This edition features a handful of "The 10 Most Influential Leaders In Tech To Follow January 2023" across several sectors that are at the forefront of leading us into a digital future.

1. S
A
M
P
L
E
VOL 01 I ISSUE 09 I 2023
Leaders
in Tech to
10
The
Most
Influential
Follow
Southekal
Prashanth
Energizing Businesses
with Data Analytics
Dr.
Dr. Prashanth
Southekal
Founder and
Managing Principal

4. The Aspects of
Advancements
s technology becomes more and more prevalent, it is
Aimportant to find great leaders in the field. New tech
leaders often take inspiration from others whose styles
and techniques they admire. They look at the successes of those
who came before them and emulate approaches that make sense
for them.
As they evolve more deeply into their roles, they can learn what is
working for them and adapt their methods as needed. Vision,
communication, innovation and empathy are some of the principal
qualities a leader needs to successfully direct a tech organization.
The most successful tech leaders are able to communicate
effectively with their teams. They know how to articulate their
vision, listen and take criticism in stride, and are comfortable
making decisions that will affect other people's lives. They are also
skilled at communicating with people who don't share their
technical expertise.
They find ways to translate complex concepts into language that
non-technical people can understand, and they make sure that
everyone on the team understands their role in achieving goals.
Confidence is a crucial trait for great tech leaders. These
personalities are constantly making decisions that affect their
team, the company's bottom line, and even the lives of their
customers. They have to be confident enough in their decisions so
EDITOR’S NOTE

5. that they can make them with confidence- even if they aren't sure how things will turn out.
They are not afraid to put their ideas and solutions before the group. One of the hallmarks of great tech
leaders is their ability to put aside personal feelings and beliefs when it comes to making decisions that
affect their team, company, or customers.
Great tech leaders take risks because they know that failure is part of success-and. If you never fail at
anything, then you've probably chosen not to try something challenging enough. They are constantly
curious and always asking questions, and they make it a point to be well-versed in the latest technologies,
trends, best practices, and industry standards.
Mapping the journey of these tech leaders, CIOLook sheds light on “The 10 Most Influential Leaders In
Tech To Follow, 2023,” who are enabling advancements and enhancing the facets of the dynamic industry.
Flip through the page and indulge in the journey of sheer innovations with leadership attributes.
Have a delightful read!
Abhishek Joshi
Abhishek Joshi
Leaders
in Tech to
10
The
Most
Influential
Follow

6. C
O
V
E
R
S
T
O
R
Y
08
Southekal
Prashanth
Energizing Businesses
with Data Analytics
Dr.

7. 16 20
24
Kashif Dafedar
Epitome of Sheer Determination
Shumon A Zaman
Thriving with Astounding Traits and Values
Venkata Duvvuri
An Epitome of Quality Education

8. CONTENT
Senior Editor Alan Swann
Executive Editors Abhishek Joshi
DESIGN
Visualizer Dave Bates
Art & Design Director Revati B.
Associate Designer Ankita P.
SALES
VP Operations Sihanee M., Rouniyar A.
Senior Sales Manager Prathamesh Tate
Sales Executives Rohit, John
TECHNICAL
Technical Head Prachi M.
Technical Consultant Victor Collins
January, 2023
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9. Brief
Company Name
Radhakrishna
Hiremane
VP, Head of Analytics
Venkata Duvvuri
Adjunct Professor
Radhakrishna has over 20 years of experience as a Global
Business Solutions Leader in Data Engineering, Data Science
and Analytics, including business intelligence, AI, ML, and the
creation of customer engagement solutions.
Venkata Duvvuri is a data analytics instructor based out of the
Silicon Valley campus.
Linda Jojo
Executive Vice President,
Chief Customer Officer
Linda, along with her teams, delivers the processes and tools to
create an airline that customers choose to fly. In this role, she
has oversight of digital technology, contact centers, customer
solutions and innovation.
United Airlines
united.com
Atlassian
atlassian.com
Northeastern University
northeastern.edu
Kevin Lewis,
Vice President of
Retail Intelligence
Kevin is an effective influencer with senior leadership capable
of inspiring vision while securing key technology investment.
Walmart
walmart.co
Shumon A Zaman
Chief Information
and Digital Officer
PASCO is known for its grassroots efforts in advocating for
individuals experiencing disabilities with legislators locally and
federally.
Ali & Sons Holding LLC
ali-sons.com
PODS
PODS.com
Tim Nelson is a seasoned Commerce and Supply Chain
Solutions Leader with experience across multiple industries
including Retail, Manufacturing, Distribution and CPG.
Tim Nelson
Vice President,
Data and Analytics
Featured Person

10. Dr. Prashanth
Southekal
Energizing Businesses with Data Analytics
We believe data
is a valuable,
measurable, and
monetizable business
asset only if it is
managed well; if
not, data is a liability
that is very hard to
dispose of.

