From construction to Tata empire, Mistry's new journey begins

New Delhi, Nov 23: Come December 2012, 43-year-old Cyrus Pallonji Mistry will don a new hat, when he succeeds Ratan Tata as the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of over USD 80-billion Tata Group.

From leading the construction-oriented USD 2.5 billion construction giant Shapoorji Pallonji Group as Managing Director, Mistry will be catapulted to a much bigger role-- leading the salt-to-software conglomerate that has been rapidly expanding across global markets.

Mistry, however, is not a new comer to the Tata Group. He was appointed to the board of Tata Sons in 2006. He holds non-executive position on boards of several other companies. At present, he is a Director of Tata Sons and Tata Elxsi (India). He was also a part of the five-member selection committee set up to find Ratan Tata's successor.

Born on July 4, 1968, Cyrus Pallonji Mistry is a Graduate in Civil Engineering from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London.

He also holds a Masters Degree in Management from the London Business School and is a Fellow at the Institution of Civil Engineers.

After joining in 1991 as a Director, Mistry is often credited with taking Shapoorji Pallonji Group to new heights, which now employs over 23,000 employees and has strong presence in India, besides the Middle East and Africa.

Besides, Mistry is also Chairman of Afcons Infrastructure that was acquired by the Shapoorji Pallonji Group in 2000.

Mistry is also serving as a Director on board of several other firms, including Forbes Gokak and United Motors (India). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Civil Engineers, UK, and a Trustee of the NICMAR.

An avid golfer, Mistry is also a founder member of the Construction Federation of India. He is a trustee of the Breach Candy Hospital Trust, Mumbai. He is also on the board of Imperial College India Foundation.

The 147-year-old group is present in different segments, including construction, real estate, infrastructure, biofuels and agriculture, consumer products, electro-mechanical, engineering, textiles, business automation, shipping and logistics.

PTI