Ajit Kohli [ CEO Snapshot ]

Ajit Kohli

managing director & CEO-South Asia, Thieme Publishers

Ajit KohliAjit Kohli is a Chartered Accountant, with extensive and successful leadership expertise of over 30 years. Experienced in spearheading and managing start-ups, profit-centre operations, business expansions, setting up foreign collaborations and equity dilutions, Ajit spent 17 years in the advertising industry and joined Thieme in 2007 after spending two years in the social sector trying to rediscover himself.

Get to know me…

Who I am? To quote Sadhguru, “You are asking me who you are. It’s all right to walk on the street, point at someone and ask, “Who are you?” But if you go to someone and ask, “Who am I”, that smacks of something else!”

What motivates me? Myself! To quote Andrew Carnegie, “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.”

How I came into Publishing? Seriously, by accident, had no idea what an ISBN meant when I joined Thieme!

A day in my life…

How I start my day? A short prayer thanking God for another day in life, followed by a large mug of tea and three newspapers.

How I like to spend leisure time at home: Cooking, doing odd repair jobs and music

My day ends at: Past midnight

My stress buster: Cooking & music

Work is passion…

Business leader who motivates you: Warren Buffett

THIEME-in one liner: What we do, we do better than—and before—anyone else

My people mantra: Direct, guide, and advise

To be a leader is: Keep promises, period. Never make promises you’re not sure you can keep…..

An exciting point in a typical day’s work: I believe in a quote by Vince Lombardi, “Individual commitment to a group effort-that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

If you are born again what would you like to be?- Surely myself again