11. Cover
Story
Dr. Prashanth
Southekal
Founder and
Managing Principal
DBP Institute

12. P
owering up businesses in current times is data
analytics. Before the recognition of ‘data is the
next oil’ by companies, it was an untapped
resource that was waiting to be discovered. With the
advent of machine learning and the application of
statistical analysis to data, it became a resource of
great power, bringing about a transformation on par
with industrialization to businesses. The boost to
business performance across all industries has been
immense, and perhaps no one can attest to it’s power
better than DBP Institute.
DBP Institute, where DBP stands for Data for Business
Performance, is a Data Analytics Consulting, Research,
and Education firm. It implements and optimizes
solutions that lie at the intersection of Data,
Technology & Business productivity for measurable and
monetizable business results. The company’s
outstanding performance is a result of an emphasis on
three ideals– Expertise, Execution, and Excellence.
Prashanth H Southekal, Ph.D., MBA, ICD.D is the
Founder of DBP Institute. He is an author, Keynote
speaker, board member & Professor of Data &
Analytics. He believes data is a valuable, measurable,
and monetizable business asset only if it is managed
well; if not, then data is a liability that is very hard to get
rid of.
Dr. Southekal has been consulting for over 80
organizations, including P&G, GE, Shell, Apple, FedEx, &
SAP. He has trained over 3,500 professionals, writes
regularly for Forbes, and has also authored three books
on the subject of data, analytics, & ML. He is also an
Adjunct Professor of Data and Analytics at IE Business
School in Madrid, Spain and CDO Magazine included
him in the top 75 global academic data leaders of 2022.
In an exclusive interview with CIOLook, Dr. Prashanth
Southekal shares how insights from data is
transforming businesses and the world.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at DBP-Institute.
I was born and raised in India. After my Master’s in
Information Technology from IIIT Bangalore (IN), I
started my career with Procter & Gamble (P&G) in
Brussels, Belgium. In 2004, I moved back to India and
worked for General Electric and SAP before SAP
transferred me to Calgary, Canada, in 2009 for a three-
year assignment. In 2012, I started my entrepreneurial
journey with DBP Institute (DBPI) to provide digital,
data, and analytics consulting services.

13. While running DBPI, I completed my Ph.D. from ESC
Lille (FR), my MBA from Kellogg School of Management
(US), and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of
Corporate Directors (CA). I published three books -
Data for Business Performance (2017), Analytics Best
Practices (2020), and Data Quality (2023), and over
5,000 copies of my books have been sold worldwide. I
spoke at numerous conferences from Singapore to San
Francisco on Data and Analytics (D&A). Today, apart
from my entrepreneurial pursuits, I am also a Professor
at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, and I sit on the
Editorial Board of MIT CDOIQ and on the Advisory
boards of BGV (a Silicon Valley-based VC firm),
Grihasoft (IN), Evalueserve (CH) and Astral Insights
(US).
What challenges have you had to overcome to reach
where you are today?
The road was not very easy, as I had to overcome many
challenges in my career. Firstly, adapting to the
Canadian job market took time. When I moved to
Canada from India, my skills were more technical and
relevant in the Indian job market. I had to learn and
unlearn skills to suit the Canadian job market. I also had
to learn the North American culture and business
practices.
Secondly, till 2015 all of DBPI’s clients were in Calgary
(CA) in the Oil and Gas sector. When the crude oil
prices fell in 2016, we lost many consulting contracts
from the Oil and Gas companies. So, we decided to
diversify to markets outside Calgary and explore
services outside consulting. We started looking at the
US as the new market for consulting services and
education and research as our new service lines.
Pivoting was difficult and required a lot of patience,
persistence, and learning from failures.
Tell us something more about DBP-Institute and its
mission and vision, and how you have impacted the
Data and Analytics Consulting industry.
As mentioned before, DBPI today is a Data and
Analytics (D&A) consulting, research, and education
firm. The word Institute in the firm’s name is to deliver
business results based on proven best practices. DBPI
sees D&A as an enabler for the 1-100 rule, which states
that while it costs just $1 to proactively identify and fix
the problem, the cost to fix the problem increases
dramatically to $100 when it is reported by the
customer. However, most SMEs ($5 Million to $5 Billion
in revenue) often run businesses by guesswork and
false assumptions as they lack the necessary expertise
and resources to effectively execute D&A projects.
DBPI provides insights and recommendations by
considering all the available alternatives so that
companies can proactively consider the best
alternative to increase revenue, reduce costs, and
mitigate.
Our mission is to help companies leverage data and
technology for improved business performance, and we
have a very active Advisory Board of senior business
and technology leaders that monitors and counsels on
DBPI’s mission. Our 2025 vision is to be the first option
for medium-sized businesses ($5 million to $5 billion in
revenue) in North America to create their digital, data,
and analytics future.
Since our inception in 2012, DBPI has offered D&A
consulting services to over 35 clients in Vietnam, India,
UAE, Israel, Netherlands, Spain, Canada, and the US.
We have trained over 3,500 business leaders in D&A
worldwide, and we have provided research services to
6 start-up and early-stage D&A companies in taking
their idea and product to the market. Our revenues are
growing annually at 20%, and our prices are about 80%
cheaper than our competitors.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drives DBP-Institute.
The ‘3P’ leadership
lessons I subscribe
to are Patience,
Persistence, and
Positive Attitude.
The 10 Most Inuential Leaders In Tech To Follow

