New Appointments at TVS Motor Company
TVS Motor Company has appointed Prof. Sir Ralf Speth to its Board of Directors with effect from March 24, 2021. The company also appointed Kuok Meng Xiong, scion of the Kuok Group, as an Independent Director Chennai on March 24, 2021, for a period of five years. In line with the future roadmap, Prof Sir Ralf Speth regarded as the global automotive industr y icon, widely acclaimed for his leadership at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and known for transforming JLR into the global marquee, continues to ser ve on its board as Vice Chairman as also on the board of Tata Sons. Averred Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, TVS Motor Company, “It is a momentous occasion for TVS Motor Company to welcome Ralf to its Board. His passion for technolog y, eye for products and commitment to building brands are truly remarkable. His thoughts will add immensely to TVS Motor as the company shapes itself for the future.” “Ralf ’s deep insights and guidance will be invaluable to the management team as TVS Motor Company embraces the future of mobility,” he said.
Sir Ralf ’s journey can be traced back to his beginnings in BMW where he rose to a ver y senior level at a young age. A PhD at War wick Manufacturing Group, he later joined Premier Auto Group and took charge of product planning and quality. He moved to the chemical giant Linde later where he ran global operations. The Chief Executive Officer of JLR for over 11 years is regarded as the most glorious period in the histor y of the British marquee. Knighted by the Queen in 2018 for his contributions to British industr y, the Royal Society recognised his passion for science in 2020 for making him a Fellow of the Royal Society, a rare honour for a business leader. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman of TVS Motor Company, credited for building the company in 1980 and taking it to the top five global manufacturers of two and three-wheelers, becomes Chairman Emeritus effective Januar y 2023. Sir Ralf will succeed him as Chairman.
Kuok Meng Xiong, the scion of the Kuok Group, regarded as one of Asia’s most respected business houses and the founder of venture firm K3 Ventures started his career at the Group’s Shangri La Hotels, expanding it to Europe, West Asia and Sri Lanka. At the venture firm K3, he led early investments in 38 of the world’s leading startups and many Asian unicorns. These include investments in Grab, Bytedance, Palantir, Airbnb, GoPay, Wiz. ai, SpaceX and others. He is on the Board of many Kuok Group Companies and the advisor y Board of TPG, among others. “MX brings a unique mix of strong corporate values and a clear vision of the future digital world, and it will be a privilege to have him on our Board”, expressed Srinivasan. The Board is said to have accepted the resignation of Rajesh Narasimhan who has joined the Board of Sundaram Clayton, in addition to his executive role at TVS Digital, where he leads investments in startups related to the Group’s business.