'Cool' Kochhar set to take on the mantle

ICICI Bank Managing Director and CEO KV Kamath says that Chanda D Kochhar, his successor at the country’s largest private sector bank, has the unique distinction of having worked across almost all departments ranging from project finance, treasury, the corporate centre and retail, a business that she nurtured for the group from day one.

That is probably what tilted the scales in her favour today when the board cleared her elevation. The 46-year-old, who grew up in Jaipur aspiring to be an IAS officer, is known to put in long hours. That means having to catch up on sleep during travels.

Kochhar joined the erstwhile Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India in 1984 after graduating from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management. Having started as a management trainee, in 1993, she moved to ICICI Bank, the private sector bank which later merged ICICI, the development financial institution, with itself. Kochhar was among the first employees of the bank and was responsible for how it shaped up.

Subsequently, she headed infrastructure finance and major clients groups at ICICI before shifting to build the retail business, in which the institution emerged as the market leader in most segments with strong focus on technology.

In 2001, Kochhar joined the ICICI Bank board and then went on the head its wholesale and international banking businesses. Having been appointed deputy managing director in April 2006, Kochhar took charge as joint managing director and CFO last year and has been heading the corporate centre.

In fact, it was the exposure and “opportunities to grow at ICICI Bank” which ensured that Kochhar stayed back with the group all these years.

Apart from hard work, Kochhar is known for her ability to maintain her cool, even during tough times such as during recent rumours about the bank which saw its share price tumble. “I don’t lose my temper, in fact I don’t use the word stress at all, I call it excitement… But when I’m unhappy about something, my colleagues know it,” she said during a recent interaction with Business Standard.

While work may be keeping her busy most of the time, she does not give up on things she is fond of. That includes sarees, jewellery, good food, especially sweets, and Hindi movies.

But she has had to give up on basketball, something she did a lot of in school. And, as she herself acknowledged in her interview today, life’s going to change thanks to the bigger responsibility.