14. Our values are important because they help us to grow
and serve our clients with purpose. We believe in SPICE
values, i.e., Simplicity, Passion, Integrity, Commitment,
and Excellence.
DBPI’s work culture is to offer improved value
proposition to the clients with 4Es - Expertise,
Execution, Excellence, and Enthusiasm in all three D&A
service lines - consulting, research, and education. We
do this by:
Ÿ Focusing on change and adoption by improving D&A
literacy.
Ÿ Reusing solutions by productizing and focusing on
12 D&A services in all four phases of the D&A life
cycle – data capture, data integration, data science,
and decision science.
Ÿ Reducing rework or waste by assigning specialists to
projects. Our network-based consulting model
aggregates proven senior, independent, and
experienced consultants who believe in our values
and mission under the DBPI umbrella.
Ÿ Delivering small and fast with rapid prototyping. We
call this Proof of Value (PoV).
What methodologies do you implement that
contribute to new growth opportunities?
Fundamentally, D&A is about measurement and
performance improvement. DBPI helps companies
leverage data and technology for improved customer
intimacy, cash flow, and profitability using our “power
of one” methodology. The “power of one” methodology
is to incrementally improve the business performance
by one unit in every one iteration. This one unit could
be a 1% increase in price, 1 day reduction in the CCC
(Cash Conversion Cycle), a 1% reduction in COGS (Cost
of Goods Sold), a 1% improvement in the customer’s
NPS (Net Promoter Score), and so on. The one iteration
is typically 6 to 12 weeks.
What change would you like to bring to the Data
Analytics Consulting industry if given a chance?
Today most D&A consulting is centered on
implementing technologies. While technology brings
speed, scale, and security, we at DBPI believe it is not a
foundational element in implementing D&A solutions.
We conducted field research and found that the three
foundational elements to realizing value from D&A are
data culture, data quality, and data literacy.
In this regard, DBPI brings together data culture, data
quality, and data literacy, along with technology and
governance in our consulting offerings. We see five key
components in D&A solutions. We strive to improve the
level of data culture in our clients with KPIs (Key
Performance Indicators) and measurement frameworks
like Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and Goal-Question-
Metric (GQM). Most companies have very low levels of
data quality. We offer ten practical and proven
solutions for remediating and sustaining data quality.
D&A solutions enable change, and this change is only
successful if people are educated. So, we strive to
improve data literacy in our clients by educating them
on 15 key competencies.
What, according to you, could be the next significant
change in the D&A Consulting industry? How is DBP-
Institute preparing to be a part of that change?
I see the evolution of the D&A industry in 4 main
phases.
Ÿ Pre-2010, the focus was on digitalization, i.e., data
capture by converting manual and paper-based
DBPI helps companies
leverage data and
technology for improved
customer intimacy,
cash ow, and protability
using our “power of one”
methodology.

