Leaders are visionaries; they plan for the future
through concrete and quantifiable goals. They understand the need for continuous change and are open to trying new approaches to solve problems and improvise for better outcomes.
Leadership qualities are the characteristics that these great leaders develop over time, from executives in the C-suite to the team leaders—to staunch business leaders. These personalities excel because ‘Leadership isn’t something people are born with–it’s a skill that can be cultivated over time.’ These proficient leaders develop these awe-inspiring skills, enhancing their vision with a genuine approach towards being productive and innovative.
The prominent companies of the modern world are constantly searching for top talent with the best leadership qualities to be part of their organization to deal with the rising challenges.
Moreover, the leading organizations want their leaders to not only be experts in their fields but also to have the right mix of leadership styles that fit their organizational culture and lead their business to success.
Adding to this scenario, the best business schools are going beyond traditional classroom education for their leadership development programs to maximize executives’ learning experience and ensure effective leadership. This is because; the prominent business acumen comprehends the essential leadership traits and qualities across all levels of work and expertise.
Understanding the fact that true leaders are confident and know they can think–and act–outside the box to take their companies to the next level. They know that leadership qualities like openness, emotional agility and resourcefulness are often more important than being able to make a sale or wow a group of investors.
Embracing the journey of the starlet personalities of the modern industry, CIOLook India features enthralling stories of the bright business leaders in its latest edition, ‘Powerful Men in Business-2022.’ Flip through the pages to indulge in the journey of wisdom with lifelong values and admirable qualities.
Have a Delightful Read!
With the coherent leadership of G.S Ramesh, Layam is recognized as the Human Capital Value Chain provider and trusted partner for Automobile, Manufacturing and Engineering Industry.
The astute leadership of Prakash has contributed in scaling Prabhat Khabar's reach from five million to 30 million news subscribers.
EvolveBPM
Under Satish's leadership, Evolve BPM aims to provide Revenue Impact solutions that enable global sales teams to scale their revenues.
Sunil Gidwani has a deep expertise in domestic and international tax and regulatory matters with a focus on financial services sector.
Howell Protection Systems, India Pvt. Ltd.
Syed is a business strategy development professional, working in a system integration company. He is currently working on increasing the sales and revenue vertical of the leading player in the diverse fields of safety, security, and customized solutions for applications.
Prabhat Khabar
Layam Group
Nangia Andersen LLP
Brief Company Name
Prakash Kumar, Digital Head
Syed Ishtiyaq, General ManagerIndia Operations
Sunil Gidwani, Partner
Satish K. Sadasivan, Founder and CEO
G.S.Ramesh, Chairman and Founder
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G.S. Ramesh always tells people that HR for him is not Human Resources but Honesty in Relationships and to be a business partner.
Success has as many definitions as per personal
preference. For some, it is materialistic like having a bungalow, a fleet of vehicles, an adequate bank balance etc.
For others, it is a destination where when one reaches, feels elated, delighted and powerful. However, the third category of true leaders feels that success is a journey of learning life's lessons and then giving back to society.
This is the story of one of such powerful leaders in business, who has become the living definition of real success, the catalyst for Growth. We are talking about G. S. Ramesh , the Chairman and Founder of Layam Group , a company he started in 2007. This was the beginning of his second innings. His first innings, like his second one, have been equally successful.
Learning Life's Lesson Ramesh finished his management studies and joined TATA in the early 70s. He worked for this reputed brand for more than 20 years. This was his first job, and he says he was fortunate to be interviewed by the late Mr Russi Mody, a giant leader who was instrumental in building TATAiron and steel company.
Though Mr Mody expressed his doubts about G. S. Ramesh, who hailed from south India working in tough terrain like coal, Ramesh eventually proved his mettle with ample guidance and support from his colleagues and workers in the coal mines.
Later on, he moved to steel and then cement of TATA. After his tenure with TATA, Ramesh joined Hyundai, the auto giant and was involved in setting up the plant and served them for 12 years and retired from his first innings.
Working in coal mines, for instance, gave him an excellent experience-Difficult terrain but simple people. Ramesh says that he learnt a lot from them, the most important lesson being simplicity with common sense. Next came his stint at Hyundai as an HR person. He always tells people that HR for him is not Human Resources but Honesty in Relationships and to be a business partner. Honesty is a very powerful trait, and many people are unable to handle it.
Ramesh expresses that his advice is if you practice handling honesty, you can become the most successful person. Coming back to his professional journey, as he completed his first innings with Hyundai, he decided to achieve his passion. Ramesh reveals that his inner passion has always been to give back to society. He always believed that if he can help others
My inner passion has always been to give back to society. I always believed that if I can help others achieve their dreams, it will make me a happy and enriched person. I started practising this. I created an institution with the intention to help school and college dropouts.
achieve their dreams, it will make him a happy and enriched person. He started practising this. He created an institution with the intention to help school and college dropouts.
At Layam, Ramesh trains them, upskills them and helps them achieve career success. Today, he is proud to say that they have trained and placed over 15,000 people in various jobs across India, and there are many more who are coming into this fold.
Ramesh says that his first inning with TATA and Hyundai was an elevating experience that helped him scale the career ladder and achieve success. His second-inning is more about realising his dream of giving back to society.
Ramesh adds that his passion for starting a company that will become a 'catalyst for growth' – Layam Group's tagline – was so strong that no negative force could stop him.
