Flash Mob

A flash mob is a group of strangers who organize themselves, using electronic media such as cell phones or the Internet, to gather together in a public place, behave in a predetermined manner for a predetermined amount of time, and then quickly disperse.
A successful flash mob event depends on the element of surprise. Participants, called mobsters, share news about the time and place for an upcoming event through postings on blogs, chain e-mail messages, SMS text messages and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Bill Wasik, senior editor of ,Harper's Magazine, orchestrated the first successful flash mob in June 2003 at Macy's department store. A group of 100 people received instructions to gather at one of four staging areas. Further directions led them to the store's rug department, where they told employees they lived together and were shopping for a "love rug."
Waslik's subsequent flash mobs included one group applauding for 15 seconds in the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel and another group pretending to be tourists from Maryland in a SoHo shoe store. It wasn't until June 2006, when Wasik published an article about his flash mobs in Harper's, that their source was publicly known. According to Wasik, he created the flash mob, at least in part, "as a stunt that would satirize scenester-y gatherings."

 

Glass Ceiling

While the phrase glass ceiling is metaphorical, many women who find themselves bumping their heads on it find it very real indeed. It is most often used to describe the sexist attitude many women run into at the workplace. In a discussion of ascending the corporate ladder, the word “ceiling” implies that there is a limit to how far someone can climb it. Along with this implied barrier is the idea that it is glass, meaning that, while it is very real, it is transparent and not obvious to the observer. The term glass ceiling is most often applied in business situations in which women feel, either accurately or not, that men are deeply entrenched in the upper echelons of power, and women, try as they might, find it nearly impossible to break through.
Gay Bryant wrote an article in Adweek containing the first documented use of the term in 1984. The term glass ceiling became a permanent part of the American lexicon with a subsequent article in the Wall Street Journal published on 24 March 1986 by Carol Hymowitz and Timothy Schellhardt. While the term may be casually used, the Department of Labor took it very seriously in 1991 when they issued a definition of it, stating that a glass ceiling is made up of "artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevent qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organization into management-level positions." The Department went on to establish a Glass Ceiling Commission in an effort to “level the playing field".

Modified Angoff Procedure

The Modified Angoff procedure is used to determine the initial passing score for an examination used to certify or license practitioners. It is one of the most popular procedures for setting a criterion-referenced passing point. It is not a norm-referenced method, when a candidate’s pass or fail status is determined by his or her performance in relation to other candidates. Using the Angoff procedure, once the passing point is determined, a candidate’s pass/fail performance is established independently of the group who sat for the exam. Candidates are judged by comparing their performance to an absolute standard, not to other candidates. Theoretically, all candidates can pass or all can fail.

The process begins by selecting a group of job experts to serve as judges. This is typically the client’s examination committee. The group develops a definition of a hypothetical “minimally competent practitioner” (MCP). Then the judges are shown an item on the exam and asked to consider how many of a group of 100 MCPs are likely to answer that question correctly. Initial ratings are discussed, and the judges are allowed to change their ratings, based on the discussion. This process is repeated for each item on the exam. The ratings are averaged across all items and all judges to determine the passing point. Additionally, a 95% confidence interval (CI) is calculated using the standard error of the ratings and the inter-rater reliability of the judges. After the first administration of the initial test form, a “reality check” is performed, i.e., the score distribution is reviewed with the client, and a passing point is selected from within the 95% CI. Once the initial passing point is set the standard is maintained through
statistical equating.

Stockholm syndrome

Stockholm syndrome, the phenomenon in which victims display compassion for and even loyalty to their captors. It was first widely recognized after the Swedish bank robbery that gave it its name. For six days in August 1973, thieves Jan-Erik Olsson and Clark Olofsson held four Stockholm bank employees hostage at gunpoint in a vault. When the victims were released, their reaction shocked the world: they hugged and kissed their captors, declaring their loyalty even as the kidnappers were carted off to jail. Though the precise origin of the term Stockholm syndrome is debated, it is often attributed to remarks during a subsequent news broadcast by the Swedish criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who had assisted the police during the robbery.

