Father basks in glory as son takes over as president, CEO of FedEx

Thiruvananthapuram, March 29 (IANS) It was a proud moment for 87-year-old former director general of police V. Subramaniam when his elder son Raj Subramaniam took over as the President and CEO of FedEx, the US-based multinational transportation and courier delivery giant on Monday.

Advising his son to be totally devoted and committed, the former top police officer who lives in a flat near here, said: "I specifically told him that he should be loyal to the company with impeccable integrity."

He called his family an out-and-out FedEx family as Raj's wife Uma quit a top post in FedEx following conflict of interest.

"Their 25-year-old son, who has been working with FedEx for the past four years, will quit in May to pursue his management programme. My second son Rajiv Subramaniam has also been working with FedEx in the IT division for more than two decades," he said.

Raj studied at the Loyola School here till Class 10.

"After his Class 10, I wanted him to explore India and sent him to Mumbai and after two years he joined IIT Mumbai where he did his chemical engineering. Then he got full scholarship to do his MS in the US. Soon after, he joined a management programme and won a gold medal," said Subramaniam.

He returned to India and got married after completing his management studies. Later, when he went back to the US, he learnt that FedEx had come to their campus for campus selection.

A person from Chennai was selected. That person was from the biggest industrial group in Chennai and he did not join. "Soon my son called up FedEx and expressed his keenness in working with them. He was called for an interview and he joined the company in September 1991," he said.

He said his son last came here before the Covid pandemic struck as he hardly gets time because of his tight schedule.

Owing to his advanced age, he is not able to travel much now and the last he went to the US was seven years back, Subramaniam said. Since his doctor (retired) wife is also not keeping in good health, the couple will be tracking their son's growth trajectory from their flat.

Subramaniam replaces Frederick W. Smith, chairman and CEO, and will become the Executive Chairman of the company.

Photo courtesy of Instagram.