15. business processes into digital records
Ÿ Between 2010 and 2015, the attention was on
leveraging D&A to measure and improve business
performance
Ÿ Between 2015 and 2019, the objective was to
improve data quality
Ÿ After 2019 (after Covid), the focus is on improving
data culture and data literacy
The next significant change in the D&A industry will be
in leveraging AI (Artificial Intelligence) for improved
business performance. But you cannot separate data
from AI, and you cannot separate AI from data. The end
state of all AI solutions is data, and that data will be
used again by AI solutions. The foundation for AI is
quality data. So, we at DBPI want to be part of that
change by helping organizations in improving the data
quality so that their AI solutions are successful.
What are the lessons you have learned in your
professional and personal journey?
Zig Ziglar, a World War II veteran, motivational speaker,
and trainer, once said, “When you focus on problems,
you get more problems. When you focus on
possibilities, you have more opportunities.” In this
regard, below are my “3P” leadership lessons.
Ÿ Patience. Every meaningful or growth initiative
starts small and takes time to get built. But in this
growth or change process, you often feel
uncomfortable as you are letting go of some old
habits and developing new ones. This discomfort is
typically an integral part of growth as it acts like a
catalyst for you to stretch and adapt.
Ÿ Persistence. Henry Ford wrote, “Whether you think
you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” A lot
of what you attempt depends on your mindset. Grit
or persistence helps you to do or achieve something
regardless of any setbacks. I stay persistent by
having a written goal and reviewing the progress
regularly.
Ÿ Positive Attitude. It is believing in yourself and
being optimistic about situations. They say, “You
cannot control what life throws at you, but you can
control how you respond to it!” I believe a positive
attitude comes from being grateful for what you
have and using past accomplishments as support. In
addition, I always surround myself with about 15 to
20 smart, humble, and driven people who support,
motivate, and inspire me. Also, a positive attitude
includes taking care of yourself with exercise, sleep,
spending time with friends and family, and finally,
constantly upgrading yourself by learning new skills
and knowledge.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the Data Analytics
Consulting industry?
Apart from my “3P” leadership lessons,
entrepreneurship is also about BHAG (Big Hairy
Audacious Goal) and Networking. A BHAG will inspire
and motivate you and your team to push the
boundaries to go to the next level. On networking, they
say, “Your network is your net worth.” As an
entrepreneur, you cannot do all the work by yourself.
You need to collaborate with smart, humble, and driven
people who have strengths that complement yours.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for DBP-Institute?
DBPI’s 2025 vision is to be the first option for medium-
sized businesses to create their digital, data, and
analytics future. We have identified seven areas, and I
am working with the DBPI’s advisory team on building
these capabilities so that we can offer more value to
our clients.
Personally, I am working on two key projects in 2023.
Firstly, my third book, “Data Quality: Empowering
Businesses with Analytics and AI,” published by Wiley,
will be in the market in February 2023. I am planning a
roadshow in at least ten cities to promote the book and
highlight the importance of data quality in the business.
Secondly, I am working on training over 1000 business
leaders in D&A in 2023 as I believe business
professionals who are closer to data and business are in
the best position to leverage D&A for improved
business performance.

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18. Kashif Dafedar
CRTKL
www.ciolook.com | January 2023|
16

19. Kashif Dafedar
Epitome of Sheer Determination
rior to working as a digital technology specialist,
Kashif Dafedar saw the opportunity to work on
many planning and architectural projects. His
exposure to the diverse collection of project types was
critical in his current understanding of design and
technological interventions in the AEC industry.
While he has always been adept at digital technologies
and would easily understand concepts like BIM, visual
scripting and programming, this affinity towards digital,
coupled with my experience on complex design
projects, pushed him towards a career in design
technology.
One of the key factors in his reaching the horizon of
success today is the guidance and support of the
CRTKL leadership. While most design managers
encourage digital tinkering, few understand how to
translate prototypical ideas into viable design delivery.
He goes beyond that at the firm and has always been
fortunate to work with enthusiastic mentors about
digital integration; here, he is encouraged to innovate
and push the boundaries of conventional design
practices.
The journey here has been quite exhilarating, especially
because these are relatively new sets of responsibilities
within the AEC industry, and the frontier for digital
innovation is extremely complex. The learning never
stops, as opportunities to learn from one's own failures
are balanced with occasional epiphanies and successes
that make it all worthwhile.
In this interview with CIOLook, Kashif shares valuable facts
highlighting his professional tenure in the niche.
Tell us something more about your company and its
mission and vision. What qualities and aspects make it
stand out as a leading organization in the modern
architecture sector?
CRTKL is a global architecture, planning, and design
practice that began over seven decades ago and has
evolved into a cultural agency to advance positive
outcomes in our communities. Our team addresses the
imperatives of resiliency, well-being, and technology
and their influence on the built environment through a
human-centric design approach.
Ours is a multicultural, multi-generational team
situated across 22 offices worldwide. It combines
diverse skills that advance project outcomes and
improves their social and environmental impact. As
curious thinkers and change makers, we face the
challenges of this world and are ready to ask the
questions that hold others back.
P
Our team addresses the imperatives
of resiliency, well-being, and
technology and their influence on the
built environment through a human-
centric design approach.
www.ciolook.com | January 2023 |
17