Inspirational words from Rocky Balboa to his son

Below are the inspirational words from Rocky to his son in the movie 'Rocky Balboa' -

The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!

"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," Randy Pausch's last speech

Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960 - July 25, 2008) gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving presentation, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Carrefour

Carrefour S.A. (French pronunciation: [karfur]) is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world ( a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise. In theory, hypermarkets allow customers to satisfy all their routine shopping needs in one trip).

Carrefour means "crossroads" in French

Negative Externality - Economics

Occurs when a product or decision costs the society more than its private cost. It is generally viewed as a failure of the market because the level of consumption or production of the product is higher than what the society requires. Car pollution is an example of negative externality; as a driver of a car, you don't account for the costs of the air pollution created by the car but the society is paying for the costs of air pollution.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia (from the Greek meaning "good death": , eu (well or good) + , thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.

Euthanasia is categorized in different ways, which include voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is legal in some countries and U.S. states. Non-voluntary euthanasia is illegal in all countries. However, in the Netherlands, physicians can avoid prosecution by following well described and strict conditions. Involuntary euthanasia is usually considered murder.

Cumulative Advantage

Cumulative Advantage. The gist: anything that is really popular got so via a combination of luck and timing. Of course there are many more aspects to any hit, be it fashion, technology, or entertainment, but the underlying assertion:

when people tend to like what other people like, differences in popularity are subject to what is called “cumulative advantage,” or the “rich get richer” effect. This means that if one object happens to be slightly more popular than another at just the right point, it will tend to become more popular still. As a result, even tiny, random fluctuations can blow up, generating potentially enormous long-run differences among even indistinguishable competitors — a phenomenon that is similar in some ways to the famous “butterfly effect” from chaos theory. Thus, if history were to be somehow rerun many times, seemingly identical universes with the same set of competitors and the same overall market tastes would quickly generate different winners: Madonna would have been popular in this world, but in some other version of history, she would be a nobody, and someone we have never heard of would be in her place. is that for every success story there is at least one equally worthy failure.

Alpha Male

Alpha male is a term used in describing any group or society of animals that live closely together and have a dominant leader. Alpha dog is often used in both domesticated breeds of dogs and in wolf societies to express the leadership characteristics of the dog to which all other dogs defer. There are also alpha females or leading females in many pack animal societies (including human societies), with the alpha female having dominance over all females in the pack and possibly some of the lower beta males or omega males.
In human societies alpha male can mean very different things. Some use the term to mean the guy who seems most at ease with women and can essentially marry or date any woman of his choice. In this sense the alpha male is often good-looking, has a great build, and may have a relatively high socioeconomic status. These distinctions may be less noticed in human groups like high school settings. Generally the alpha male (or a group of alpha males) are the cutest guys, usually muscle-bound, sometimes the “jocks,” while beta males may be less assured around females and may participate in less “male” activities.

The guys who join math teams or play chess at lunch are usually the beta males and may be thought less attractive by girls. It should be noted that “nerds” (and here we use the term fondly and affectionately), are becoming increasingly popular. As long-term mates or “boyfriends,” they stereotypically on average tend to be nicer and more respectful toward girls. This article also does not imply that all attractive males are necessarily alpha. Alpha males are more about exhibiting traits that are essentially masculine or “macho.” Many attractive males are beta to the core when it comes to relating with people.
In work settings, the alpha male may be a natural leader, exuding confidence. But he also may be contentious, demanding and difficult to work with. This is thought to be in part due to the alpha male attempting to retain his stature, however unconsciously, as alpha. Being the top salesperson, the quickest worker, the most aggressive boss may contribute to remaining at the top, and the alpha male has a tendency to respond aggressively to any attempts by others to outshine him.
This is true in non-human settings too. The alpha male is continually being tested to see if he remains dominant and may need to stage pitched fights with upcoming males in a group to remain “top dog.” In the human setting, the alpha male usually doesn’t fight physically, but instead acts with language, brusque or dismissive behavior, or with other tactics to remain at the top.
Though leaders in a company are excellent to have, alpha male characteristics in the workplace may not always be seen as positive. Aggression and disregard for others are not necessarily inspiring. Some people better lead by being “beta” and having good communication skills, sensitivity toward others, and downplaying their strengths so they can showcase the strengths of others.
In adult social settings, alpha males again may be judged not so much by aggression, but by their ability to get the most attractive women as mates. This is the primary reason for alpha behavior in other animals.
The alpha male in adult society is likely to be confident, attractive, and wealthy. Questions remain as to whether the alpha male can retain mates, since relationships often require ability to compromise, to discuss feelings and to be sensitive. Some alpha males have these characteristics typically thought of as beta, but many of them lack such traits. You can certainly point to prominent alpha males in our society who seem to have poor track records with women, either involving themselves in a succession of failed relationships or marrying one woman after another, with no marriage lasting for very long.