Today, Layam stands true to its tagline by helping thousands of people achieve career success. This makes Ramesh very happy.
He shares that his role models are the great TATAs and their style of talking, fortitude and positive outlook. Their ideals and philosophy helped him achieve success both in his professional life and personal journey.
Regarding Layam Group, Ramesh states that it is a 15-yearold organisation with workforce strength of 12,500+ people working across India. Its turnover has been Rs.200 crores and its services range from Staffing, Talent Acquisition, Contract manufacturing, Job Contract, Learning and Development and Business Consulting. Ramesh states that Layam is proud to be recognised as Human Capital Value Chain provider and trusted partner for Automobile, Manufacturing, Engineering Industry and many more.
They are also proud that their company fulfils the dreams of all those who want to join an MNC or large industry. Layam's goal since inception has been to give job opportunities to ITIs and Diploma holders by training or upskilling them.
At Layam, the team identify such candidates and show them the relevant career path with a Business Model of Hire, Train and Deploy. Over 30000 youth have become employable because of the skill sets gained through Layam.
When asked how he helped enhance the outreach and development of Layam Group, Ramesh said very humbly that a single person could not be credited with the success of an organisation. As a leader, he has always supported his people and motivated them to win. He gave them a free hand as far as fulfilling their work commitments was concerned.
Timeliness, discipline and commitment were most important to him and in a way, these traits have got imbibed into team Layam as well. This helped them achieve their targets year on year. They have invariably surpassed the expectations of their clients and candidates alike, probably because they see the quality of their work, which is unmatched in the industry.
To run a successful business is a challenge in itself, as Layam Group constantly has to rise above the expectations of its stakeholders. When the pandemic struck initially, it was terrifying, but finally, it got converted into an opportunity, and the group bounced back.
Working from home was an alien concept for a serviceoriented industry like Layam Group; however, following the norms, it did stick to the protocol, slowly blending into the new normal.
In fact, it maintained a status quo and its employees rendered their full support like always. Their clients also stood by them, displaying their trust and loyalty to team Layam. Ramesh says this gesture was reassuring and motivated them to strive harder to achieve their goals.
Layam Group's mission is to increase stakeholders value by delivering integrated sustainable management solutions that help them achieve their goals and distinguish Layam as the performance and learning solution provider of choice.
Post-COVID, things are limping back to normal, and like Ramesh already said, during COVID, too, they were fortunate enough to stay afloat. He says that his people prefer to come to the office instead of working from home; a few have opted for hybrid mode, but that's fine with him as long as they are committed to their work.
In terms of gaining new clients, Layam Group is overbooked. 2021 has been a profitable year for Layam and its associates, and Ramesh hopes that moving ahead, he sees excellent prospects as far as new client wins and expansion of their business are concerned.
Ramesh states that helping people achieve their dreams has been his biggest accomplishment. A successful career, according to him, is doing something which you are passionate about, and you need to believe in yourself and be honest always. Ramesh thinks that by doing so, he is sure happiness and success will follow you like a shadow!
Layam's Jewels'
Ramesh says that they strongly believe in quality and a high degree of professionalism in their approach and representation of services.
This commitment and dedication can be seen through many certificates, awards and accolades Layam Group has achieved.
Ÿ
The Group has been certified by D&B and many international entities from Europe and Asia for its works and services.
Ÿ Layam Group is an ISO 9001:2015 certified organisation.
Ÿ It is also a NEEM agent, NAPS TPA and accredited ASDC partner by the Government.
Ÿ It has won several awards like Company of the Year (manpower services) and has been adjudged as one of India's 10 most trusted HR Solution Providers .
Talking about COVID-19, Ramesh says that it has redefined many business operations and working fundamentals. As the pandemic set in, Layam Group, like all other companies, realised the enormity of the situation and quickly shifted its working style from offline to online as per COVID protocols.
Layam's teams across India worked from the comfort of their homes, and the efficiency levels remained unchanged.
Be it team meetings or celebrating a colleague's birthday, everything happens online.
The group has always been way ahead in terms of technology, whether it comes to its processes, payroll or attendance. The same system continued in the virtual world as well. Instead of interacting face to face, Ramesh saw his team through zoom or 'teams' call. Business proceedings remained unaffected, much to the delight of Layam's clients and candidates alike.
Future of Integrated Sustainable Management Solutions
Talking about Layam's prospects, Ramesh says that their company's mission is to increase stakeholders' value by delivering integrated sustainable management solutions that help them achieve their goals and distinguish Layam as the performance and learning solution provider of choice.
Ramesh envisions his company to remain at the top position as a Human Capital Value Chain provider and trusted partner for the Automobile, Manufacturing, Engineering industries and many other sectors. The firm has already made inroads in the power sector, and it plans to make a foray into banking, the food industry etc.
The Success Mantra
Ramesh's success Mantra for people aspiring to become influential business professionals is simple, ‘Be passionate about what you do and believe in yourself.’ Perseverance is the key to your accomplishment. More importantly, ethical work culture is crucial to an organisation's success as it ushers in strong teamwork, high productivity and unswerving integrity with stakeholders. Hence, one should nurture it for a consistent growth trajectory.
We can see Prabhat Khabar's growth graph and plan to reach under the top ive players in India by the end of 2023.
Media, the fourth pillar of democracy, evolved in
India due to the staunch leadership acumen of leaders from the different paths of society, taking on their shoulders the responsibility of providing accurate and truthful news to those in need of it, the Indian republic.
