Group Executive Council of Tata Sons dismantled, Mukund Rajan and Harish Bhat get alternative roles

MUMBAI: The brain trust of Cyrus Mistry has been unceremoniously sacked, barring 2 people – Harish Bhat and Mukund Rajan . According to sources, they will get alternative roles. The Group Executive Council (GEC) of Tata Sons, an advisory team, set up by Mistry may be dismantled, with the exit of the chairman.

This coterie of six was formed to give strategic guidance to chairman Cyrus Mistry in 2013. The members of this coterie include CHRO head NS Rajan , strategist- Nirmalya Kumar , business development officer -Madhu Kannan, Harish Bhat, brand custodian -Mukund Rajan. Cyrus Mistry was a member of this advisory panel as well.

The Tata Sons website, does not show the details of the GEC council nor is the interview of Cyrus Mistry available. The profiles of all GEC members have also been removed by the group. “One did not know Mr Tata had skills of a Samurai like warrior in him,” said the leader of another business house.

N. S. Rajan has been Group Chief Human Resources Officer of Tata Sons Limited since May 9, 2013 and also serves as its Member of the Group Executive Council. Rajan was a Partner and Asia Pacific Head of Human Capital at EY .

Mukund Govind Rajan is an old timer at the Tata group. As a member of the Group Executive Council at Tata Sons, he was the brand custodian and also been their chief ethics officer.

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Madhu Kannan was former MD and CEO of Bombay stock Exchange. The release had spoken about the work of the GEC council- ‘The agenda of the GEC includes, inter alia, return on investment with a long term perspective; support for and shaping of the agenda for philanthropy; preserving and enhancing the reputation of the Tata name; defining and driving a Tata way of working for group companies; and playing a proactive role so that the group fulfils its responsibility as a global corporate citizen. The GEC will work closely with and partner the boards, CEOs and senior management of various Tata companies.’

Ratan Tata who will again be at the helm of affairs at Tata Sons is also expected to have his own team of people. His earlier advisors included R K Krishna Kumar, JJ Irani, NA Soonawala . In an email, which ET has access to but not has independently verified, Ratan Tata has addressed Tata ‘colleagues’ confirming the announcement.

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It states a ‘new management structure is being put in place and a selection committee was made to identify the next Chairman’. The committee is expected to select the next chairman in the next four months.