Carbon Credit

What does Carbon Credit mean

A permit that allows the holder to emit one ton of carbon dioxide. Credits are awarded to countries or groups that have reduced their green house gases below their emission quota. Carbon credits can be traded in the international market at their current market price.

The carbon credit system was ratified in conjunction with the Kyoto Protocol. Its goal is to stop the increase of carbon dioxide emissions.

For example, if an environmentalist group plants enough trees to reduce emissions by one ton, the group will be awarded a credit. If a steel producer has an emissions quota of 10 tons, but is expecting to produce 11 tons, it could purchase this carbon credit from the environmental group. The carbon credit system looks to reduce emissions by having countries honor their emission quotas and offer incentives for being below them.

In step with the dramatic rise in C02 emissions and other pollutants in recent years, a variety of new financial markets have emerged, offering businesses key incentives — aside from taxes and other punitive measures — to slow down overall emissions growth and, ideally, global warming itself.

A key feature of these markets is emissions trading, or cap-and-trade schemes, which allow companies to buy or sell "credits" that collectively bind all participating companies to an overall emissions limit.

While markets operate for specific pollutants such as greenhouse gases and acid rain, by far the biggest emissions market is for carbon. In 2007, the trade market for C02 credits hit $60 billion worldwide — almost double the amount from 2006.

How It Works

Emissions limits and trading rules vary country by country, so each emissions-trading market operates differently. For nations that have signed the Kyoto Protocol, which holds each country to its own C02 limit, greenhouse gas-emissions trading is mandatory. In the United States, which did not sign the environmental agreement, corporate participation is voluntary for emissions schemes such as the Chicago Climate Exchange. Yet a few general principles apply to each type of market.

Under a basic cap-and-trade scheme, if a company’s carbon emissions fall below a set allowance, that company can sell the difference — in the form of credits — to other companies that exceed their limits. Another fast-growing voluntary model is carbon offsets. In this global market, a set of middlemen companies, called offset firms, estimate a company’s emissions and then act as brokers by offering opportunities to invest in carbon-reducing projects around the world.Unlike carbon trading, offsetting isn’t yet government regulated in most countries; it’s up to buyers to verify a project’s environmental worth. In theory, for every ton of C02 emitted, a company can buy certificates attesting that the same amount of greenhouse gas was removed from the atmosphere through renewable energy projects such as tree planting.

Yin & Yang Theory

What is the Yin Yang Theory?Yin yang theory is a kind of logic, which views things in relation to its whole. The theory is based on two basic components: yin and yang, which are neither materials nor energy. They combine in a complementary manner and form a method for explaining relationships between objects. Gradually, this logic was developed into a system of thought that was applied to other areas. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an example of one area where the yin yang theory is used to understand complicated relationships in the body.

The Origin of the Yin Yang Theory The original concept of yin and yang came from the observation of nature and the environment. "Yin" originally referred to the shady side of a slope while "yang" referred to the sunny side. Later, this thinking was used in understanding other occurrences, which occurred in pairs and had complementary and opposing characteristics in nature. Some examples include: sky and earth, day and night, water and fire, active and passive, male and female and so on. Working with these ideas, ancient people recognized nearly all things could have yin and yang properties. Yin and yang can describe two relative aspects of the same phenomena such as the example of the slope, or they can describe two different objects like sky and earth.
	Usually, yang is associated with energetic qualities. For example, movement, outward and upward direction, heat, brightness, stimulation, activity and excitement are all yang qualities. Yin, on the other hand, is associated with the physical form of an object and has less energetic qualities such as rest, inward and downward direction, cold, darkness, condensation, inhibition, and nourishment. See Table 1 for a description of yin and yang characteristics.