An emerging digital marketing leader is Prakash Kumar , the Digital Head of prabhatkhabar.com , the leading Hindi Daily from the Hindi belt.
It was not inspiration but much more than passion that Kumar came into the digital media industry. He started his career with a market research firm called Exevo, based out of Delhi, India, and worked there for a few years. But as a fresher, he decided to switch to the digital industry, which he found fortunate.
This was in 2012. Working in the digital industry, Kumar began loving his job and his work and started ideating things. He has worked in various roles, from social media to AdTech, MarTech, product management, revenue optimization, marketing communications, and the technology market.
He has been polishing his leadership skills for ten to twelve years. He has covered almost every digital angle and worked with companies like Dish TV, Dainik Bhaskar, ASKME.com, and Cybermedia, a leading agency.
Kumar states, “ In every individual company, I have learned everything there could be learned. I have devoted myself to polishing my skills and enhancing my personality .”
Igniting the New Dawn of Prabhat Khabar Today, Prakash Kumar is leading Prabhat Khabar's digital wing. Initially, it was more into a print media and was a leading news daily of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Bengal. But sensing the modern times' demand for everything and everybody switching towards digital, Kumar convinced Prabhat Khabar's management to transform the news daily into digital.
That is how Kumar ignited the new dawn at Prabhat Khabar and initiated its digital wing.
Through it, Kumar began pushing on for everything digital. Initially, working in Delhi, Kumar came into the domain of prabhatkhabar.com and explored and learned everything on the job.
And today, under his visionary leadership Prabhat Khabar is growing into the leading national digital player.
Kumar says excitedly, “ We are strengthening our digital and print arm. And we are expanding like anything. Unlike print, digital can spread Prabhat Khabar's wing across the entire country. That is how from a regional player, we became a national player. ”
Kumar Transforms Prabhat Khabar Kumar has revamped Prabhat Khabar's digital wing during the last three years.
Kumar adds, “ When I came three years ago, I made my team. I worked on upward skilled resources who had expertise in particular domains. I strongly believe that multitasking can be harmful to personal growth. Like jack of all trades, but master of nothing .”
That is why Kumar hired skilled resources; a particular resource, those having expertise in a specific domain rather than one person doing multiple things, which is not suitable for an individual's growth.
Kumar explains, “ That is only for that if you want to run a company somehow. But if you want to grow, then you have to deal with expert resources so that they can give their 100% by knowing the business inside-out .”
That way, Kumar made his professional team of forty people. Those were working in various parts of the country, from where he onboarded them. He called them all to Prabhat Khabar's Ranchi and Delhi office.
They started working under his astute leadership, and in two years, Prabhat Khabar has reached from five million to a news subscribers base of 30 million, “ Which is a 6X growth since I joined prabhatkhabar.com. Earlier it was not coming in the top hundred websites. Today, it is one of
India's top ten news websites in terms of traffic, user acquisitions, and everything .”
According to Kumar, only 40 to 50 per cent of the target has been achieved, with the remaining target yet to be accomplished.
Kumar states further, “ We can see our growth graph and plan to reach under the top five players in India by the end of 2023 .”
The biggest challenge Kumar faced while transforming Prabhat Khabar was people's perception. Since Prabhat Khabar is based in Ranchi, all the great resources either work in metros or want to work only in metros.
But determined to hire expert resources, Kumar leveraged them. He gave them a free hand to work, practice, and experiment with their skills. Initially, he made many mistakes, but he fast learned from his mistakes. And he kept experimenting with ten-odd things and began recording where he was going wrong. At the end of the month, he knew precisely which of his experiment worked and which backfired. He focused on those which worked, dismissing all other failed ones.
The second challenge is that of competition. Competitors are national and multinational players. In terms of technology, resources, and finances, they are huge. But Kumar was clear that if he utilises all of Prabhat Khabar's existing resources to the maximum extent, Prabhat Khabar would grow.
Although they are a small company of only forty people, each member works to their fullest potential. And today, Kumar feels that they are like some case study where forty people took an under hundred company and transformed it into a top ten company in just two years.
And where most media houses cannot even break even in a year, Prabhat Khabar has claimed profit in the first year after going fully digital.
The third challenge he beat was that of technology. He completely changed Prabhat Khabar's old technology, moving to advance technology. He restructured and streamlined everything to make the company's entire process future ready.
Once everything was set up, he ensured that the company was giving its employees the best possible environment so that they will not miss any comfort of living in the metro city.
Kumar adds, “ We have given our employees everything. We have streamlined the process. We have structured things. We have given them a free hand. And that is how beating every challenge we went from five million to thirty million users .”
Content is the King Kumar asserts that Prabhat Khabar's USP is its content. It is very rich and solid, unlike other media houses. People refer to its content.
Externally it gives quality content to the people and thriving culture to its employees. It is not just a professional environment, but Kumar makes sure that his team works like a family.
Kumar puts, “ Rather than making them responsible, we give them accountability. We say to them that this is your area. This is the domain on which you must work. You are accountable for everything, your losses, your benefit, and all. So mentally, we prepare our employees .”
Kumar asserts that for Prabhat Khabar, its team is its best asset. Once the team is mentally prepared, they have to reach a certain level within a particular time frame; then, one has to leverage them. One has to tell them that they are everything to the company. They are the company's strongest asset.