20. Development initiatives across the globe captivate our
imaginations – we know what is possible and seek to
build a more equitable future for our people and planet.
We embrace digital transformation and all it can do to
enhance our design. With strong in-house capabilities
and pioneering research and development programs,
we harness its power with incredible speed and
efficiency to offer the best solutions to our clients'
complex challenges.
Enlighten us on how you have been transforming the
modern architecture industry through your significant
expertise in emerging technologies.
Data has become the most valuable commodity in the
world. It is no different in the AEC industry, with a huge
amount of data generated throughout the lifecycle of
the project. Unfortunately, conventional design
processes are not built to leverage this data effectively.
Architectural design processes are very classical –
while we use computers, the overall process is still very
analog.
With access to ML and AI tools, it has become possible
to analyze every growing dataset, train custom ML
models, and generate innovative tools based on AI
predictions. CRTKL is researching on tools that learn
from our legacy projects and help guide us into the
future. The use of AI is relatively new, and the ethical
and liability concerns of using AI are just surfacing. We
want to ensure we do not jeopardize our clients and
users over premature innovation. Hence many of our AI
efforts are still in research, and only when we are
completely confident that it does not cause any
problems with our vested partners do we integrate it
on projects.
Where many in the industry still rely on
conventional delivery formats like CADs, PDFs,
and in a few instances, BIM models, at CRTKL,
we are conscious of the benefits of integrating
design data into our projects. Apart from the
building data that can be found in our BIM, we also
provide custom tools that help understand contextual,
climatic and post-occupancy usage data. We are
fortunate to work with clients who understand the
importance of this insight and the value to be
gained by it throughout the entire lifecycle
of their projects.
This is perhaps the best time to invest in integrated
practices. The plethora of tools available in the market
at the moment has the potential to transform the AEC
industry for the better, and it is up to us to seize the
opportunity. I am proud to be part of the team leading
that effort at CRTKL.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drives your organization.
CRTKL is a global architecture, planning, and design
practice that began over seven decades ago and has
evolved into a cultural agency to advance positive
outcomes in our communities. Our team addresses the
imperatives of resiliency, well-being, and technology
and their influence on the built environment through a
human-centric design approach.
Ours is a multicultural, multi-generational team
situated across 22 offices worldwide. It brings together
diverse skills that advance project outcomes and
improve their social and environmental impact. As
curious thinkers and change makers, we face the
challenges of this world and are ready to ask the
questions that hold others back.
Development initiatives in the Middle East, Europe and
across the globe captivate our collective imaginations –
www.ciolook.com | January 2023|
18

21. we know what is possible and seek to build a more
equitable future for our people and our planet.
We embrace digital transformation and all it can do to
enhance our design. With strong in-house capabilities
and pioneering research and development programs,
we harness its power with incredible speed and
efficiency to offer the best solutions to our clients'
complex challenges.
What, according to you, could be the next significant
change in your sector? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
In short, with the use of AI tools for design, we
understand that this technology has a very high
disruptive potential.
I am happy to share that CRTKL has been working with
ML and AI technologies for the past 2 years. Since tools
like Pix2Pix were created, we identified and researched
the best use for these tools for design, analysis, and
documentation. If something seemed difficult to
achieve in-house, we sought partnership opportunities
with firms that use AI technology to improve design and
delivery.
Design professions have always been a little difficult to
disrupt; the visual nature of the profession prevented it
from being challenged in the past, and with
development in computer vision, ML and AI, disruption
in the design industry is inevitable. We can start to see
this with the launch of AI tools like Stable Diffuse and
Chat GPT. Basic chat prompts are enough for the
computer to create mesmerizing and visually stunning
conceptual ideas.
However, not all are great; many aspects of AI-driven
workflows have not yet been vetted. The design
technology team at CRTKL do not shy away from being
critical about using AI technology; it's like playing the
devil's advocate. There are still many questions about
the ethical use of this technology and its legal
implications. We will implement it on live projects only
when we are sure not to cause unforeseen
complications for our clients.
We have dedicated teams and allocated resources to
explore and implement other technologies like mixed
reality in visualization, digital twins in data integration,
and generative problem solving. The widespread
implementation of these concepts will lead to big
changes in all facets of the architecture industry.
By themselves, these concepts are already improving
other businesses and have profitable benefits in AEC as
well. Where the bigger change will come is when you
merge these together, and that is exactly what we are
working towards at CRTKL. Along with our research
into these ideas, we are constantly looking for
opportunities to test and integrate these technologies
to form hybrid tools that improve our overall design,
process, and delivery while generating increased value
for our clients.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for CallisonRTKL?
CRTKL's vision fully commits to sustainability and
establishes a digital-first culture where technology and
data empower our people, and research-based insights
enrich our internal processes and client-facing
solutions. I am very fortunate to be working alongside
individuals who align with these values and are
committed to improving the profession and how we
live, work and play with the help of technology. The
digital transformation initiatives at CRTKL empower us
with the tools and knowledge needed to deliver on this
and instill in us a desire to do and build better.
I see CRTKL as a cultural agency that can provide
specialized design solutions that prioritize health and
well-being without compromising quality, sustainability,
cost, or time. There is still much to be done to reach the
goals and ambitions we've laid out here, and I see
myself as an integral part of this process and the
ongoing integration of digital technology in design.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the architecture industry?
Good architecture and design are exceptionally
important to the health and well-being of our planet.
The requirements for conscious and responsible
designs are extremely dire. Any aspiring to work within
the design sector should take seriously the
responsibility we have to correct and transform the
built environment into a vehicle for positive
environmental and societal change. Technology and
digital innovation will be key to this, so upskill in these
areas if you want to effect change and future-proof
your position in the sector. In short, don't wait.
www.ciolook.com | January 2023 |
19