Nelson's Eye - Turning a blind eye

Meaning

To knowingly refuse to acknowledge something which you know to be real.

Origin

Admiral Horatio Nelson is supposed to have said this when wilfully disobeying a signal to withdraw during a naval engagement. Tales of that sort, especially when they are about national heroes like Nelson, tend to be exaggerated or entirely fictitious. That doesn't appear to be the case here though and there's very good evidence to show that Nelson was indeed the source of this phrase.

In the naval battle of Copenhagen in 1801 Nelson lead the attack of the British fleet against a joint Danish/Norwegian enemy. The British fleet of the day was commanded by Admiral Sir Hyde Parker. The two men disagreed over tactics and at one point Hyde Parker sent a signal (by the use of flags) for Nelson to disengage. Nelson was convinced he could win if he persisted and that's when he 'turned a blind eye'.

In their biography Life of Nelson, published just eight years later, Clarke and M'Arthur printed what they claimed to be a Nelson's actual words at the time:

[Putting the glass to his blind eye] "You know, Foley, I have only one eye - and I have a right to be blind sometimes... I really do not see the signal."

The first recorded use of the phrase in the form we normally use it today is in More letters from Martha Wilmot: impressions of Vienna, 1819-1829. These were reprinted in 1935 and this quotation is recorded as being sent by Ms. Wilmot in 1823:

"turn a blind eye and a deaf ear every now and then, and we get on marvellously well."

The manner of use of the phrase in that quotation suggests that it was well understood at the time.

Project Management Evolution Timeline

Brook's Law

Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later - Fredrick Brooks

6 Thinking hats

Early in the 1980s Dr. Edward de Bono invented the Six Thinking Hats method. The method is a framework for thinking and can incorporate lateral thinking
1) White : Neutral & Objective , Concerned with facts and figures
2) Red : Suggests anger & rage , its emotional view
3) Black : Serious & Sombre , Cautiious and identifies weaknesses in ideas
4)Yellow : Sunny & positive , optimistic & hopeful thinking
5) Green : Abundant growth , Indicates creativity & new ideas
6) Blue : Cool / calm & in control , Organises the thinking process and use of other hats

Who is a deleb?

A deleb is a dead celebrity, who is used to endorse products and continues to earn good revenue even after death. Good examples are Elvis Presley, Lennon, Yves St Laurent, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Johnny Cash and now, Michael Jackson.

interesting tale of how India's 20 rupee note got its unique orange colour combination

The then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi had convened a metting of top officials of the ministry and the mint to launch the 20 rupee note. Maharashtra's former chief secretary P D Kasbekar was witness to a key decision taken by then prime minister Indira Gandhi in respect of the orange colour combination that was finally chosen for the 20 rupee note.

Many top officials were carrying bulk files and different sets of designs for Indira Gandhi to see and finalise one of them.

Kasbekar, a joint secretary in the banking department then who also attended the meeting, was wearing a nylon shirt.
Indira Gandhi looked at Kasbekar's pocket and her gaze stayed transfixed there. Kasbekar became uneasy along with others, suspecting that something had displeased the prime minister.

Surprisingly, she ordered Kasbekar to take out a colourful envelope that he had in his shirt pocket. Kasbekar gave the envelope to her without knowing why. Indira Gandhi's face lit up and she said, "This is the colour scheme and design I like."

The meeting ended and the selection had been made. Kasbekar had actually kept a wedding invitation in his shirt pocket which was orange in colour with a dash of red and saffron. This colour combination that is used in wedding cards in Maharashtra, and other southern Indian states is considered auspicious. Most wedding cards are printed using several combinations of these colours.