Kumar puts it like this, " We give them leverage in terms of work, perks, benefits, and everything. That way, they take accountability and start performing .”
Creating a New Day, Daily Kumar says, “ Value is the dedication or honesty towards your work. This is our core value. And when we say that our team is our asset, we value honesty. And I strongly believe that there is no substitute for the hard-working .”
Kumar further adds that he keeps telling his employees two things. First, he does not want a multitasker. If someone works for 8 to 10 hours and multitasks, they distribute their time and efforts in several departments rather than their core departments. And that means they're contributing nothing towards any single department. So that way, multitasking is entirely unprofitable.
The second is: that there is no substitute for the hardworking. It is a combination of hard and smart working, or any other fancy terms one can call it. They are not doing any automation kind of thing. Because if they want to do any automation, there are limited men to be used. Which is not their approach, nor it is their objective.
Their objective is to meet the demands of the digital media industry in which they deal. This profession demands everyday ideation, everyday innovations that come from the past and the work and the process that one is approaching.
Kumar details it, “ In short, it demands hard work. Once you do market research, you analyze the thing, maybe after data gathering. So, this whole process requires a lot of effort and work. That is why I say that there is no substitute for the hard-working.
First, you have to analyze the product and process and deep dive. Once you deep dive, that means that you are hardworking. You are working very hard for a particular thing. Then you can get some value out of it, which is value addition .”
The digital industry is changing like anything. Maybe things might become obsolete in the next couple of years. Thus, Kumar's suggestions for any entrepreneur are that they must be clear with their basics. They must understand the digital ecosystem because he had seen this industry from branding to performance marketing in the last 10 to 12 years. Things are changing fast. Especially in digital, it has dramatically changed in a previous couple of years. Today's technology may be obsolete tomorrow.
All the time, one must be on their toes; one must keep updating themselves to see what is happening. And a case study helps, that what exactly went wrong or what has been fabulous for that particular industry.
That way, one must be updated all the time. Like today, digital is working. It is in demand. But there are so many domains and verticals in digital that one has to understand what they want in digital.
Because the e-commerce industry in digital works differently. The media industry works differently. Any product-based company or service-based company works differently. Their approaches and ideations are entirely different; it varies from industry to industry. So firstly, one has to think about what exactly they want from the digital.
Kumar reasons, “ Your objective and the aim should be very clear. Along with digital, can we add a branding perspective, can we add an ROI perspective, or can we add a lead-based perspective?
Many things have been categorised as digital, so you have to understand what you want. And you have to be patient, right? If you think that you are starting digital and getting ROI just from the next fiscal year, you still have to wait and watch. Ultimately, if your approach, strategy, and ideations would be in the right direction, you will eventually get something out of it, but you must be patient .”
After completely revamping prabhatkhabar.com and its team in the last three years, Kumar understood that they have to work on their policies for continuing the forward momentum to achieve their goal. They have to also work on their strategies, which might vary from time to time rather than a standard lifelong policy they must follow. This is not their approach.
Kumar defines it, “ We will be very flexible to strengthen our employees, to give them the best facility, we will keep changing our policy every two years. So, for the next couple of years, our vision, objective, and goal are to become one of the top five players in India, and that is how we are planning to establish our brand or company across India, especially in the Hindi belt .”
Kumar states, “ We are Hindi language news daily, catering to Hindi audiences, Hindi advertisers, and thus want to capture all the Hindi speaking audiences of Northern India. This is our goal. We have launched our offices in UP, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and MP. Next, we will be launching our office in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. ”
Kumar concludes, “ We want to reach all the Hindi language audiences of the country. Completely. This is our audience. This is how we cater our content to our audience. This will be an absolute priority rather than a particular area. I want to serve every user who reads, writes, talks, and understands Hindi .”
As businesses grow and expand into large conglom-
erates, the organizational structure undergoes a crucial internal transformation. The role of the management diversifies and evolves from the inside out. The companies that were earlier managed by the department heads of the standard hierarchy system now have multiple entities controlling the key positions that further execute the respective decisions.
Large organizations have a Board of Directors that is influenced by the stakeholders who play a decisive role in the implementation of essential decision-making positions. This process decides the structure of governance and the process of the organization. The Board of Directors determines the management process, influencing the organization's decision-making.
The management sets specific rules and protocols of governance that aim toward the successful functioning and growth of the organization. Accordingly, the board offers certain rights to the key top management personnel for the day-to-day decision-making for which they are responsible and accountable.
However, the major decisions related to the expansion, collaboration, buy-out, adoption of new standards, implementation latest technologies, and appointment of the top management professionals are all decided in the company board meeting.
The management sets certain benchmarks or methodologies in the organizational work model that ensures smooth, controlled, and self-operating methodology. Some of the governance patterns that are implemented can be seen as follows.
Since corporate governance provides the framework for attaining a company’s objectives, it practically encompasses every management sphere, from action plans and internal controls to performance measurement and corporate disclosure.
With the involvement of many people in the decisionmaking process, it becomes imperative that the organization should be governed with complete legal and ethical methods. Hence certain principles are adopted in the company policies that act as guiding yardsticks of honest functioning.
The Board of Directors should treat shareholders, employees, vendors, and communities fairly and with equal consideration. All the people related to the organization
from internal as well as external levels should be respected and heard.
