nature, our learning-to-learn approach came to our aid. From our knowledge on global patent filings, imbibed during the PhD hiring for IBM & Motorola, we were able to identify and present a slate of candidates in under two weeks, leading to the hire of US based Prakash Nama . Subsequently many more General Counsel Roles came to us from a variety of sectors which were closed successfully.
• 2007 - Cisco - Globalization - Wim Elfrink as the Chief Globalisation Officer was based in Bangalore to give shape to John Chambers ' vision of setting up Cisco - Globalization Centre East (GCE) - a second Global HQ with a goal to position a quarter of the global executive team in India. We worked as an exclusive in-house partner with Scott Schroeder , Wim's talent lead, on several direct-hire and pipeline initiatives in a unique hybrid model alongside inhouse teams. Worked closely with global leaders across technical, business, consulting and corporate functions on several key assignments - Lea King , Mrinalini (Lani) Ingram , Shailesh Chandra , Manjula Talreja , Jeremy Vallance , Arun Bedi , Annella Heytens, IHRP-MP, CCP, GRP , Sameer Padhye , Ron (Veronica) Mcmeeking , Krishnaswamy Venugopal , Reuben Buck , David Hanson
• 2010 - JP Morgan Chase - Confidential Hire - Worked with Janaki Ramakrishnan , VP-HR and Punit Sood , Managing Director & CIO India, on a highly confidential hiring of Arun Sharma (He / Him) as Managing Director Global Technology, to replace an incumbent with the goal of a major turaround of the division. Arun served for over 6 years.
• 2011 - Novartis - Global Captive Centre - Worked with Giles Breault & Vivek Devaraj to help hire Naveen Gullapalli with a goal of expanding Novartis' GCC presence. Helped Naveen with some of his early team including Anil Yadav and later the hiring of Rajarshi Bhattacharya for Emmanuel Puginier . Over the past, over 12 years, Naveen's continuing stint at Novartis has been nothing short of spectacular having incubated and grown many initiatives and now leading all Global GBS & Corporate Centers.
• 2014 - Adobe - Global roles - Worked with Jaleel Abdul on a few critical global roles that were to be based in India in the backdrop of Adobe's global shift to a SAAS business model, leading to the hiring of Shankar Lakshman , Harshavardhan Rao and Mohit Mahajan .
• 2015 - Lowes - Global captive - Worked with Narayan Ram , Ned Ford , Dan Thorpe and Kelly Ross on key hirings, including of Vikram Sankaralingam to set up the financial analytics COE
• 2018 - AB Inbev - Global captive - Worked with Ricardo Farias , Wouter Peeters , Guilherme Isidoro , Marianela Comino and Durga Nair on successfully hiring for a variety of critical and new global capability COEs such as Cyber Security, Compliance Operations and several others.
• 2020 - Applied Materials - Global role (Confidential) - Worked with Abhay Singh alongside the Country President on the successful hiring for an important new global role being set up in India in a non technical but critical area.
• 2021 - Twinings, UK - Global role (Confidential) - Worked with Sandeep Seeripat & Lucy Elliott on this very important hire. Sandeep is an insurgent leader personified, forever willing to challenge the status quo and experiment with new ways. This was a hiring effort that suddenly found itself in the midst of the pandemic uncertainties. We collaborated on an interesting initiative to go about the hire that served us well in testing cultural compatibility & adaptability of the candidates. Full credit to Sandeep for playing ball. Can't say more :)

These are just a few for now. So many more that I wish we could talk about.

IN CONCLUSION:

Our journey hasn't been about chasing quick wins or the latest trends. It's been about building relationships, creating lasting impact, and leaving a positive legacy - and of prioritising soul over scale, and of value over valuations.

The journey continues, and we remain committed to partner with more insurgent leaders who believe what we do.

Are you ready to build a tribe that will ignite change within your organization? Let's discuss how we can help you make your vision a reality.