Coffee Table Book - Joe Pereira

A diplomat and balancing figure

What I fondly remember is the key role Joe played in building the initial team at SGGI,
while we were recruiting senior and middle level personnel in manufacturing. He was
a great support as a “diplomat” linking SGGI with team from Paris and a balancing figure in
the interview panel filled with technocrats.

Unnikrishnan

51

Always on a mission

I’ve known Joe for the last ten years. I have yet to come across someone as loyal an
employee as Joe. The fact that his bosses and the Saint-Gobain Group is so unwilling to
let him retire even today, is certainly a great tribute to his contribution to the Group. Inspite
of such immense value, Joe will always be known for his humility and the great sense of
purpose with which he handled his various responsibilities over the years.
Joe leads a very uncomplicated life. No wonder he still retains a lot of energy at his age. Never
one to sit in his office all day, one can always see him pacing up and down the office, from
one mission to the other. One of his very endearing qualities is his high levels of curiosity,
sometimes even for the most trivial of things. He can beat anyone hands down on eye for
detail.
Joe is a great repository of information and has been specially gifted with a sharp memory.
He can vividly narrate instances in the last 30 years, sometimes even assigning dates to each
of those events without the support of a computer or access to any other data source.
He has clearly been one of the most loved and cited colleagues for many of us. He will be
fondly remembered and missed. I do not think there is anyone who can quite walk into his
shoes for many, many years.
I wish to thank him for all the support he extended to me and wish him and Cloty good health,
happiness and peace in their retired life.

Venkat Subramanian

52

One of the best HR Managers

2004 was a challenging year for me and the Mora plant. I had just taken over as the Head of
Manufacturing and was faced with a spate of challenges from the Labour Unions as well as the
crisis we had with the credit society in Mora.
I vividly remember Joe calling me into his corner office on the mezzanine floor of HO everytime I
visited the Head Office in the Army and Navy Building during those difficult days. He always gave
me a patient hearing and armed me with various approaches I could take to get over the crisis we
were faced with. The understanding and empathy that he showed and his encouragement gave me
the much needed confidence in coming out of the crisis, we were faced with.
Joe spoke often about some of the old employees of GNO, setting them and their contributions to
the company as examples, from which we could learn and imbibe the right values, in our day to day
working lives, as managers.
In all the years that I have worked in GNO and Sekurit, I consider Joe as one of the best HR Managers
that I have interacted with and it is this human touch of Joe which has endeared him to all of us who
have had the good fortune of being recipients of his thoughtfulness and caring nature.

Venu Shanbhag

53

Rendezvous of three GNOites in Paris

My first association with Joe was when I received my GNO offer letter in June 1997. The letter
was signed by Joe and the way it was worded left me with an extremely positive impression
about the company. I can still feel the joy I experienced holding and reading that letter, to this day.
I joined GNO on 1st August 1997 as a GET and was introduced to Joe and other senior members
of the GNO management team during my induction. From that day in these past 16 years, Joe has
been like a father-figure for me, somebody I have always looked up to and someone who has always
embodied, what GNO stands for. Over the years, my interactions with Joe have largely been during
business meetings and conferences. But there was this one interaction that I will always remember
and cherish; I was in Paris attending the second phase of the operations training program. On the
evening of the last day, most other participants and myself checked into a hotel near Les Miroirs.
At around 11 pm, when I was almost ready to retire for the day, the intercom in my room rang and I
heard Joe at the other end of the line. Joe and Samuel were in the same hotel and they had come to
know that I was staying in the same hotel. What followed was a very nice late evening rendezvous of
three GNOites in the heart of Paris. Joe had once again, in his unique signature way, reinforced in
my mind, the famous “GNO culture” of bonding as a family, at all times.

Vidosh Sarup

54

Leagle Eagle

Even in 1993-94, when 5S was not a very popular tool in GNO, Joe’s cabin was always full of
legal papers, assorted books and many L shaped files with documents, all very well organized.

His 2S was great even in those days, you discuss with him any matter that he was involved in and he
would pull out a paper which could be years old, but he would retreive it in 10 seconds!

One unique practice of Joe has been his ability to just pop into your office, make a sharp statement
or observation and rush away, leaving you to mull over the subject and then finally track him down
alone in his office (never so easy) and then to explain your viewpoint!

I moved from Delhi to Mumbai in 2000 and my family was to move after a year, Joe really took full
care of me during that period right down to helping me finalize my accommodation in Mumbai, never
easy and to also ensure that the place was in good shape before I shifted and provided me a list of all
the nearby restaurants with the food that I could order from them.

We planned many a time joint visit to Punjab but somehow couldn’t go. We even once planned and
reached Delhi enroute to Punjab next day, only to have floods in Haryana because of which we had
to cancel our visit, something that to this day, he holds out against me! We are finally planning to
go now in the second half of 2014.