DISC Model of behaviour

The foundation for the DISC model comes from the work of a Harvard psychologist named Dr. William Moulton Marston in the 1920′s. He developed a theory that people tend to develop a self-concept based on one of four factors — Dominance, Inducement, Steadiness, or Compliance. This idea forms the basis for the DISC theory as it is commonly applied today.


In the DISC model , the full range of normal human behavior is defined by a circle divided into quadrants as described below.


Divide a circle in half horizontally. The upper half represents outgoing or fast-paced people. The lower half represents reserved or slower-paced people. Outgoing people tend to move fast, talk fast, and decide fast. Reserved people tend to speak more slowly and softer than outgoing people, and they generally prefer to consider things thoroughly before making a decision.

The circle can also be divided vertically. The left half represents task-oriented people. The right half represents people-oriented people. Task-oriented people tend to focus on logic, data, results and projects. People-oriented people tend to focus on experiences, feelings, relationships, and interactions with other people.

Combining these two circles completes the model description…

D

– type individuals are outgoing and task-oriented. They tend to be Dominantand Decisive. They usually focus on results and the bottom-line.

I

– type individuals are outgoing and people-oriented. They tend to be Inspiringand Influencing. They usually focus on talking and having fun.

S

– type individuals are reserved and people-oriented. They tend to beSupportive and Steady. They usually focus on peace and harmony.

C

– type individuals are reserved and task-oriented. They tend to be Cautiousand Conscientious. They usually focus on facts and rules.

Six degrees of separation

Six degrees of separation is the theory that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries. The theory was first proposed in 1929 by the Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy in a short story called "Chains."

HiPPO - Highest Paid Person's Opinion

In Workplaces , the Highest Paid Person's Opinion , or HiPPO, becomes the deciding factor in official discussions

Origin : HiPPO's popularity has coincided with the era of consultancy and MNCs and the need to get a global head's go-ahead on local business opportunities

Usage : "Are we ready to present this for the HiPPO"

INSULIN - Its Discovery and Diabetes

A Canadian named Dr. Frederick Banting and an American named Charles Best discovered Insulin in 1921.
One of the greatest achievements of modern medicine, this incredible treatment has dramatically changed the lives of people with diabetes.

Banting and Best sold the patent rights to Insulin to the University of Toronto for just 1 dollar.Disregarding the incredible potential for monetary gain, they wanted their discovery to be widely available and accessible to all people with diabetes.


Tyeps of Diabetes :-

Type 1 : this type of diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce insulin.About 10% of people with diabetes have type 1.its cause is unknown.It is treated with insulin replacement therapy.

Type 2 : this type of diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not effectively use the insulin that is produced.Roughly 90% of people with diabetes have type 2.
This type of diabetes is managed with meal planning and exercise, and may require medications and /or insulin to help control blood glucose.

Novemeber 14 is World Diabetes Day.Designated by the United Nations in nonour of Frederick Bantings' birthday.

Cognizant - History

The man behind the founding of Cognizant was Wijeyaraj (Kumar) Mahadeva, the company's current chairman and CEO. He was born in Sri Lanka, where his father was the head of the country's civil service. Mahadeva traveled abroad for his education, earning a master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Cambridge in 1973. He then worked as a researcher at the British Broadcasting Corporation for three years before coming to the United States to continue his education at Harvard Business School, where he caught the eye of the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. He joined McKinsey in 1978 and over the next seven years was instrumental in building up the firm's technology practice. Looking back on his days as a consultant, Mahadeva told Investor's Business Daily in 2002, "I learned a lot at McKinsey, with its focus on client relationships and setting high standards for recruitment and staff development." According to McKinsey colleague Rajat Dupta, "Kumar was an absolute star who could deftly think through problems and articulate solutions." In 1985 Mahadeva accepted a position with AT&T Corp., a client adjusting to the court-ordered breakup that resulted in the divestiture of local telephone service and the creation of the seven "Baby Bells." AT&T, eager for new opportunities, was looking to take on IBM in the computer field. But Mahadeva soon grew disenchanted with the corporate politics that prevailed at AT&T and after four years left to take a job with Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (D&B), tabbed to head its entry into Asia. According to Investor's Business Daily, "Demand was weak for the business research firm's service in the Asia Pacific region. Mahadeva, however, used the time there to watch and learn. What did he find? Low-cost software factories in India, where developers wrote computer code at a fraction of the cost in America. He recognized an opportunity. ... The timing was ideal. Concerns were mounting at D&B about how to solve the pending Y2K computer crisis. At the same time, costs were coming way down for satellite bandwidth, making shared computer networks more cost-effective." He was able in 1994 to convince D&B to invest $2 million in a joint venture with Satyam, an Indian software outsourcing operation, which held a 24 percent interest in the start-up. The business was called Dun & Bradstreet Satyam Software, Cognizant's forefather.

