HFS' Phil Fersht and Coforge's Sudhir Singh in a digi-side chat at the HFS Digital Symposium 2021

Summary

In this insightful interview, Sudhir Singh, CEO of Coforge, discusses his journey to leadership, emphasizing the importance of impact and execution over strategy. He shares how Coforge navigated the pandemic, pivoting quickly to grow in areas like travel tech and healthcare, and the company's strategic rebranding during the crisis. Singh also touches on the increased demand for digital talent and the future of work, highlighting the central role of technology and the importance of diversity and ESG in post-pandemic business strategies.

Takeaways

• 😀 Sudhir Singh, CEO of Coforge, has successfully rebranded the company and navigated through the pandemic with strategic leadership.
• 📈 Coforge managed to grow during the pandemic, with a 6% increase in revenue, despite a significant portion of their business being in the hard-hit travel industry.
• 💼 Singh emphasizes the importance of understanding business deeply and executing strategy effectively, rather than just having a high-level view.
• 👥 The CEO role involves significant people management, including hiring, culture creation, and team building, which are crucial for the company's success.
• ⏰ Time management is a critical skill for a CEO, as there are many demands on their time from various stakeholders.
• 🎨 As a CEO, Singh finds satisfaction in the creative aspects of the role, such as building teams and cultures, and impacting people's lives through recognition and rewards.
• 🔄 Coforge pivoted quickly during the pandemic, focusing on other verticals like manufacturing and healthcare to diversify their business and mitigate risks.
• 🌐 The company has seen an accelerated demand for digital talent and is adapting its onshore and offshore delivery mix to meet market needs.
• 🌐 Singh discusses the establishment of on-site operating centers and the acceleration of their training engine to deploy more fresh graduates into the market.
• 🌟 The pandemic has highlighted the central role of technology in business, making it a non-discretionary spend and a key driver for business growth and risk mitigation.
• 🌐 There is a convergence of mindsets among leaders globally, with a focus on the importance of IT, risk mitigation, and the role of technology as a business enabler.

Q & A

What is the main advantage of digital summits mentioned in the script?

The main advantage of digital summits mentioned is that everything can get done on time, unlike physical events where rounding up attendees from breaks can cause delays.

Who is Sudhir Singh and what is his role?

Sudhir Singh is the CEO and Executive Director at Coforge. He has a background in IT services and has successfully rebranded the firm.

What was Sudhir Singh's career path before becoming CEO?

Sudhir Singh started his career with Unilever in India, which was known as Levers at the time. He then worked his way up through the ranks in IT services, including a stint at Infosys, before becoming CEO at Coforge.

What advice does Sudhir Singh give to those aspiring to leadership roles?

Sudhir advises aspiring leaders to deeply understand their business, prioritize execution over strategy, always think of the customer, and recognize that there is no one style of leadership that guarantees success. He also emphasizes the importance of impact and performance.

What surprised Sudhir Singh about the demands of being a CEO?

Sudhir was surprised by how seriously people took him after his promotion, the increased observation of his every word and action, and the realization that there is no absolute control as a CEO, but rather accountability to various stakeholders.

How did Coforge perform during the pandemic, especially considering its significant revenue from the travel industry?

Coforge performed well during the pandemic, with its other six businesses growing by 18.4%. The travel business also rebounded quickly, and the company as a whole, including the travel segment, grew by 6% through the year.

What strategic changes did Coforge make in response to the pandemic?

Coforge pivoted quickly to focus on other verticals such as manufacturing and healthcare. They also emphasized logistics, travel tech, and travel platforms within the travel industry, and made significant investments in security, contactless payments, intelligent airport solutions, and cloud technology.

How did Coforge approach rebranding during the pandemic?

Coforge chose the name Coforge to represent working together to create lasting value. The rebranding was done internally with a digital-only push, which resonated well with the audience during the pandemic.

What is Sudhir Singh's view on the future of work post-pandemic?

Sudhir sees a dual track approach where there is an accelerated demand for digital talent and a need to move work closer on-site for certain business-critical aspects, while also consolidating and moving more work offshore.

What are the key learnings from the pandemic according to Sudhir Singh?

The key learnings include the centrality of technology as a business driver and risk mitigator, the importance of diversity and ESG imperatives, and the non-discretionary nature of IT spend. Sudhir also notes that mindsets have shifted towards a more global perspective, making it difficult to differentiate between leaders based on their geographical location.

How does Sudhir Singh describe the impact of technology during the pandemic?

Sudhir describes technology as having held the world together during the pandemic, emphasizing its role as a revenue enabler and a central part of business operations.