The head of IBM India is called a country manager.

He joined Citibank in 1975 and remained with it for 22 years rising to become its country manager in Thailand.

A country manager has to be a negotiator, a mentor, an architect, a fighter and a debater.

"I expect they'll dismantle their whole structure of country managers, and really run all of their businesses globally," he said.

In fact, Avon routinely asks its country managers to help the spouses of relocating employees land jobs with local businesses.

I was traveling with the Australian country manager and told him to go on to India himself.

Our Australian country manager had a camera phone and took a photo of the cow's backside from the taxi.

The country manager must be careful not to engage in ethnocentrism.

One clear implication is that country managers aren't very important any more.

Nilesh Thakker, country manager for India, said there was huge opportunity in these nations.