The board should provide timely, accurate, and clear information about such things as financial performance, conflicts of interest, and risks to shareholders and other stakeholders. All the decisions should be clearly and openly communicated to the related people.
The board and management must determine risks of all kinds and how best to control them. They must act on those recommendations to manage them. They must inform all relevant parties about the existence and status of risks. Risks in any proposition should be identified for their possibilities, and steps to mitigate to be taken accordingly.
The board is responsible for the implementation of corporate matters and management activities. It should be aware, in control of, and support the successful functioning of the company. One key responsibility is in the recruitment and hiring of a CEO and other top management professionals. It should act in the best interests of an organization and its investors.
The board must explain the purpose of a company's activities and the results of its conduct. It and company leadership are accountable for the assessment of a company's capacity, potential, and performance. It must communicate issues of importance to shareholders. There exist specific well-known models of corporate governance which can be considered here.
This corporate governance model includes major shareholders, affiliated entities, the government, trading management, and banks, key role players known as Keiretsu . Smaller investors and stakeholders do not have any role in this structure.
Collectively the key players establish and execute the organizational governance.
The board usually consists of insiders and top company executives. Government rules and policies impact this model. Keiretsu model has limited transparency due to the concentration of power; however, it holds the power to terminate the directors if the profits decline.
This model can take various forms, including Shareholder Model, Stewardship Model, and Political Model. However, the Shareholder Model is the principal model. The model design indicates control given to the shareholders and the board of directors, thus making the company employees and stakeholders indecisive and passive. The company management is responsible for the day-to-day functioning of maximizing the shareholder’s returns.
Shareholders provide the company with funds and may withdraw support if dissatisfied. This can keep management working under vigilance and control.
This model comprises two groups – the management board and the supervisory board. The management board consists of the company insiders and top executives, while the supervisory board includes shareholders and union representatives. The country’s legal system determines the size of the supervisory board.
National interest significantly impacts organizational functioning and is expected to be aligned with government objectives. Stakeholder engagement is highly valued, as it can support and strengthen a company’s continued operations.
Mutual Trust with balanced Control remains an important factor in the governance of large business organizations. The government’s role and regulations have their impact; however, a shared monitoring model could be more effective towards risk control and growth propagation. The future looks promising and stable as the increasing diversification with partial government involvement will keep the management in check and encourage ethical functioning.
In the digital age, a business entity must follow a two-
pronged disruptive Revenue Growth Strategy (RGS) to survive in the global tumultuous markets. This twopronged RGS includes a market share strategy on the one hand and a wallet share strategy on the other.
The market share strategy is Tech-Based and innovatorpowered, while the wallet share strategy is intent-driven and founded on Account Based Marketing (ABM). Combined, these strategies must answer questions like why this initiative? What is the desired outcome? Who's the target buyer? Where's the target buyer (GEO)? And what to the buying timelines?
The factors emerging out of this exercise are Competitive Forces, Market Forces, Industry Forces, Socio-economic Forces, Disruptions, and Innovations. Precisely addressing these factors will result in wallet share increase, revenue growth, market share increase, value-based relationships, deeper clients engagement, and intent-based buyers. This is how under the new-generational visionary leadership of Satish K. Sadasivan , the Founder and CEO , EvolveBPM LLC is decoding the sales ecosystem by providing Revenue Impact Solutions Enabling Global Sales Teams to Scale Their Revenues
Satish reveals, " Powered by state-of-the-art AI, Intent and Tech Insights- driven demand generation solutions, we deliver high quality leads with direct ROI impact ." Satish shared in an interview with CIOLOOK INDIA for its edition of ' Powerful Men in Business-2022 ,' how his New York-based firm EvolveBPM has achieved over 25 global clients, generated one million plus leads with 100% accuracy of lead emails delivered, 95% accuracy of lead mobile numbers delivered and brought 50% reduction in sales cycles, since firm's inception in 2020. The highlights of that candid discussion are given herein . Please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about your exciting journey of becoming a powerful business leader. Breakthroughs don't come easy. They're the result of
persistent hard work over the years. And at every stage of my life/career, I asked myself 1001 questions and introspected deep enough to get clarity beyond what's comfortable. Becoming a powerful business leader, for me, is a matter of breaking the old patterns holding me back. During my stints in the US, Middle East, and India, I managed multi-million dollar business units, including IT/BPO/BPM/KPO lines. In addition, working with several Fortune 500 companies like HP and Cognizant gave me a chance to understand how large organizations operate.
My continued obsession with learning helped me upskill myself through several programmes with MIT and Harvard and get NLP-certified. A passionate boxer and adventurist, I also love participating in NGO activities
What inspired you to step into the business arena? Who were your role models growing up?
Following a 15-year stint in the USA, I had the opportunity to lead a couple of large demand generation companies in India. This experience helped me understand the gap between demand generation practices and customer requirements for global enterprises.
The focus was on generating leads rather than on creating revenue-generating opportunities.
Having been in sales for a significant period of my career, I had an intimate understanding of the challenges of working with poor-quality leads and their impact on sales. That's why we founded EvolveBPM to drive a change in this field.
We design and develop end-to-end campaigns that drive laser-focused, well-qualified leads into the sales funnel. Our model focuses on leveraging and partnering with firms that provide intent data, techno-install data, and Interaction data to further enhance our ability to build a pipeline for the customers.
