When Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx, decided to step down, he looked for a steady hand to guide the company. Raj Subramanian, who had held multiple leadership roles at FedEx, fit the role perfectly.
Subramanian Born in Trivandrum, India. He got his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin
Subramanian was born in Trivandrum in Kerala state in India. He got is bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in chemical engineering in Bombay in 1987. He earned his master’s degree in chemical engineering from Syracuse University in New York. He got his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
He joined FedEx in 1991
He has been with FedEx for more than thirty years. Since joining the company in 1991, Subramanian has held many leadership roles in the company in the US, Canada, and Asia. He led the company’s marketing and communications division in 2017. He was named the Chief Operating Officer of Fedex in 2019. Subramanian led many initiatives that improved FedEx’s profitability, improved its supply chain, and revitalized its strategy.
He was CEO-in waiting for some time
As FedEx’s founder and longtime CEO Fred Smith was nearing retirement, it was well known within FedEx that Subramanian would be Smith’s successor. In his recommendation to the Board, Smith spoke of Subramanian’s impeccable integrity and humility.
He sits on the board of First Horizon Corporation
He sits on the board of First Horizon Corporation, a holding company based in Memphis, Tennessee. He also sits on the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s China Center Advisory Board, FIRST, U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, and the U.S.-China Business Council.
