Gurtej Singh of Ivy Gets ‘Outstanding CEO of the Year 2009’ Award

Without playing with fantasy, no creative work has ever yet come to birth. This is what Mr. Gurtej Singh has demonstrated as the CEO of the tertiary care and multispecialty Ivy Hospital. Mr. Gurtej Singh is an innovative self starter and a very humble person. He is passionate and a team leader who always leads from the front.

All these personality traits made him a great achiever. These words were said at the Silver Jubilee function of the Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM) here while delivering him the “Outstanding CEO of the Year 2009” Award.

Dr. A. K. Saihjpal, Branch Chairman, IIMM, said, “45 years old Mr. Gurtej Singh with support of his loving wife, who herself is a qualified doctor and his children plunged into an uncertain world of business at a very early state of his life. After graduating from Thaper Institute of Engineering & Technology in Mechanical engineering in the year 1986, he started in his own business of automotive components rather than choosing a comfortable government job.”

However, his business could not satisfy his zeal to do something more and his natural risk taking ability prevailed upon him to try something new. Therefore, keeping in view the emerging middle class in India, he tried his hand in Enamel coated thermal utensils which were a fashion and in great demand during 2000. However fast emerging technology made this product redundant in market very soon.

This set back did not deter him or subdued his innovative spirits even though he lost quite a lot of capital in the venture. With support of his loving family in this difficult time enabled him to think about new business models. It was during this period of introspection that the idea of a “Health Mall” came to his mind.

Thus birth of Ivy Hospital which started as a fantasy becomes real in the year 2008. Today Ivy hospital is envy for established competitors’ and Mr. Gurtej Singh endeavours to expand this into a chain of Health Malls which can serve people from all spheres of life.

Mandeep Puri

Mandeep Puri is a freelance writer who has been a Tribune crime reporter, business, sport, entertainment and municipal reporter. Contact Mandeep at his blog mandeeppuri.blogspot.com or at NewsBlaze.