Process, People, and Technology - the three pillars of our business model have helped us create a niche for ourselves
My greatest influence has been Barak Obama,
Process, People, and Technology - the three pillars of our business model have helped us create a niche for ourselves.
“ “
Satish
Sadasivan, Founder and CEO
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and Rajnikanth (Superstar). I love their journey, their grit, and the way they took on all odds to create history.
Brief us about EvolveBPM and about its overall operations. What kind of products and/or services does it offer?
At EvolveBPM, our mission is to provide Revenue Impact solutions that enable global sales teams to scale their revenues. Not just top-line growth but also sustainable and profitable growth.
Based in New York, USA, EvolveBPM is a multi-national company with a presence across the UK, Dominican Republic, Philippines, and India. From data services, research, and intent-based lead generation to content creation, EvolveBPM is a one-stop source for revenue growth.
With over 200 employees across the globe, we deliver programs across multiple channels, including email, telemarketing, webinars, and display ads. We collaborate with industry leaders, including Bombora for intent, HG Insights for technographics, and numerous database providers, including Leadiro and TechBase.
And we are a GDPR-, Cyber Essentials-, and ISO9001:2015 (Quality Management System)-certified organization
Our proprietary ' 6W framework ' helps break down the marketing initiatives into more focused actionable tollgated action points. We aspire to be the one-stop solution for global partners related to revenue growth strategy and solutions.
Our services include:
Ÿ Intent-Based Leads and ABM Solutions (Delivered via Email/Tele Marketing/ Webinars, Powered by Programmatic Display and LinkedIn Ads)
Ÿ Business Research (Data Management Solutions)
Ÿ Content Design and Development (Campaign Management Microsites & Landing Pages, Programmatic Advertising, and LinkedIn Ads)
Please brief us about how you helped enhance the outreach and development of your reputed organization?
Our 200+ workforce around the globe, 25+ global clients, and multi-million dollar revenue in just two years of operations -- isn't one man's work. I am proud of my team and their unrelenting support in
achieving this dream . While I take responsibility for the strategic vision, my team takes care of the execution and ensures that our clients are served beyond their expectations.
Our obsession with building a culture of accountability and transparency has helped us stand out. Our motto, ' DREAMDARE-DO ,' encapsulates our culture and guides our everyday actions.
And the '6W Framework' we have developed internally is the guiding light for all our initiatives. The 6Ws -- Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How -- help us focus on the task at hand and ensure that we deliver quality results to our clients.
What kind of challenges have you faced in your professional journey so far? What kind of challenges do you still face today?
It was a big risk when I decided to jump from the corporate world to the startup world. I had to start from scratch and build the company from the ground up. It was scary, but it was also exciting. But one thing that kept me going was my belief in myself and what it can make you when you're ' all in .’
We were just three people when we started; today, we are 200+ globally. And something about each of them inspires me every day to give my best. Their energy and enthusiasm are contagious
Challenges ? Starting up is the definition of challenges. So, we had (and still have) plenty.
The biggest of them have been ' finding the right people ,' ' scaling without compromising on quality, culture and values ,' and the question of ' how to take EvolveBPM to the next level ?'
They keep me up at night, not because I'm worried but because I'm excited about finding the answers and taking EvolveBPM to even greater heights.
How would you define a successful career? What would you say is your biggest accomplishment?
For me, a successful career is one that is built on a strong foundation of values, vision, and purpose . It is also one in which you are constantly learning and growing, both personally and professionally.
My biggest accomplishment has been building EvolveBPM from scratch and taking it to where it is today.
But more importantly, it's the people who have been a part of this journey that make me proud . They are the real heroes
Please mention your organization's most notable achievements, accolades, accreditations, and awards. While awards are flattering and great motivation, they are not the be-all and end-all. For us, it's always been about the work we do and the impact we make on our clients' businesses . And how we take care of our people.
That said, some of the awards and recognition we have received include:
But, well, none of this would matter if we didn't take care of our people first. So, we ensured our employees had all the support they needed during these challenging times. We made working arrangements that allowed them to balance work and life and all the necessary support to stay healthy and productive.
Most importantly, we internalized some of the lessons we picked up while responding to the pandemic and made a few fundamental changes to our culture. Things like being more flexible, agile, adaptable, empathetic, and understanding and going above and beyond to care for our people.
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Top placer - Business process outsourcing | Go Global Awards 2021 Ÿ Emerging startup of the year in marketing/advertising/PR|4th Global Business Leadership Awards 2020 Ÿ Top 50 US marcomms agencies|B2B Marketing Agencies Benchmarking Report 2021
COVID-19 has redefined many of the business operations and working fundamentals. How did you have to adapt to these circumstances whilst preparing and safeguarding your team, employees, and clients for the same? What new trends and technologies did you incorporate for ensuring optimal business proceedings? The pandemic has been a game-changer for all of us. We had to quickly adapt to the new normal and find ways to keep our business running smoothly while keeping our people safe.
Given that our core business runs on sensitive data, and we have to constantly be on the lookout for potential threats, data security is always a top priority. So, we have put in place stricter data security measures to ensure client data is safe and secure.
At the height of the pandemic, our compliance teams worked hard and round-the-clock to ensure that our client data was protected and compliant with all the latest regulations. Soon, we got certified for GDPR and Cyber Essentials, which instilled confidence in our processes and assured our clients that we take data security seriously. And technology played a significant role in helping us stay connected and productive during these challenging times. For example, we used video conferencing, chat, and collaboration tools to support remote working when needed to stay connected with our team and clients.