At first, the Indian subsidiary focused on large-scale full lifecycle software projects for such D&B businesses as AC Nielsen Co. and IMS Health. In November 1996 D&B spun off the unit along with Erisco, Inc.; IMS International Inc.; Nielsen Media Research; Pilot Software, Inc.; Sales Technologies, Inc.; and other assets to form a company named Cognizant Corporation. This move was part of a major restructuring of the parent corporation, which split into three major divisions: Dun & Bradstreet, AC Nielsen Consumer Products, and Cognizant Corporation. Three months later, Dun & Bradstreet Satyam changed its name to Cognizant Technology Solutions and began to function as a division of the newly formed Cognizant Corporation. It would now look to service companies outside of the D&B family, offering Y2K solutions as well as web page development. In July 1997 the subsidiary became wholly owned when the parent corporation bought Satyam's minority interest for $3.4 million. Because Cognizant lacked a reputation outside of D&B, it had some difficulty in attracting clients. Mahadeva fell back on his McKinsey experience and concentrated on customer satisfaction and the building of long-term relationships. Major signings for Y2K solutions included Northwest Airlines and Aetna Life Insurance Co. of Canada.

Mahadeva also proved to be adept at keeping Cognizant ahead of trends. Early in 1998, at a time when the Y2K business accounted for almost half of the company's revenues, he began to pull back Cognizant's exposure to the practice so that by the first quarter of 1999 Y2K work represented just 26 percent of revenues. According to a 1999 Forbes profile, "Sensing that another consulting obsession was about to peak, Mahadeva kept clear of the $16.6 billion enterprise resource planning (ERP) software business--installing monolithic software packages that manage companies' backoffice functions. While other consultants were raking in fat fees, Mahadeva steered Cognizant toward the more pedestrian chores of maintaining corporate software systems--fixing kinks in the code or extending the life of existing applications by adding new functions." Moreover, applications management was a business that would "be around for as long as companies use computers."

The parent company, Cognizant Corporation, underwent some structural changes in early 1998, dividing into two separate public companies as a way to help each unit maximize growth. Certain assets, including Cognizant Technology Solutions, were spun off to form IMS Health Incorporated. Cognizant Corporation and its remaining entities were renamed Nielsen Media Research. Several months later, in June 1998, IMS partially spun off Cognizant Technology Solutions and conducted an initial public offering (IPO) of stock. The timing proved to be less than ideal, as market conditions were poor for IPOs. As a result, Cognizant was only able to sell shares at $10, instead of the $11 to $13 the company and its underwriters had hoped it would fetch. The money was earmarked to pay off debt and finance the upgrading of offices in India, but in the end most of it was simply banked.

Mahadeva was named Cognizant's chairman and CEO in March 1998. He continued to display a creative and forward-looking mindset. According to a profile in the Economic Times, "Another business model innovation the company came up with as early as 1998, when peers aligned themselves along geographies or technologies, Cognizant aligned itself along verticals. The results of early verticalisation is seen in the robust growth in each of the verticals that Cognizant focuses on--financial services, banking, insurance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing and logistics, and media and publishing. ... The final distinction in strategy is in its listing destination. While its peers got listed in the geography they sourced from--that is India, Cognizant got listed in the geography they serviced, namely the US."