Chief Executive Officer — Transport-Assets Portfolio

The mandate

A listed infrastructure group requires a CEO to lead a portfolio of road, transit and logistics assets at different stages of development and operation. Mature assets generate cash but face maintenance and service obligations that compete with construction funding. The board seeks a leader who can reset the portfolio around disciplined delivery and sustainable returns.

The CEO will own approximately ₹17,300 crore in projects and operating assets and influence 450 employees and material partners. Accountability covers portfolio, project delivery, operations, concessions, customer and authority relationships, capital, safety, leadership and value realisation. Functional executives retain technical and control responsibilities. The CEO integrates their evidence into decisions and is accountable for transparent escalation to the group board.

Each asset will be classified by decision event rather than status label. A development project may need land, approval or bid redesign; a construction asset may require scope freeze, contractor recovery or rephasing; an operating concession may need service, maintenance or refinancing action. The CEO will establish the smallest set of choices that change cash, delivery or licence to operate.

Project recovery must distinguish recoverable delay from a broken thesis. Baselines will reconcile contract scope, physical progress, design maturity, access, approvals, claims, funding and remaining risk. Revised dates unsupported by critical-path evidence will not become board commitments. Where completion economics are inferior to restructure, partnership or exit, the CEO must recommend that directly.

Why this seat is open

The incumbent has agreed an accelerated departure and interim leadership protects statutory and lender decisions. The board seeks a permanent replacement within six to eight weeks because portfolio choices cannot remain under divided authority. The transition is unrelated to an undisclosed safety, compliance or conduct finding.

What you will own

• Re-underwrite every material asset and choose complete, rephase, partner, monetise or exit.
• Restore project controls around scope, critical path, claims, cash and accountable decisions.
• Protect operating safety, maintenance and customer service while capital is reallocated.
• Reset contractor, authority, lender and investor relationships using primary evidence.
• Build a leadership team spanning development, delivery, operations and commercial governance.
• Present downside, uncertainty and residual exposure directly to the board.

The portfolio office will use one asset record from board thesis through operating outcome. It will show committed capital, completion cash, revenue assumptions, contractual rights, safety obligations and decision triggers. Shared costs will not be allocated so broadly that every asset appears viable. Finance will independently validate changes in value and liquidity.

Claims will be treated as commercial and delivery choices, not accounting receivables. The CEO will distinguish documented entitlement, negotiated probability, timetable and counterparty capacity. Recovery plans cannot depend on unadjudicated claims funding immediate construction. Settlement authority will balance cash certainty, future relationship and precedent, with legal advice remaining independent.

Operating assets will retain ring-fenced safety and lifecycle attention. Maintenance deferral that temporarily increases distributions will be visible to the board. Service standards, incident response, asset condition and concession compliance will sit beside revenue and EBITDA. The CEO will test whether management reports correspond to physical condition through asset visits and independent assurance.

Stakeholder strategy will be asset-specific. Public authorities, communities, lenders, contractors and users require different evidence and consultation. The CEO will not promise dates before access or approval is controlled, and will correct external expectations when facts change. Escalation must remain constructive rather than becoming a substitute for operational ownership.

The first 12 months

During the first 75 days, the CEO will review the ten most material assets, stabilise immediate safety and liquidity exposure and assess leadership. By day 90, the board will receive asset theses, portfolio choices, revised cash needs and decisions that cannot wait for the annual plan.

By month eight, at least three distressed projects should operate approved recovery, partnership or exit routes; two operating assets should use revised condition and service governance; and contractor and claims portfolios should carry evidence-based strategies.

At year-end, 90% of critical milestones should meet approved dates, forecast completion cash remain within 5% for three quarters and severe project escalations close within 30 days. Operating availability and safety must meet concession requirements, while at least ₹1,250 crore of capital is released, avoided or reallocated through portfolio choices verified by finance.

What the board will measure

• Projects governed by credible scope, cash and critical-path evidence.
• Capital moving from sunk preference to defendable assets.
• Safe operating performance protected through recovery.
• Claims and stakeholder commitments presented honestly.
• Leadership depth across the full asset lifecycle.

The person

You are a CEO, infrastructure portfolio president or transport-assets leader with 28+ years of experience. You have owned at least ₹10,050 crore and led 450 people or more. Evidence must include a project you restructured or stopped, an operating asset recovery and a board decision where you challenged optimistic claims or traffic assumptions.

The role is hybrid in Mumbai with extensive asset, authority, lender and contractor travel. You combine public-infrastructure judgement with cash, safety and construction discipline.

Compensation and terms

Fixed compensation is ₹5.0–7.5 crore plus performance variable and LTI. Measures include safety, milestone reliability, cash, portfolio value, claims discipline and succession. Final calibration will follow the confirmed asset perimeter and current executive mix.

Confidentiality

The group, assets, authorities, contractors, claims and portfolio decisions remain confidential. Further information follows qualification and an undertaking. Mumbai and rounded figures are not identifying.