How do you envision the future of EvolveBPM going forward? What are your future prospects? From building a people-centered culture to strategizing for explosive revenue growth, we have some big plans for the future. At the front of this plan, we want to be known as the company that cares - for our employees, our clients, and the community. We want to continue doing great work that makes a difference in the industry.
While our strategies for the future are complex and multifaceted, our goal is simple - to enable global sales teams to scale their revenues through by state-of-the-art AI, Intent and Tech Insights-driven demand generation solutions that focus on lead generation with direct ROI impact
In the next five years, we want to be recognized as the frontrunners in data-driven global sales acceleration. We also want to expand our geographic footprint and enter new markets. And, we want to continue to invest in the best people and technology to support our growth .
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want to be done because he wants to do it.”
- Dwight D. EisenhowerWhat a unique and thought-provoking statement made by the five-star ranked
army general and the illustrious 34th President of the United States. Most of the achievements in recent history have been credited to the dynamic leadership taking control of the situation and leading the entire group towards the central objectives.
People know what to do, how, and when to do it; however, the leaders guide and motivate them with the crucial ‘why.’ Leadership is always about driving the people towards developing a progressive mindset for an individual and team efforts. Some of the leadership skills that can be observed are identified herewith.
One of the most striking skills observed in successful leaders is their decision-making abilities. People are eager to work and need guidance; however, in critical times of
complex business scenarios, timely decision-making plays a vital role.
Decision-making abilities that involve quick, logical, and broader thinking are crucial in moving forward with the implementation of the strategies. It gets the work done faster and builds essential momentum in the process.
Modern business leaders are mature and responsible professionals with the habit of tracking all activities and discussions. They value their spoken words and strive hard to honour their commitments.
They are clear about the work schedules with the work they are currently doing, the work in process, and the tasks delegated to different teams. This accountability quality helps them have proper control over the process and confidently lead.
Influential entrepreneurs identify the objective and quantify the work. Using the latest business applications, they calculate the efforts required to complete the objective with the number of people. Leaders portray a central objective to the employees and create teams to work on specific tasks.
The team members are adequately briefed and instructed on the necessary procedures. With this, they organize the employees to team up together and work towards their common work targets.
Regular research and study over people management methods are done for handling, monitoring, and guiding various types of people. Knowledge and wisdom of different levels of individuals are brought to use for better team performance and active involvement in the business process.
It also amalgamates the previous influential ideologies with the modern trends of fast-paced working. This approach empowers the organizational ecosystem towards productive work practices. Every team member feels the energy of working for a purpose, the satisfaction of learning, and the feeling of achieving more.
Communication is given the most critical priority, and all the senior managers and team leaders are instructed to
remain reachable, accessible, and available to their employees. Doubts, queries, and suggestions coming from the employees are crucial aspects of scanning the work developments and identifying the level of involvement of the employees. Leaders recognise the learning opportunities through the communication process for the management, the employees, and the organization too.
Successful Entrepreneurs are very chiselled professionals handling various types of people in different situations. They must be very soft on certain occasions while acting tough in other situations. Leaders today must be very logical, calculative, expressive, and emotional in their interactions. The same leader could adorn many personalities, which could mean a different perspective to different people.
The knowledge and complete finance process are integral to the business leaders. Keeping the finance priorities well at the forefront, they organize all their work around the important aspects of revenue generation, asset monitoring, resource assessment, sales performance, and the balance of the business system. Understanding that finance forms the core of every business organization, the leaders plan and schedule the strategies accordingly.
Backed by years of experience in diverse projects and leading different departments, the business leaders always focus on the central vision. They believe that when the vision is clear, all the objectives and work strategies can be aligned in the right direction. Vision is the single guiding factor, like a lighthouse guiding ships in rough seas. People get busy and absorbed with their KRAs, so keeping them attuned to the company's vision is necessary.
Business organizations are well-structured entities with systems and protocols that ensure the business process's proper functioning. An important factor of leadership breathes in the life energy of team spirit, work satisfaction, healthy competition, and the feeling of oneness which guides many people in achieving massive organizational goals.
- Kedar Borgaonkar
In the new normal, business in the traditional sense does not exist anymore. Socio-economic challenges, environmental and sustainability requirements, rapid technological advancements, and post-pandemic market demands ask for agile organisations and resilient leadership.
In the ELV system integration and advanced security industry, Howell Protection Systems [India] Pvt Ltd is an industry leader as an active solution provider that can respond effectively to any challenge.
Under the resilient leadership of Syed Ishtiyaq , the General Manager-India Operations , Howell has emerged as an eminent brand to reckon with. Syed shares, “We are constantly adapting to meet tomorrow's challenges, increasing scale, reach and expertise to service our clients wherever they are. We provide advanced solutions and services with a national reach.
The credible alliance with leading industry OEMs and service providers is a major step in our strategy to extend Howell’s national reach and complement our portfolio and market expertise.
Together, we progress as a strong combination that drives growth and greatly enhances the services, we provide to you as a client .”
After graduating from the University of Kashmir in 2004 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electronics & communication, Syed commenced his professional career and began honing his expertise in various industries, before finally landing in Howell as a Head of Business
Development which he continued for nine and a half years before acquiring the leadership mantle of GM, India.