22. Shumon A Zaman
Thriving with Astounding Traits and Values
ommencing his journey in London, UK, Shumon
CA Zaman, Chief Information and Digital Officer
of Ali & Sons Holding LLC worked with several
companies and fantastic people that shaped his career.
He moved to the UAE after completing several global
technology transformation projects and
entrepreneurial ventures in the US and Europe.
From humble beginnings, he quickly adapted to change
by navigating through a competitive market, efficiently
managing his teams, and people, making tough
decisions, and adjusting to varying business
environments, experiences that helped him reach the
top.
In an interview with CIOLook, Shumon shares his
professional experience in the industry and highlights
his significant achievements as well as the challenges
encountered on the business scene.Below are the
excerpts from the interview:
Would you give our audience a view about your
journey as a business leader and your current position
at Ali & Sons. What challenges did you have to
overcome to reach where you are today?
Today, everything around us is rapidly changing;
digitalization is shaping new industries and removing
barriers to competition. Every single industry is being
disrupted in some manner – no one is immune to this.
The challenge that business leaders are facing now is
how to continually adapt and survive in this
competitive environment.
To overcome these challenges, I had to learn, adapt, and
have the courage to make bold decisions with ‘a can-do’
attitude, never giving up. However, the one most single
ingredient to success for me personally is developing a
‘ninja’ team that is ready, willing, and able to overcome
any challenge no matter how big or small in order to
reach their goal.
I think the ability to develop powerful teams is what has
led me to reach my current position and the success
that has created is what has brought me to Ali & Sons.
Tell us something more about your company and its
mission and vision.
• Ali & Sons Holding (ASH) is a Forbes-listed top family
conglomerate in the UAE with major interests in
Automotive, Oil & Gas, Construction, Real Estate,
Retail, and Investments. We are home to some of the
world’s best known car brands such as Porsche, Audi,
VW, Skoda and MG and work with industry leaders
such as ADNOC in the Oil & Gas sector.
• From humble beginnings the group has been a pillar
of success over four decades helping the UAE economy
to grow.
• Our mission is to keep supporting the growth of the
UAE by enhancing the lives and experiences of our
stakeholders by solving their problems through
economical and innovative solutions.
• Our overall vision is to be a sustainable group
recognized for leveraging its capabilities in the UAEs
continuous development.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted the venture
capital niche through your expertise in the market.
Prior to joining ASH – I setup start-ups working with
Silicon Valley partners that have been developed into
niche sectors aiming to become unicorns. From a young
age, I have developed startups in a range of sectors that
have required VC or Angel investors.
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24. VC is not for everyone and has high risks but equally
high rewards assuming you can identify startups that
have the potential to grow and scale.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drives your organization.
ASH is a family conglomerate where everyone is
treated as part of the family. We work hard together;
we learn every day on how to improve and make better
and wiser decisions that help us to succeed and grow
our group.
Respect, trust, honesty, and integrity are what drives
our people and creates a winning culture. Our passion
for what we do is also another key differentiator. We
have great people working at ASH combined with new
talent coming through our Emiratisation program called
Al Massar and this is what is providing our business
with a greater competitive advantage. We believe
people is what creates competitive advantage!
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
Our Board under the guidance of our Chairman and
Founder, have a great track record of investing in
industries and advanced technologies ahead of our
competition. Bold decision-making and investments in
the right industries and technologies have helped our
organization to develop a sustainable positive, growth
trajectory.
We are making significant investments into technology
and digitalization to firstly disrupt the status quo and to
also arm ourselves to withstand and even take
advantage of the disruption that is now the norm in
many industries.
Investing in things like new digital start-ups, providing
seed capital and also changing business models in
existing businesses is what will power our sustainability
and future growth.
What, according to you, could be the next significant
change in your sector? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
One area that perhaps everyone can relate to is the
electrification of cars. We see this sector going through
rapid change and disruption. Many of our top brands
are now focusing more on electric vehicles (EVs). This
will have a significant impact on the Automotive sector
in the region.
We are working with our global partners in helping
them to deliver even better products and services to
our current and future customers, who are more
focused on sustainability, sharing and helping the
environment.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for Ali & Sons?
At ASH, we expect to keep growing our business and
perhaps invest more in sustainability and
environmentally friendly sectors. We view
environmental challenges as a shared responsibility,
