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Page 1 of 2 Brand Metallica
He is the 28-year-old dynamo powering the phenomenal growth of Mittal
Steel Company NV, the world’s largest steel producer. Meet the man of
mettle, Aditya Mittal, Member of the Board of Directors and President and
Chief Financial Officer of the biggest metal making business on earth.
First, he engineered an IPO on Wall Street. Then he stormed into
Kazakhstan, Romania, Algeria and South Africa before invading the US. His
razor sharp business acumen makes Aditya Mittal a force to reckon with in
the global corporate arena. The recent acquisition of steel giant LNM
Holdings NV by the even larger magnate Ispat International NV, for $13.3
billion, led to the formation of Mittal Steel Company NV. "The idea is
that both of these operations are complementary to each other and create
the platform for the strongest steel company in the United States," says
the Wharton alumnus. And as CFO of this combined entity, Mittal Jr.flexes
steel production exceeding 50 million metric tones for top notch clientele
including Ford Motor, General Motors, Maytag and Whirlpool.
Eleven mergers old, he telescopes Mittal Steel's penetration with amazing
ease. "In Europe, we have recently been awarded exclusivity for Huta
Czestochowa in Poland and we are very interested in the privatisation of
Erdemir in Turkey. In North America, we will shortly be completing our
acquisition of International Steel Group and the immediate priority for
this market will be on integrating ISG with our existing US operations. In
China, we have formed an equity partnership with the Hunan Province. This
is our first step into China and we are hoping that it will act as a
platform for further growth in this important market," he elaborates."Our
immediate priority is to complete these transactions, which will be very
beneficial in helping us further achieve our strategic ambitions."
What has been the biggest challenge so far? "October 2003, Poland. I think
Polski Huty Stali was one of the most satisfying. We were bidding against
US Steel. This really was central to our European strategy and cemented
our position as not only the leading producer in the CEE, but also the
second-largest in Europe as a whole," says the man who was born in India,
brought up in Indonesia, educated in the US and now lives in London. And
how does life roll for this jet-setter? “I feel comfortable in many
cities in the world, including Mumbai and New Delhi. I travel a lot as
part of my work, so you soon get used to different cultures and locations.
I like living in London a lot as it is a very cosmopolitan, multicultural
city and always feel very much at home in the US," says he, adding, "And
most importantly, and most tellingly, I only carry an Indian passport.”
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