Syed Says “Howell's clients benefit from an experienced group of business technologists and their profound knowledge of both business and engineering. These experts have the experience and know-how to deliver end-to-end blueprints that can consistently stimulate growth and profitability.”
Syed continues, “ Our expertise ensures that as a client you receive leadership in services and a passion for technology that drives efficiency and innovation .”
Today, under his leadership there are multiple companies running, one amongst them is the Howell which is a system integration company that does business in the low voltage sector.
Syed explains, “ We are proud that our portfolio includes clients from around the world that are impressive both in numbers and growth .”
We do almost all technical services that are there in the building other than HVAC, plumbing and electricals. Also, we do cater almost all industries , like hospitality, education, commercials, retails & fitouts, governments, and law enforcement agencies
Today, including Syed, most of Howell’s team has over decades of expertise in systems integrations and Hi-Tech technology.
When asked what kind of challenges he faced during establishing all of his business, Syed replied, " Challenges are fundamental to growth of the organizations and when you overcome them ; you grow. We have made a strong SOP for change and challenge management.
However, there are inherent challenges, for example, technical know of human resources and product limitations.” Howell is not a hardcore manufacturer.
Syed explains, “Sometimes it becomes very tedious to become dependent on the OEM because our hands are tied up, and we cannot go beyond the availability of the market. That means if something is available, we have to design our solution as for that availability only.
Syed reflects, “ We are one window solution and service providers, we do everything, from the initial stage of designing to implementations ourselves. Our designing, implementation, delivery, installation, and post-sales services, everything is in-house nothing is outsourced except the local wiring and conduiting (that too under our supervision)
That is why our brand name Howell, which in Cornish means the ‘Eminent one- A leader’ is today associated with trust, service, integrity, engineering excellence, business commitment, reliability and dependability .”
With a proven track record of on-time delivery and a wide spectrum of services in the industry that are seamless, the brand name Howell commands respect and recognition.
Syed elaborates, “ It means when we design a solution, we know it from the basics to the end what goes into that .” This way, the customer gets assurance that what Howell is promising or committing will be delivered, guaranteed.
Syed states, “As a committed business, we have a business guarantee which is called the 100% money refund assurance. If our design solutions fail in the implementation, we refund 100% of the amount to the customer within three months. In the last 17 years, there is not even a single site where we had to refund any money. Come what may, whatever challenge we will face, we always ensure that the system is handed over to the customer to his best satisfaction.”
Syed Ish yaq , General Manager
According to Syed, what they follow at Howell, no one else follows. Even in big MNCs, when customers face issues or queries, they have been thrown from one department to another, and one person to other, without resolving their conflict. That means, however big the company is, a customer gets drained down into the operation process.
Syed shares, “ It's typically what we call the SPOC We have three single points of contact. In the sales, there will be a single point of contact for you. Once the sale is closed, it will be handed over to the project execution of the operations. Again, the SPC will be aligned with you. Once that is being completed, you'll be given a single point of contacting services .”
In three phases Howell has three single points of contact, one for Sales, one for Operations, and one for Post-sales services. So, the customer does not have to hassle across the organization.
The SPOC in respective departments is authorised to make decisions and anything which warrants the attention of other members of department is attended to very swiftly, to ensure services without any interruption.
Being an exceptional leader Syed advises budding aspirants to focus not only on product and revenue but on a strong bottom line. He shares “People get excited to see the sales figures but they miss the bottom line in the totality of the project delivery. The simple piece of advice is if you are not making money; don't do the project.”
Further he adds, “If a project is not making money, the organization will have to borrow money at a cost which gets added up in the project and further pulls the project profitability down. Ultimately in absence of any cash generated, organization is not able to support the customer and it becomes a vicious circle and eventually project gets abandoned or not delivered as per agreed benchmarks.”
On top of that, the customer will make staggered payments on delivery and installation and will retain some percentage of money as project performance guarantee. If there are thin or no margins the business becomes unviable as you as an organization will have to fulfil project payables to your vendors and employees. This will again attract cost.
Syed says, “ This is where I have seen the newcomers doing mistakes. They are very keen on taking low-margin orders where the cash flow is stagnant. It is fundamental for every business that it should be able to generate cash to run itself over a period of time .”
According to Syed however the future turns out and whatever the case might be, the buildings will be there forever. We can debate that there might be sustainable buildings for sustainable environments and over a period of time product portfolio will change, but the building is going to be there for its life of 30, 40, or 50 years. And as long as buildings are there, Howell will remain in the business.
Syed opines, “We do not have a very large infrastructure in the country. We are very far behind with respect to the west
and with respect to the developed countries. Forget countries in the west, take Singapore or Hong Kong, compared to them, we are very far behind.
Till the time we reach that point, I can say it is another 20 years when we will have that kind of buildings in the country. So, the future is very, very promising and very, very bright, and we will be growing at an average rate of around 30% .”
Syed believes that there is a huge potential, even for other companies to enter into this industry. But they have to do it with the promise of designing new products, and new solutions for the buildings, rather than cost-saving or price discounting which will not serve the longer purpose of sustaining the business.
Syed concludes with, “Only a cash-generating company will become a sustainable business. The debt, private equity, or whatever the funds you put in the business should be used to start a new business that will generate cash rather than fixing up your old one for the lost costs .”
We at Howell India, are constantly adapting to meet tomorrow's challenges, increasing scale, reach and expertise to service our clients wherever they are.
