India Eco Summit: Q&A with Jeremy Jurgens

How did you identify and choose the 18 Indian companies for the GGC Community?
We use multiple channels to identify all Global Growth Companies, including the Indian ones. These channels include internal analysis of companies that assess their growth, size and leadership, as well as recommendations from existing members and companies that apply directly to the Forum.

Once selected, do they meet regularly, exchange notes, or have any specific agenda?
Global Growth Companies meet regularly several times a year-- once on the occasion of the ‘Summer Davos’ that takes place in China each Fall and then at various Regional Summits that the Forum hosts. Companies also convene in small-scale gatherings either physically or virtually throughout the year. This past year for example we have conducted virtual sessions on ‘Business Implications of the H1N1 Pandemic’ as well as ‘Building a Global Brand’.

Some of the selection criteria are very stringent. Is this deliberate, so that the community is kept small?
For the peer exchange to be effective, we want to ensure that all companies have achieved a similar level of success in achieving rapid growth and developing their businesses. This allows us to better tailor the topics and discussions within the group.

Is the search for GGCs repeated every year, and who conducts it?
We are on the lookout for high-quality Global Growth Companies on an ongoing basis and rely on a combination of internal research and peer referrals.

How do you evaluate the companies on the qualitative parameters, such as growth potential, capacity and intent to build a global business, and exemplary executive leadership?
In this domain we combine the hard assessment with a soft assessment that includes review of Annual Reports, CEO and senior management interviews and alignment of the companies’ values with the Forum’s mission statement, which is “Committed to Improving the State of the World”.

What happens if in a given year, a member of the Community fails to meet the quantitative criteria?
We consider how companies are performing against their regional and industry peers and look at the soft criteria as well. So far we have had very few cases of companies needing to drop the programme, which I believe is in part due to the quality of the initial selection process.

What future goals and plans does the GGC Community have?
We look to continue to develop the Community of Global Growth Companies in the coming years and expand the range of services that we offer to CEOs and their senior management teams. Particularly, we will take advantage of WELCOM, which is the Forum’s exclusive online community platform and provides CEOs an opportunity to engage and contribute on a range of strategic industry, regional and social issues.