CIO & CMO at PeopleLink Collaboration Inc.
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
I am currently based at Fremont, California, and handle the IT & Marketing role for PeopleLink Collaboration Inc., which is a global Audio-Video leader, providing custom solutions for an immersive Audio Video collaboration experience to clients across continents in Enterprise, Education, Healthcare, Federal & Defense sectors.
I am passionate about leveraging technology as an enabler of business growth and success. During my professional years of experience I got the opportunity to align technology initiatives with business objectives to drive operational efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and create competitive advantages. I have always believed that technology is a very strong tool to drive process automation within organizations, get effective collaboration and communication across diverse business locations & take data-driven decisions for the betterment of people and organization as a whole.
I also have been able to drive marketing teams with a passion for driving business growth and creating impactful marketing strategies. I have developed a comprehensive skill set that includes brand management, digital marketing, campaign planning, and market research. Right from my initial years to now I have witnessed and implemented technology that has become an integral part of our lives, shaping the way we live, work, and connect with each other.
What has your journey to your position been like? What path have you taken?
My journey in the technology field began almost 2 decades back after completing my Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science. I started my career as an IT Support professional, and had a strong passion for innovation and a fascination for how technology can transform businesses.
When I joined PeopleLink, almost 15 years back, which was a startup at that time, it offered me a very broad & holistic skill development. This made it important to wear multiple hats and taking on various responsibilities, across different areas such as operations, marketing and IT. This particular exposure has enhanced my adaptability, problem-solving abilities, and resourcefulness. Working with an Agile and Innovative organization like PeopleLink, that is always focused on quickly adapting to changing market dynamics & providing excellent customer experience gave me also quick learning and skills like rapid decision-making, experimentation, and out-of-the-box thinking.
During my tenure with PeopleLink, there have been many key achievements during our journey from being a start-up organization to a leading global AV OEM today. One of the most important key milestone has been building & leading a team of strong individuals who have expertise in their domains. As the team worked together our key milestone was getting our Audio video products being enrolled for use by Government and Defense services, which have highly stringent testing on Security, Quality and stability of solutions. During COVID time, PeopleLink was also among the top Video conferencing company from India to be recognized by The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Our next milestone was being recognized as one of the key Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) by the Government for Audio Video conferencing equipment.
Has it always been your vision to reach the position you’re at? Was your current role part of your vision to become a tech leader?
The journey is still going on, and my current position is a part of the vision that become more than a Tech Leader. I aim to be a holistic leader who can combine all aspects of business functions and make the leaders from different departments to work together as one team.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?
There is no achievement that any leader can accomplish alone. There have been many role models in many different roles, each of whom taught, guided and pointed me to move in the right direction.
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
The role of technology leaders, such as Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs), is continuously evolving in response to advancements in technology and changing business landscapes. Over the next five years, there several key trends that are likely to shape the role of technology leaders:
Strategic Business Alignment: Technology leaders will increasingly be expected to align technology strategies with overall business objectives & choose the right technology for their Business.
Data-driven Decision Making: Increasing importance of analytics will play a pivotal role in decision-making, enhancing operational efficiency, and drive innovation across the organization.
Cybersecurity and Risk Management: Implementing robust security measures, ensure compliance with regulations, and develop incident response plans to protect the organization's assets, data, and reputation from cyber threats.
Change Management and Leadership: As organizations undergo digital transformation, technology leaders will need to navigate change management challenges. They will be responsible for driving cultural change, fostering a technology-focused mindset, and ensuring that employees are equipped with the necessary skills to adapt to new technologies.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
Adaptability and Agility plus Emotional Intelligence to connect with their teams, stakeholders, and customers on a deeper level. Continuous learning and self-development is essential now and will be even more essential for leaders in the future.
How do you keep current with new skills, technologies and personal development?
The more you know, the more you understand, how less you know. Continuous Learning is essential and it happens via Professional Networking, exchanging ideas, learning from others' experiences, online learning platforms and staying informed about emerging trends and technologies.
What do you see as the next leap in technology that will impact your business or industry in particular?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already started transforming industries, but further advancements are to be expected.
5G Connectivity: The widespread deployment of 5G networks will bring faster and more reliable connectivity, enabling businesses to leverage technologies like IoT, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) at a larger scale.
Internet of Things (IoT) Expansion: The IoT is poised to expand its reach, connecting an increasing number of devices and systems to gather real-time data from diverse sources, leading to improved operational efficiency, remote monitoring and control, predictive maintenance, and the development of new products and services.
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Applications: AR and VR technologies are evolving rapidly and have the potential to transform industries such as gaming, retail, healthcare, education, and remote collaboration.
"Keep Learning."
If you were mentoring a leader of the future, what advice or guidance would you give to help them on their way?
Keep Learning, and do your best to keep in touch with your teams, listen and collaborate.
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
As an organizational, as well as an individual goal, I am still working on making technology accessible for as many people as possible to provide access to Healthcare and imparting education to every segment of society.
On similar lines, PeopleLink's video-api solution powers one of the world's largest TeleHealth solution that has provided more than 100 million patient-doctor video consultations online. Similarly our easy-to-use Education audio-video tools are contributing in providing teacher access to students based in remote locations.
By further advancing technology in healthcare and education, we can unlock new possibilities, improve outcomes, and create more equitable and inclusive systems.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
While there are several issues in which I would like to contribute and bring change in the world including poverty elimination, inequality, climate change, access to education and healthcare, social justice, and more. But if only one thing has to be mentioned than "Food-For-All" is the one change I would like to bring, all living beings should have daily access to healthy food.
A big thank you to Damanjeet Kaur from PeopleLink Collaboration Inc.
for sharing her journey to date.
If you would like to gain more perspective from Tech Leaders and CIOs you can read some of our other interviews here.
