From time to time, Wipro?s executives keep telling TK, as the firm?s new boss TK Kurien is popularly known, to slow down. ?He has a pace which is very frenetic. He drives himself very hard,? executive vice president of human resources and president of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering Pratik Kumar said.

Kurien?s colleagues are not really sure if his speed is a strength or a weakness. Many leaders in the company, particularly new ones, would have to get used to it. The new CEO is unlikely to be tolerant of any slackness and may follow a ?shape up or ship out? policy, sources in the company said.

Opinion is he could well turn out to be the Mark Hurd of Wipro ? the former HP top gun infused aggression and a cut throat corporate culture in the firm, steering it back to an era of strong growth and profitability. Unlike Hurd, who was a frenzied cost-cutter, Kurien, is likely to focus more on the top line in the short-term as he attempts to bring back the growth momentum to Wipro. He may do that at any cost.

?A potential area that he needs to be watchful of is people. Because of his speed and decisiveness, employees who have not worked with him for long may misunderstand him. And he does not tolerate non-performance. It can potentially create a threat on the part of a team member,? a senior executive who did not want to be identified said.

There will now be a new cut throat corporate culture of execution to a T, quite a change from the joint CEO era where execution slipped because of slow decision-making. ?People have to get used to his style. If they don?t, they may not know whether they are being liked or disliked,? the executive, who has known Kurien for more than 10 years, added.

He can call up employees at 5 in the morning, or at 11 in the night for explanations. He would expect them to be on top of things at all hours. ?He is very hard working, high on dedication, a brilliant strategist. He demands from the team and is straightforward,? another executive said.

The ?90-day plan?, during which Kurien would transition into the CEO?s role, would determine many things ? how well he understands the overall company structure, its people, and whether he can get his vision and new alignment strategies across. ?TK has to now work with stalwarts in their own areas. How he takes them along is a thing to watch,? the executive added.

Kurien?s deft execution and intolerance for non-performance had made him the quintessential turnaround man for Wipro even before. As the chief of the firm?s BPO business, he took the unit from poor single digit margins to industry-leading high double digit ones within a few years.

Manish Dugar, the current CFO of Wipro Technologies, had worked with Kurien in the BPO business between 2004 and 2008. He calls him an operational guru. ? He is an individual who can create excellent customer relationships. He wants to take decisions quickly and make things happen. He has the ?3Es? ? energy, energise, and engage,? he noted.

Dugar said the new CEO is very good with people who perform and those who apply thought. ?My experience of working with him has been excellent. He gives space.?