Top 25 High Tech Leaders in Dallas: Krish Prabhu, The

Krish Prabhu Chief operating officer, Alcatel

As any British band knows, you haven't conquered the world until you've conquered America. Understanding this, in 1997, Alcatel commissioned former Rockwell VP Krish Prabhu to mastermind its stateside invasion. And thanks in part to his guidance, the telecom equipment manufacturer-which traditionally generated two-thirds of its sales in Europe-now garners 23 percent of its revenue from the United States, making America its -largest telecom market.

"I don't want to be immodest, but in 1997, we were doing about $1 billion in the United States. This year, We may approach $7 billion. We've clearly emerged as one of the top players," says the Indianborn Prabhu, who credits Alcatel's dramatic U.S. growth to internal technology development and $17 billion in acquisitions. Alcatel also recently bid on Lucent's fiber-optic business.

Prabhu arrived in the country in 1975 with only $25 and no friends. "People say it's a great country, and I don't want to sound trite, but it's the truth," he says. "It's about merit and being willing to work hard, and if you do both, you'll get your chance."

Copyright D Magazine Jul 01, 2001
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