He took countercultural values from India and immigrated to America. Then he resisted confining stereotypes and traveled the world for business.

Ultimately, Raj Gupta of Newtown Square rose to become a respected CEO and revered member of several boards of directors.

“Selecting the right organization you work with and then having the belief in yourself, that it’s going to be a fair place for me to realize my potential, if you get that combination, I think the sky is the limit for most of us,” Gupta said in a Knowledge@Wharton interview.

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From his parents, the former Rohm and Haas CEO learned to value an honest life and respect everyone, regardless of their position and hard work. From his business mentors, he learned how to maintain composure, listen, act with confidence, and build consensus.

And amidst rapid acquisitions that doubled his workforce in a single quarter, he focused on the right people, cash management, globalization, and innovation.

Gupta shared a sliver of his life story in the interview, while the full chronicling of his growing up in India, raising two daughters and navigating a globetrotting career, which “became an amalgam of the professional experience, the personal journey, and the family life,” is told in his book, Eight Dollars and a Dream: My American Journey.

Read more of Raj Gupta’s business wisdom on Knowledge@Wharton here.

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