You could call Tony Sharpe the gypsy of commerce. As the head of international business for the Huthwaite Research Group, Sharpe is on the road for an average of 200 days a year. For the remaining 165 days, Sharpe can still be found making tracks "" this time in cross-country and bicycle races. Apart from giving the term global citizen a new meaning, this does enable him to keep up with his illustrious Yorkshire neighbour, Sir Geoffrey Boycott.
Sharpe was in the Capital recently to announce the tie-up between the UK-based Huthwaite Research Group (HRG) and Delhi-based NIS Sparta Limited. With his trademark ebullience Sharpe says: We are delighted to build this alliance with NIS Sparta. Together we will turn out sales and marketing personnel with a truly global orientation.
The training programmes in sales and marketing are aimed at both the career education segment as well as corporates. HRG which already has a key presence in 27 countries successfully delivers customised solutions to corporate heavies such as Hewlett Packard, Ericsson, IBM, Xerox, Kodak and American Express.
Sharpe's firm relies on Behaviour Analysis, a management tool patented by HRG's founder Neil Rackham in 1974. This approach highlights the skills used by successful people in tough business situations. The training modules are based on researched effectiveness,' after conducting empirical research on sales.
Sharpe sees this alliance as an opportunity to get a foothold in the Middle East and ASEAN countries. This may be Sharpe's maiden visit, but with this business agenda, he is likely to find that all roads lead to India.