and we are determined to make a positive contribution
to this area in every facet of our business.
What would be your advice to the budding
entrepreneurs who aspire to become venture
capitalists?
We are working with our global
partners in helping them to deliver
even better products and services
to our future generation Z
customers, who are more focused
on sustainability, sharing and
helping the environment.
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25. I think investing in early startups has many risks but
equally rewards. The potential to pick the right
investment is obviously the key. From my own
experience having developed startups with Silicon
Valley partners. It’s important to understand the
problem a business is trying to fix and ensure you
understand how big and pressing that problem is.
Understanding that can then unlock how you fix that
problem and the business model you would use to
monetize the solution. VC is not for the faint-hearted,
the risks are stacked up against the early startups.
Here are some key things to consider when considering
the VC route:
Ÿ Expertise and experience: Successful venture
capitalists often have a background in
entrepreneurship, finance, or technology. Having
experience in these areas can help you identify
promising startups and provide value to portfolio
companies.
Ÿ Network: Building a strong network of
entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts is
crucial for finding investment opportunities and
sourcing deals.
Ÿ Investment strategy: Developing a clear investment
strategy that aligns with your goals and risk
tolerance is essential for making sound investment
decisions.
Ÿ Due diligence: Conducting thorough due diligence
on potential investments is critical to mitigating risk
and making informed investment decisions.
Ÿ Portfolio management: Once you've made
investments, managing your portfolio of companies
is important for maximizing returns and mitigating
risk.
Ÿ Regulatory and legal considerations: Venture capital
is a highly regulated industry, so understanding the
legal and regulatory requirements for investing and
fundraising is important for operating within the law
and avoiding compliance issues.
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26. Venkata Duvvuri
An Epitome of Quality Education
ur educational landscape is changing at a rapid
Opace, and in order to meet the ever-evolving
needs of our students, educators need to stay
abreast of these changes. Innovative educators are, at
their heart, courageous. They savor opportunities to
learn new things and are not afraid to take risks in their
learning and teaching. They do not view mistakes as
failures but as opportunities to grow and try again.
Their courage is inspiring!
Above all these attributes, an educator is committed to
life-long learning. They comprehend that firm
commitment is vital to be truly innovative and provide
their students with the best educational experience
possible. Innovative educators are also committed to
reflective practice. They recognize the value reflection
has on improving their teaching.
Standing out with these significantly admirable
qualities is Venkata Duvvuri, Adjunct Professor at
Northeastern University.
At Northeastern University, Prof. Duvvuri taught for
several years and launched several students’ careers,
whether in industry, further studies, or even revisiting
their home country’s needs. He strives to provide
quality education and impart his experience to them.
In an interview with CIOLook, Prof. Duvvuri shares
valuable facts that highlight his professional tenure and
his odyssey of excellence in the education sector.
Below are the excerpts from the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as an
academician until your current position at
Northeastern University. What challenges have you
had to overcome to reach where you are today?
I’ve been fortunate to have a teaching background right
since my graduate school days. I was a teaching
assistant to graduates on a couple of important topics:
Software Engineering Principles and Operating
Systems.
During this process, I learnt the art of dealing with
students. My professor looked forward to me providing
grades and solutions. I eventually learnt to curve and
other techniques important. I also learned the art of
hand-holding some segments of the class who needed
help. This helped me prepare for what’s next after
several years.
In 2016, Northeastern university knocked on my door
for a surprising teaching gig at a data science boot
camp. I was initially thrilled and confident of my
abilities to do the job. Later I realized this helped me
sharpen my teaching skills. Over the next two years
while at the boot camp, I taught a variety of classes
including R, Statistics and Predictive modelling. Not
only that my students were from non-Computer
science backgrounds.
This challenged me to look at novel ways to guide them.
From office hours to personal coaching, I got them
abreast, and my prior teaching experience was readily
helpful. Finally, I was proud when several of my
students came to be admitted to a master’s in data
science program all over the country. My next stop was
as an adjunct faculty at Northeastern university which I
continue to hold even today.
Lately, I’ve taught in my home country in India in IIM –
Tiruchirappalli in the topics of Web mining to graduates
who want to be more technical. India has great
strengths in technical topics, and the management is
ever open to technical topics. Additionally, I’ve also
been associated with the alumni board at UC Davis
graduate school. This engagement helps me shape the
future of my alma mater and MBA program in the way I
can.
Finally, my first heart is even green for UMass Amherst,
where I learnt how to excel in technical and
