No doubt, growth through acquisition has proven a successful tactic for DLZ Corp., says chairman and chief executive officer Vikram “Raj” Rajadhyaksha. But the act of buying another firm alone won’t truly grow or even sustain a business; it’s about culture, he says.
It’s a message Raj’s sons Shyam and Ram Rajadhyaksha have heard loud and clear. “When you buy a firm, what you’re really buying is those relationships long developed and nurtured by the people in that firm,” says Shyam, DLZ’s vice president and corporate secretary, “and if those key people leave, then those relationships go. You really want to make sure that you create an environment where people want to stay.”