'You have to look onward & upward'

BANGALORE: He was the brand ambassador for Wipro. He could come out with sound bytes that send excited waves on air. Diligently following in the footsteps of his role model, Jack Welch, who moved into private equity business, Paul is now going to scout for new pastures and technologies by becoming a partner at the Texas Pacific Group, a leading private investment firm.In an telephone conversation from San Francisco he speaks about his past in Wipro and the new future.
What do you feel now after putting in your papers?
There is a great sense of satisfaction and there is a great sense of loss too. The sense of achievement is that the company has moved up from a mere $150 million to $1.5 billion in the past six years. We had achieved a lot -- we spotted the opportunities and encashed on them. Now, there is a tremendous amount of optimism and hope and everyone can walk with our heads held high.
And, the sense of loss?
I do feel sad that I am leaving behind a number of my colleagues who turned out to be good friends. There are a great bunch of people and there are great memories -- I do feel sad that I would no longer be with them. But, you have to look onward and upward.
What was Mr Azim Premji's reaction when you told him that you would be leaving Wipro?
Well, I can't remember the exact words but basically what he said was that it was unfortunate and that all of us have to find our own ways.
Was there any pressure that forced you to quit?
Well, there was some push and pull. But, I take up things as a challenge and move on.
Would your new work involve India?
Route to private equity is a well beaten track -- and my work at Texas Pacific would involve helping entrepreneurs and corporations grow rapidly and capitalise on opportunities. Focus would be on technology and life sciences which would leverage my background. My job is not India-centric but India will definitely play a piece in the business.