Virinder Khosla

55

Leading by example

Though I have completed 15 years of service in GNO, my association with Joe has been
more constant and close only over the last 7-8 years since I moved to Mumbai. Joe is a
great leader and excellent human being. He led by example. He was totally and transparently
authentic, highly energetic and balanced. He has been a constant part of GNO over 3 decades
and has had a major role in the success of Saint-Gobain in India.
My interaction with Joe has been more as an HR Head than as a Finance person. And the most
striking feature as an HR person is his one-to-one interaction with all staff. The procedures of
the company guides one to make good decisions by following operational manuals while Joe
taught us how to make right decisions by following our hearts, an experience I have had on a
number of occasions. He is very approachable and thanks to his excellent memory, he always
remembers people by their names. I have always found him to be decisive and providing a
logical solution with a human touch to any problem that I would approach him with.
Thanks to Joe, SG India has got many young leaders, whom he coached and mentored. He cares
for people. Over the last couple of years, I had the opportunity to join him during lunch, though
not regularly and was privileged to hear some of the defining moments of Grindwell Norton
over the last 35 years. I learnt the history of Mumbai, as Joe always prides himself being from
the ancestary of the original inhabitants of this city.
Sir, you made SG India a great place to work, we will miss you but never forget. Wishing you
a Happy, Peaceful and Healthy retired life.

Viswesh

56

Best wishes Joe

Being based in Paris for about 5 years of my career with Saint-Gobain gives me a unique
privilege of spending time with visiting Saint-Gobain employees from India in a more
informal environment. We have had dinner get-togethers with Joe along with families of Indian
expats here; it was these get-togethers that I vividly cherish; Joe’s ability to engage family members
in general discussions helped create a sense of belonging for the families.
For Joe, a visit to Paris was never complete without a visit to The Chapel of Our Lady of the
Miraculous Medal in Rue du Bac. A quick shopping at Auchan in La Defense would always be a
part of his agenda.
Joe, wishing you the very best for the next phase of your life!!

V. R. Mahadevan

57

58

VALUES
MAKETH THE MAN

FAMILY. FAITH. SERVICE.

59

A pillar to lean on

It was at my interview in 2010, my first meeting with Mr. Pereira, when he said that he would
retire in two-three years. I then thought that, it was still a long way to go… never knew, it would
actually turn out to be so short.

From the past few months, I’ve been noticing him clearing his cabin bit by bit, handing over his jobs
to other seniors, and I just kept looking at him, hoping he could stay back for some more time. JAJP
for me has been a strong pillar to depend on. He has a commendable memory and is detailed in every
little thing. I sometimes felt that he had a computer fitted in his head. My colleague Mamta once
mentioned “He’s got the whole server in there”!!

I loved the way how he walks and stops at any workstation to chat with that person. The topic can
vary, personal, official, just a light hearted remark, whatever, but he has something to share with every
person on the floor! A genuine warm heart! He knew exactly what work I handled each day and the
times when I was worried or felt under pressure. Every job assigned to me in the past three years was
always well planned and given to me with a good time period to work on comfortably and accurately.

I have always found him to be a super boss and his support has helped me grow confident and mature

in my role. He’s taught me to have faith in God and to have trust in my prayers. I’ve known him to

be fair and unbiased in his decisions. I never noticed him taking things personally and keep a grudge

on any issue that upset him professionally. I know he has worked hard all his life and is now looking

forward to have this peace and freedom for himself… Amongst all the people sitting on this floor, I

will miss him the most! Wilma Fernandes



60

Always ready to serve GNO

Dear Joe,
When I think of you, the first image that comes to my mind is that of a smiling, friendly,
welcoming man, always prepared to serve GNO/Saint-Gobain and its employees. The deep faith
that lives in you has always led you towards others. I will never forget your accurate knowledge
of the people in our Group in India, nor your wish to be there for them, to help them train,
develop and grow in their career, demanding, while respectful of each one. I want to thank you
wholeheartedly for what our trust and friendship allowed us to do together for the managers
and leaders of our company, in your country that we like so much. I cherish the time we spent
together at Mass in Bombay Catholic Cathedral.

Xavier Grenet

61

Joe - the father

Dad is extremely hardworking, humble and down to earth. As a father, he is a voice of reason
and one who I would go to for an objective perspective. Very understanding and approachable
too. (Although the approachability part might be subjective.. my brother and mom might differ
on that since I'm apparently 'daddy's girl' :):)
At home whenever dad returns home from a business trip at night, we jokingly tell each other
that we need to maintain a night vigil as he ensures he not only unpacks immediately but also
keeps his suitcase ready for the next trip, thereby keeping us awake! While the lack of sleep is
not amusing :).., we admire and appreciate his diligence.
As a parent, dad ensured that he imbibed in us good values, not through preaching but through
actual practice.

Monisha Pereira

62

63

64

Joe - the husband

Joe is a caring family man. The one word that
describes him is FRANK - He always claims he is
Joe Frank.
Some years ago, I underwent an operation and while
I was being wheeled into the operation theatre, I saw
Joe in tears, that is when I realized that he really
cared for me.

Cloty Pereira

65

We will miss you Joe

Editorial Team:
Anupama Vaidya
A Dinakar
Aju Varghese
Medha Shanbhag
Shyam Digamber

A Man with a Midas Touch
Written by:
Medha Shanbhag

Design and Printing Partner:
Synergy Creations

For internal circulation only