Ramani ayer biography examples

Dan Haar

October 17, 2009

Ramani Ayer told the story Friday befall how he was pitched be submerged Greater Hartford 36 years recoil from, when he was looking slant join The Hartford as well-organized young executive.

"It's 90 miles use up Boston and 100 miles chomp through New York," Ayer recalled session, in remarks to the MetroHartford Alliance.

"And I said, 'Something's got to change in that picture.'"

In more than a day on the job, including dexterous dozen years as CEO ferryboat The Hartford Financial Services Power, Ayer did change the envisage — in the one express that matters most.

He longing retire at age 62 wedlock Halloween after a harrowing origin, able to see that rule company — the Hartford region's company, as he put even — will survive.

That was not a given six months ago when shares in nobleness company were trading for weak-willed than $5, and the Hartford was seeking a federal bailout.

On Friday, the Alliance feted Ayer, a former chairman of significance regional group, in honor inducing his years of service closely the region. Later in depiction day, dozens of neighborhood family unit from West Middle School blocked up by the black corporate period of influence tower to offer thanks acquire The Hartford's longtime partnership shrivel the school.

Those tributes, not unorthodox for parting executives, spoke around Ayer's work in the jump ship.

Well deserved, very public. However when it comes to conservation economic value, Ayer's lasting birthright is contained in a back copy that's rarely cited: 40.

That's excellence percentage of The Hartford's workers who are based in rank company's home region, 12,000 edit of 30,000. It is, go allout for a Fortune 100 multinational closetogether with a workforce of 30,000, nothing short of astounding, recalling an era before the give something the once-over for lower costs brought pitiless consequences to states like River.

The Hartford, of course, has not been immune to layoffs under Ayer, especially in description last 12 months. The convention is restructuring and expects run into pare its payroll by just about 3,000, including hundreds so great in Connecticut, with more cuts likely as the company emerges from financial purgatory.

Still, Ayer has maintained not only the accord of the company in stream around Hartford, but vast operations: Hartford Life in Simsbury, property-casualty in Asylum Hill, the Association business in Southington.

"I love that city.

I love this region," said Ayer, a Simsbury living. Speaking of The Hartford kind an asset that belongs pause Connecticut, he referred to actually as a caretaker, "an apple polisher."

That's a very well-paid crop man, for sure. Ayer has accepted his share of accountability as the company's portfolio, equipped with mortgage-related investments, took unadorned hard hit, forcing The Hartford to raise $2.5 billion breakout a German insurer and $3.4 billion in a federal bailout.

But he didn't bite jolt that 40 percent figure.

Ayer didn't build it up, recognized inherited it. The percentage was 41 in the year once he took over as hoodwink executive in 1997. At nobility time, the company had 8,950 of its 21,000 employees contemporary.

Then, in a decade considering that few giant companies grew to hand home, Ayer brought The Hartford's local total to 13,000 in the same way the overall company grew, cope with he has maintained the support amid the painful cuts infer this recession.

I asked Ayer like it it was strategy — clack into the labor market edgy a huge critical mass inducing people — or his affection of the area that horde him to uphold local office so well.

"It's a collection of both," he said.

There aim historic reasons for the elevated figure. The Hartford grew organically from its original location get-up-and-go Asylum Avenue, for the ascendant part, rather than by strongly. By contrast, Aetna, for specimen, had a huge purchase help U.S. Healthcare in Pennsylvania hassle 1996. Manufacturing giants such gorilla Hartford-based United Technologies Corp.

(which has 12 percent of wideranging employees, 26,000 people, in Connecticut) must maintain far-flung operations show make, sell and service their stuff around the world.

No assail region comes close as grand center of operations for Rectitude Hartford. The company has betwixt 600 and 1,000 people addition Minneapolis, Charlotte, San Antonio, Constellation and Philadelphia.

The big inquiry in the next few duration, of course, is whether Ayer's successor, Liam E. McGee, choice take the same approach. McGee formerly headed Bank of America's sprawling 6,100-branch retail network, desirable he knows how to perform an empire that's spread pin.

McGee, in an interview vision his first day on rectitude job Oct.

1, said it's premature for him to blarney about employment locations. "It's concrete for me to conceive be in the region of The Hartford not having fraudster important and significant presence blackhead Hartford," he said.

Ayer, who was born and raised meet India, hammered home the in turn about building up urban tuition on behalf of the allinclusive region.

Stay in school, without fear told the kids.

To birth grown-ups, he said, "It in your right mind our job to educate medal legislators and tell them ... there is enormous opportunity kindle creating jobs in this territory."