Young Turks get down to business

THEY ARE candid enough to say that they are NOT a social charitable organisation. They are the risk-takers, people with ``fire in the belly''. They are bold, rich and ``apolitical''. And more importantly, they are young, dashing and dynamic. They are entrepreneurs under the age of 40. They are people who churn out a million dollars a year. They are a part of the International network-Young Entrepreneur's Organisation, YEO.

The Chennai Chapter was soft-launched earlier this year and the formal inauguration is due in September. Meanwhile the Chennai Chapter of YEO is looking at expanding its base here. Leading the pack here in Chennai are a set of enterprising businessmen including Mr.Karti Chidambaram, Mr. Rajeev Mecheri, Mr. Parikshit Jhaver and Mr.Suresh Rao.

``We are not here to change the world, we're here to change our business for the good,'' is how Mr. Troy Hazard, Vice President of YEO International in-charge of Asia Pacific describes the YEO. It's not exactly a power lobby, but a group of like-minded entrepreneurs getting together for personal enrichment.

The key word is support. Support for peers, through exchange of ideas and interaction. In fact, members of the YEO are divided into groups of about eight to twelve people who meet every month at the `Forum' to discuss their problems-business and personal.

It is not exactly mixing business with pleasure, but looking at every individual's problem objectively and offer support in terms of solution to the problem. ``Because we are from different categories of business, it would help us solve a problem looking at it from a different angle''.

YEO was established in 1987 with 15 members. Today, the YEO with a strength of 3000 entrepreneurs all over the world is looking at 5000 members by 2003 by strengthening its base in Asia, and specially, India, thanks to the boom of entrepreneurs with the growth in the software market.

``Through YEOnet network on the Internet www.yeo.org, the members get to post messages on bulletin board, update their personal profile, search for others in the industry and register for the YEO events,'' Ms. Nirmala Veeran, Regional Manager of YEO Asia Pacific informs. The YEO net is a pool of resource for relevant and free advice for its members.

So whichever part of the world a member goes to, he/she could take the support of the YEO member in that region for business or to get some help regarding travel and accommodation.

And the members get to do things which they otherwise cannot in their personal capacity. Like having breakfast with Mr.Chandrababu Naidu or dinner in an aircraft carrier. Like sharing confidential information and business truths with the likes of Ambanis and Birlas.

After forty, the members graduate to the World Entrepreneur's Organisation (WEO) or the World Presidents' Organisation, (WPO) alumni of the Young Presidents' Organisation.Those in Chennai desirous of joining the YEO could fax 4994916.

By Sudhish Kamath

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