Haresh Chawla bids adieu to Network18!

Haresh Chawla, who has led Network18 for well over a decade, is currently overseeing a seamless leadership succession plan at the half-a-billion-dollar (in current year's revenues) media conglomerate spanning news & entertainment broadcasting, web portals, publications, filmed entertainment and ecommerce operations and Viacom18.

Under his widely admired stewardship, Network18 grew from a single business news channel (CNBC-TV18) and solitary portal (Moneycontrol.com), with revenues of Rs 15 cr in 1999, to a truly diversified media group with revenues in excess of Rs 2500 cr in 2011.

Commenting on Haresh's decision to eventually pursue other interests, Raghav Bahl, Founder & Editor of Network18, said: "Haresh is the kind a of colleague one can only dream about, so utterly honest, committed and focussed he is on delivering excellence. However, I fully understand his desire to explore other interests, being a person with such boundless enthusiasm and passion for success. Perhaps Haresh's greatest achievement is the strong cadre of next-generation leadership that he has nurtured at several of our Group operations. Over the next few months, Haresh will work closely with me and this young crop of leaders to ensure a seamless transition of leadership. Finally, on a personal note, I wish to say that you never can quite say good-bye to an extra-ordinary friend and colleague like Haresh. He will always be around, as a friend, philosopher, guide and advisor to Network18, and me, personally. His can-do spirit is irretrievably woven into Network18's DNA."

Adding to the sentiment, Haresh Chawla said: "It's very rare for a professional to play a part in setting up so many businesses in a lifetime, and to lead such a talented team as we have at Network18. I am forever grateful to Raghav for the opportunity and the faith that he had in me. And I am deeply grateful to all my colleagues who worked with me to build this Network. Together, we built an enviable culture of excellence and speed at Network18, and I will work towards ensuring this legacy is carried on with the new leaders in the Group. Personally, it's been a most fulfilling phase of my life and I now look forward to taking on newer challenges"