Raj Subramaniam took his roommate’s abandoned FedEx interview in 1991; 31 years later, he became CEO of the $75 billion shipping giant after rising through its ranks

Raj Subramaniam’s career at FedEx began with an interview that his roommate had decided to turn down. In 1991, Subramaniam was completing an MBA in marketing and finance at the University of Texas at Austin. He had previously earned scientific degrees from IIT Bombay and Syracuse University. At the time, the early-1990s recession had made finding a job more difficult, with unemployment above 7%, according to Fortune.

Subramaniam’s roommate received a call from FedEx for an interview but had decided to return to India. After the roommate declined the opportunity, Subramaniam contacted the recruiter himself and asked whether he could send his resume, as per a Fortune report. The company agreed. That conversation led to Subramaniam’s first job at FedEx.