‘What I don't like about India is arrogance of bureaucracy’

John Goodman, CEO, Asia Pacific, Geometry Global, is living his dream.

With offices in Mumbai, Bangalore and Gurgaon, Goodman is happily jet setting around the Asia-Pacific region as well as the country. Earlier CEO of O&M India and South Asia, Goodman was the only foreigner among its 1,000 employees.

All of his Indian colleagues knew his name and were aware that he did not remember theirs. He took it as a challenge.

Part of the advertising and media company WPP Group, Geometry Global is a brand activation agency for the digital age. It was born of the merger between G2, OgilvyAction and JWTAction.

In an interview with Business Line, Goodman says he continues to see India leading from the front in terms of growth. Edited excerpts:

Some details about your experience in living and doing business in India…

In my earlier role (CEO of O&M India), I was here at a stretch for 2.5 years. I had a fantastic time, one of the most enjoyable periods of my 25 years in Ogilvy. What made it so pleasurable was the sheer energy and can-do attitude of O&M India; some of the best people I ever met. Also, there is the feeling that we were doing some of the best work in the industry and I was working with the best. I also enjoyed living in India. In my spare time, I visit some amazing places. And then of course, there's the food. I also got so warmly welcomed; I have been to more parties and weddings in India than the rest of my life put together.

What are the things you like and do not like about India?

More broadly, I like the feeling of optimism and positive attitude to be found all over, no matter people's circumstances. What I don't like is the corruption and arrogance of Government and bureaucracy at all levels.

Could you give us some idea about the learning from the Indian business environment, the difference in work culture in India and other countries you worked in?

It is not that different, at least in our industry (advertising). People tend to be more open and say what they think very clearly, which is not always the case in East Asia. Clients are very price-sensitive of course, but that is common everywhere now. In my day, clients were quite averse to looking at non-traditional solutions (of engaging with consumers), but I see that has changed a lot in the last five years.

What are the things that you find very Indian?

No meeting can start without cups of tea! Then there are some unique words – my favourite being to ‘pre-pone’ a meeting; a word that does not exist outside India, but should.

What do you think needs to be done to improve investor sentiment?

Two things are needed – less hostility to foreign retail, and less corruption in low-level and high-level administration. In other words, a level-playing field is needed. Though this sounds fairly easy, it’s difficult to do.

What are the challenges while living in India?

I remember one clearly - When I worked in O&M India, there were 1,000 Indians and one foreigner – me. Everyone knew my name, but I had no chance of remembering theirs. Which they knew, and therefore, used to tease me by challenging me to remember who they all were.

This is part of a series on expat CEOs working in India.

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