Indian-origin CEO of $16 billion firm wakes up before sunrise, starts work before employees; says work-life balance won’t make millionaires

Shipchandler became a CFO at just 31. Today, his strict routine begins before sunrise: he wakes at 4.30 am, immediately checks emails, and then has coffee, works out, and prepares for the day. By 7.30 am—well before most of his 5,500 employees log in—he’s already at work. Evenings are equally structured, with dinner at 6.30 pm, often followed by another short work session at home.

The CEO is unapologetic about the trade-offs. He admits to missing his son’s tennis matches for business, and while he has hobbies, he never lets them interfere with his professional rhythm. “Habits really matter,” he said, noting how he keeps meetings under 10 minutes and avoids anything that doesn’t “drive the ball forward” for the company. He has also stayed off social media, which he considers an unnecessary distraction.

Shipchandler credits his drive to his parents’ immigrant journey. “My parents were the classic immigrant success story,” he said. “They really pushed working hard and playing hard—which, by the way, I do play hard when I’m not working. That was the goal.”

A graduate of Indiana University Bloomington in 1996, Shipchandler began his career that summer at an industrial conglomerate. Nearly three decades later, he remains convinced that long hours, intensity, and sacrifice—not flexibility—are what truly get you to the top.

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