Name: Madhan Mohan

Title: Chief Financial Officer

Organisation: JS Auto Cast Foundry India P Ltd (Subsidiary of Bharat Forge Ltd)

As Chief Financial Officer, Madhan Mohan is responsible for all of the company’s financial functions, including accounting, audit, treasury, corporate finance, and investor relations. He also oversees and manages the M&A activities of JSA and the Information Technology, ESG activities. His career spans more than 20 years of varied experience in Business Leadership, Financial Management and Corporate Strategy.

Prior to joining JS Auto in 2017, Madhan served as Chief Catalyst at Sreenjivi Consulting, an investment banking firm in India from 2013 to 2017. He served as CEO of Protos Technologies P Ltd, from 2010 to 2012.

Madhan holds a Master of Business Administration from Bharathiar School of Management & Entrepreneur Development, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Madhan's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

As a leader the most challenging one is being able to bridge and be on the same page with the Investors, Board of Directors, keep the flag flying high and keep inspiring the Team to scale up heights all at the same time!

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

Opportunity knocked on very early in life. This was in Grade 8th when I was part of the National Cadet Corps had an opportunity to demonstrate my leadership skills and learnt it very early in life that if something big can be done, it would need a TEAM. Leadership lessons and being a Leader started from then.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

My typical day starts around 5.30AM. I keep myself updated with the news related to my industry, domain and geography; I reach my work place at 9 AM to take stock and make sure everything is in place and things are moving in the same pace as planned. Review with the team on the various projects and understand the timelines. Get along with the daily review meeting with cross functional teams. Follow up on the WIP wrt the Finance Team objectives that need to be met for the Qtr. Get back home and once in a week catch up with friends and share thoughts / experiences. Spend time with the family most evenings, have dinner around 9PM and go to bed.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

Time and again a couple of things that gets reminded and re-occurs often - Be a Good Listener / Keep Inspiring your Team. It is really very critical to be a good listener and get to understand as deep as possible on any given subject to be a Good Leader. Also your team always keeps looking upto you, would always love to make sure positivity, and flow of energy and good vibes keep flowing through you into the team to keep the organisation in the growth trajectory.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

Top of the mind - one of the very first few books - Developing the Leader within You - John C Maxwell. This book talks about principles for inspiring, motivating, and influencing others from any type of leadership position. And probably this was one of the books that told me to be a leader you dont need to have a team. A Very Good read to make yourself a Leader with an Impact.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Have Patience, Have Perseverance. Always have the never give up attitude and keep trying again and again. also never go down and see failures as negative in totality. Also Please make mistakes and allow people around you to make mistakes, it is only through mistakes that we learn and once its learnt the hard way it stays with you.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

There was a team member in my early days as a manager who used to be part of the support staff. He always used to dress up nicely and would be the first person to reach to office and the last person to leave office. we were able to note that he had all that was required to be a Good Team Player and also a Good Leader since he was taking very good initiatives and also tell the new joinees whenever they were sliding away from the dotted line. It so happened over the years he became my man to drive the team to perform better and follow up the team for milestones, came up with so many innovative thoughts and ideas to motivate the team to achieve more!