In our new series, we talk to our experts about how to navigate what’s next in their industries or fields.
Dinesh Reddy is a Technical Consultant for our Data & Analytics practice in India with expertise in implementing end-to-end BI solutions. He has worked for Centric India for two years and has 14 years of overall experience working with companies of all sizes. When he is not working, he loves spending time with his 7-year-old kid and loves reading books. His all-time favorite is Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead.
What’s your story?
I embarked on my professional journey post-college in 2006. I was selected from campus by a big MNC and trained in Java. But as fate would have it, I was put on a data warehousing project for one of the major banks. That was my first tryst with D&A in the BI space, which led to my interest in solving business problems by churning data. From there, I started working in various capacities with multiple companies and multiple clients, but a breakthrough came when I was asked to build a global analytical platform from scratch. I played a pivotal role in delivering the platform, which put me on the map. I am still working on my craft, but I would say that the process so far has been exciting. On my career journey, the following are few guiding principles I live by:
- Invest in the people around you, and remember to “keep learning, keep sharing and keep growing.”
- Fail fast and never regret — one of the biggest lessons you learn is through failures.
- Happiness is in the journey and not in the destination.
What’s the best feedback you’ve ever received?
One of the best pieces of feedback that has really helped me is “to take time out and celebrate small things and victories instead of postponing it until the end.” This has really changed my perspective and made me appreciate little things in life and enjoy the journey.
Why did you decide to become part of your field?
It was more chance than choice at the beginning of my career. But once I was in this field, the satisfaction I got by solving business problems has been a driving factor that makes me go to work daily. Not only that, but this is also one of those industries which always makes you feel younger as there is continuous learning which slows the aging of the brain.
How are you guiding clients right now?
I have helped them in various capacities, from being a developer to a data architect to help them modernize their data platforms on multiple cloud providers like Azure and AWS. Technology is changing very rapidly, and there are a multitude of tools available in the market. I take the onus to help them evaluate and choose the right toolsets and build optimal and cost-effective technology solutions to solve the problems at hand.
What, in your opinion, do companies need the most help with right now?
Given the unprecedented times we are going through, companies need to invest in maintaining the employees’ mental and physical health. They also need to find innovative ways to keep them engaged.
What do you think they should be thinking about next?
Adapt the business to the new reality. The plethora of changes in 2020 that happened in a very short span of time has brought immense changes in the behavior and spending habits of the people. Now it is time for companies to reassess the way the business is conducted, reconfigure their business model to tap new opportunities and reallocate their capital effectively.
What are you looking forward to in your industry?
The industry was already moving towards digitalization and automation in a phased manner. I feel that 2020 acted as a catalyst and would gear the industry in a more rapid way towards the same in the future.
Being in data analytics, I am excited about the new opportunities that will arise due to the digital transformation and how I can contribute to the businesses to thrive.
What do you do when you’re not guiding clients?
I am a workaholic, and hence any time that I could take out for my family is sacred to me. I love spending quality time with my parents, playing with my kid and telling him stories (I am not a great storyteller, but he makes me feel like I am). I love helping my wife in the kitchen (I am terrible in the kitchen, but standing there and speaking to her makes her feel better) and watching comedy movies or cartoons with my wife and kid.
