IT firm CEO gifts BMWs to 5 senior employees to honour their loyalty
Chennai, Apr 9: Loyalty always gets rewarded. Sometimes even brings an expensive BMW car.
This is what five employees of a city-based software firm have discovered, for having assisted their boss in 'digging gold' and making the firm weather the covid-19 storm that threatened its very existence.
Global software-as-a-service company-Kissflow Inc handed over five BMW cars, each worth Rs one crore, to its senior management executives to honour their loyalty and commitment to the company on Friday.
The handing over ceremony were kept under wraps as some of the five recipients of the cars were informed just hours before the event that they are going to be proud owners of an expensive luxury brand.
According to Kissflow Inc CEO Suresh Sambandam the five were with him right from the inception of the company and stayed with him during the course of the journey.
Sambandam said some of the recipients of the cars hailed from humble background and had underwent various challenges before joining his company.
The firm too faced many hurdles on its journey and during the Covid-19 pandemic some of the investors even raised doubts if the company would run successfully.
"There were difficult times. Even during the pandemic, the investors were not sure whether this company will sustain and build a future. Today we are very happy that we have paid back the investors and now it has become a fully owned privately held company," he said.
Not many were aware of the event, as Friday afternoon was the last working day for the week and several questions popped up in the minds of those assembled at the ceremony, including about the possible infusion of funds or any acquisition.
With much fanfare, the five BMW 530d cars rolled-in one by one and were lined up parallelly along with the respective families of the five members, much to the delight of the gathered staffers.
"The cars are for these five who were with me when I dug 100 feet for gold (setting up Kissflow while others left the organisation midway)," Sambandam said.
To a query on what the other employees would receive, Sambandam, owner of a BMW 6 Series vehicle said, "this is an inspiration to them. We want to motivate them (to perform much better). We take care of our employees much better".
"For example, there is no sick leave or casual leave here unlike other companies. It is just one leave for them. If they do not want to come and work, they can work from home. There is no attendance system like biometric system and all...we know our employees", he said.
Echoing similar views, Vivek Madurai, one of the beneficiaries of Sambandam's largesse, said, "we take care of our team members. They are motivated to perform much better in whatever way they prefer".
The Navy Blue 5 Series cars, each valued at Rs 1 crore were handed over to the beneficiaries at an event held to mark the 10th anniversary of the company on Friday.
Some of the beneficaires were informed only in the afternoon about the fortune that awaited them and they termed it as a 'pleasant surprise' as some thought it was just an outing with the bosses.
The recipients of the cars were-- chief product officer Dinesh Varadharajan, director (product management) Kausikram Krishnasayee, director Vivek Madurai, director Adhi Ramanathan and vice-president Prasanna Rajendran.
"It is a pleasant surprise for me. I thought we are going for lunch or dinner with everyone. Did not expect this", Krishnasayee said.
Sambandam, after handing over the keys to them said, "These are the five people who stayed with me in the trenches. Without them Kissflow would not be where it is today, and this is a very small token of appreciation. I feel happy to see them enjoy it with their families".
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Health minister Wes Streeting's resignation piles pressure on UK PM Starmer
London (PTI): UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from the Cabinet on Thursday, declaring that he had lost confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
As a frontrunner to replace Starmer at 10 Downing Street, Streeting is expected to launch his bid to be elected Labour leader if he can secure the backing of the party's requisite 81 members of Parliament.
It piles further pressure on Starmer, who has been attempting to quell an internal rebellion over the devastating results for the governing party in last week’s local elections.
“It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism," Streeting said in his resignation letter addressed to Starmer.
“It needs to be broad, and it needs to be the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope you will facilitate it,” he said.
The former minister accused his boss of lacking any vision and overseeing a power “vacuum” and also went on to highlight his own record of leading the Department for Health and Social Care and state-funded National Health Service (NHS).
Streeting added: “The National Health Service is the embodiment of all that is best about Britain and our values. Thanks to our Labour government, it is on the road to recovery: lots done, but so much more to do.
“These are all good reasons for me to remain in post, but as you know from our conversation earlier this week, having lost confidence in your leadership, I have concluded that it would be dishonourable and unprincipled to do so.”
His words are being interpreted as paving the way for a Labour leadership contest, with former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband among his other expected rivals.
While some indications are that this process may not be triggered any time soon, Starmer's future as Labour leader is looking extremely tenuous if the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) gets involved in a formal election process.
Meanwhile, Rayner issued a statement earlier to confirm that she had been cleared by the UK tax authorities of any wrongdoing over her financial affairs that had forced her to step down from the Cabinet last year.
"I took reasonable care and acted in good faith, based on the expert advice I received, and HMRC [His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs] has accepted this," she said.
This is seen as her declaring her intention to be ready to join the fray, should a Labour leadership election be launched.
The latest turmoil at the top of the British government comes after a series of junior ministerial resignations, with Starmer staying the course by announcing their replacements. Earlier his ally, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, cautioned her colleagues to refrain from plunging the country into chaos and putting the UK’s economic recovery at risk.
“We shouldn’t put that at risk by plunging the country into chaos at a time when there is conflict in the world, but also at a time when our plan to grow the economy is starting to bear fruit," she said.
However, the deep divisions within the Labour Party ranks are only expected to escalate further in the coming days and weeks.
