he best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do more. Those who suspect that this age-old dictum may have lost some of its original lustre need look no further than 46-year-old Colvyn Harris for reassurance. For in September 2004, when JWT India�s chief executive Manender �Mike� Khanna announced his retirement from the top spot, J Walter Thompson promptly appointed �Thompson lifer� Harris (then president of JWT India�s sibling, Contract Advertising) as Khanna�s successor. The CEO�s position at what was for long India�s largest advertising agency is easily a fitting reward for Harris, who started his career as a foot soldier at JWT India (then Hindustan Thompson Associates) way back in 1979, and wears his loyalty towards the agency on his sleeve.

Harris� appointment as the head of JWT India is easily one of the most significant people movements in 2004. For not only did it put to rest years of speculation over who would eventually take over the baton from Khanna, it also demonstrated the importance of not passing over the proverbial dark horse. Ever. ... more