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27. Our solutions use cutting-edge AI
offerings and are hosted in Cloud like AWS.
We optimize business workflows and add
to conventional Enterprise software with AI
add-ons.
Venkata Duvvuri
Adjunct Professor
Northeastern
University
“
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28. architectural software engineering. As a machine
learning software architect in my professional life, I
cherish this experience. As an entrepreneur in my later
life, I cherish my MBA at UC Davis. Not but not least,
my daughter seems to have taken up my footsteps by
teaching AI in her high school.
Tell us something more about your educational
institute and its mission and vision. What are the
qualities and aspects that make it stand out as a
leading educational organization in the modern
education sector?
Northeastern university is primarily focused on giving
experiential learning. The experience of the instructor
and the university ecosystem counts and passes on
real-world skills to the students.
As a practitioner, I fit right in. My background would be
adaptable to several classes like Data mining, Business
Intelligence and Capstone offerings. These not only
helped students but strengthened the university
curriculum.
Enlighten us on how you have been transforming the
modern industry through your significant expertise in
emerging technologies.
I’m on the cutting edge of innovation in the Enterprise
software space. Having been in the industry for 7+
years gave me enough context to understand what the
needs of the market were. I transformed several big
companies into leaders in their verticals by innovating
in this space by innovating in Oracle or VIPTone.
My latest efforts as a Founder at SiriusMindShare, with
our new product, containing Enterprise AI, has
specifically been the champion behind digitizing small
to mid-sized businesses optimizing their business
workflows in Marketing, Sales, Ecommerce, Product
etc., with AI.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drives your institution.
Northeastern University is a collaborative platform for
professors and students alike. Students like to shine in
various hackathons, research and networking events,
while professors are adept at passing on practical
practicum and research. Northeastern values
experimentation and innovation. Our whole College of
Professional Studies is a testament to this
phenomenon. The school now boast several campuses
across the country including Seattle, Silicon Valley, San
Francisco, Toronto etc.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
SiriusMindShare is a Research and development lab
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29. fuelled by Northeastern students. I get to pick the
brightest and put their minds into solving research
problems like cancer detection or real-world software
that solves enterprise problems with AI for multitudes
of small and mid-sized businesses.
Our solutions use cutting-edge AI offerings and are
hosted in Cloud like AWS. We optimize business
workflows and add to conventional Enterprise software
with AI add-ons. Our reception in the market has been
tested in the big industry space but not so much in the
small mass markets. We are working to innovate and
offer the solution at a price point convenient to small
businesses as a subscription.
What, according to you, could be the next significant
change in your sector? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
ChatGPT and generative AI have changed the way to
leverage unstructured information. These tools help to
learn from tons of amorphous formations and present
knowledge and insights just like humans. They may not
know what the information is used for but can get most
answers to match humans based on statistical relations
between the prior usage. This has huge potential in
productivity software, which could be the next wave of
optimizations.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for Northeastern
University?
I’m a dedicated professor and adjunct faculty at
Northeastern. Additionally, I serve as a subject matter
expert for CompTIA data science certifications and a
few data & AI start-ups. My intention has been to marry
Northeastern talent with industry right from the
beginning. Many of my students have interned with me
or researched with me with few publications to our
credit.
My vision for Northeastern is to improve applied
research practices with industry-related offerings and
programs including doctorates. There is quite a bit of
industry research that goes unnoticed when not tapped
by academia in their thesis. Finally, Northeastern is a
cross-departmental collaborative behemoth. So, I
envision cross-disciplinary papers and outcomes.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the industry and develop
integrated AI solutions and empower perpetual
betterments?
Entrepreneurship is an impromptu action when you see
an opportunity that is worth pursuing. As I say, “Like a
Train if you miss one, it’s a while till you wait for the
next start-up opportunity.” I’ve been cognizant of this
fact and have been delving into Enterprise AI with
vigour, hoping to bring a change.
Budding entrepreneurs have to take the risk, but also
be aware that execution matters, and 90% of startups
fail not due the poor idea but execution. I myself know
of this risk and hope to make my idea count in some
way.
Finally, AI is far from done. It’s in the middle stages
where too much of it is untested but something of it
gets a good return for investment for sure. Thus, in my
business, I encourage every small to mid-business to
leverage AI so that they can benefit from low hanging
fruit of AI.
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