What were you doing before you joined Mahindra?

I was working for a major UK Telco doing a software Programme Delivery role.  I specialized in finding ways of successfully delivering complex and challenging business requirements, notably internet based sales support systems and innovative networks support systems.  My software suppliers were predominately India-based companies and so the role involved extensive management of offshore deliveries.

Why did you decide to join Mahindra?

As part of the above role, I had the pleasure of travelling to India several times. I was always very impressed by the industrious and committed attitude of the people I met in those suppliers.  This is not to say the UK suppliers are short on commitment, but I had rarely seen the level of enthusiasm and sheer passion for delivery that I saw in individuals whilst in India.  I made up my mind that I wanted to be a part of that. I chose TechMahindra because not only are they passionate about delivery, but the rate of growth in the company particularly at that time was nothing less than remarkable. I believed then, and still believe now, that working for a growing company that provided an environment for individuals to grow with it was the place I wanted to be.  It was the type of opportunity that doesn’t come often and thus could not be missed. 

What are you doing now?

I am working as TechM Delivery Director contracted in to a major UK Telco. I lead the TechM team of Release Managers, and our role is to secure the end-to-end delivery of an ongoing series of business releases. My job is to ensure the software delivery streams that make up a given business delivery all arrive together at the right time to support the committed dates and budget. This includes requirements, design delivery, test and deployment.

These deliveries enable the launch of new revenue products for that Telco, and the revenue earning optimization of existing products. It is a complex technical area and because of the business revenue impact of the work it is an extraordinarily demanding area from a delivery timescale point of view.  I believe the TechM team we have created to drive this work forward has world-class ability. They can be proud of their ability to deliver what we have promised, when we have promised it and do so despite the odds stacked up against success.

How do you find Mahindra as an employer? 

I find TechM an excellent company to work for. The opportunities the company provides its people are exceptional and available to virtually anyone in the company that can demonstrate the ability and determination to grab them. The company moves fast and that makes it an exciting place to be. In my experience there is a strong culture of mutual support and I have benefited from this personally, both at peer level and from my manager. We are very good at responding to and managing our way through a delivery crisis and doing so as a strongly connected team. We are getting better all the time at avoiding crisis in the first place.