On the lighter side of things, we ask industry experts what makes them tick. Here we speak to Guruprasad Padmanabhan, VP, Business Development, MEA, for Redline.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
My most memorable achievement would have to be being part of the beginning of the cloud revolution at Amazon. My next would be driving innovative propositions with SMEs as part of the marketing team in Etisalat, reaching over 300,000 business in UAE and driving the digital economy in a short period of time.
What first made you think of a career in technology?
Ever since I wrote my first randomizer in Fortran when I was 15 years old, I fell in love with technology. There was no looking back since then with tech careers in IBM, Techdata, Amazon, du, Etisalat and now Redline.
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position?
I am old school when it comes to leadership. I lead by example and always believe in hiring people who are smarter than me. Empathy and providing a performance-driven environment and culture at work is what I strive for. I believe in passing on my experience and guiding my team while letting them use their own ideas and drive for success while providing course correction inputs from time to time.
What do you think is the current hot technology talking point?
While AI, Data sciences and neural networks would continue to hold our fascination the fact that broadband connectivity is still not ubiquitous and the fact that the digital divide still exists in many parts of the world will drive companies like Redline to create opportunities and propositions to bridge it.
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office?
I am an avid but a poor golfer and a few hours on the course helps me unwind. Recently I took to road biking and helps me stay physically and mentally fit.
If you could go back and change one career decision what would it be?
While I never look back, one decision I would have gladly changed in hindsight was to stay with Amazon. The incredible strides they have made makes me think of lost opportunities at times.
