PEOPLE & CAREERS

Ms. Annapurna Ramachandra

How Did I Become ‘People Leader of the Year’? | #ComvivaWomanInTech

“I was delighted to have been chosen as the ‘People Leader of the Year’ two years in a row. It is a big achievement for me, as I look back on my 17-year-old journey with Comviva.”

This is a power-packed story of one of our #WomeninTech, who proudly calls herself a Comvivan.

Going way back to 2006, Annapurna Ramachandra fresh out of Goa University embarked on a journey with Comviva with the ‘Mobile Device Solutions’ unit, a time before Android’s dominance. As both the telecom industry and our company evolved, Annapurna started weaving her transformational story from a Software Engineering Trainee to Senior Technical Manager.

Annapurna’s passion was not just encouraged, but nurtured, tested, polished and challenged. From a pre-Android era of mobile software solutions development to intricate email apps for various devices, she adapted as the company pivoted with the changing markets. When the new wave of Android took over the markets, Annapurna’s expertise in device solutions took a turn for good, and she transitioned into the R&D unit, explored new concepts and developed MVPs. One such innovative project was the ‘ISeeIT’ app which was built as a CSR initiative for The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Rochester, New York.

She fondly recalled some of her career milestones, as she acknowledged feeling empowered to try, fail, take risks, get back up and try again – “When we were working for HTC messaging and e-mail app – seeing that live on a mobile phone in our hand was a very proud moment there. We could see our work going live, we ourselves purchased it and we were using that application.”

As Annapurna reminisced, she also expressed her gratitude towards her “well bonded and supportive team”. This camaraderie supported Annapurna when she was trying to balance her passion for work and her new role as a mother. Her manager’s empathy helped her move to a more suitable, equally challenging project; supporting her with flexibility, and making her work-life balance smoother. This is a humbling testament to our endeavor here at Comviva – to stand out and stand up for our employees with unwavering support during challenges.

With her sustained 17-year-old excitement, Annapurna shared about her ongoing as well as upcoming oversees projects involving Gamification, DAF, SMSGW PEC and PoCs.

Mr. Mohit Dikshit

Why I Chose to Come Back to Comviva? | #ComvivaInnovationStory

“It was a very easy decision for me. The opportunity to grow, the opportunity to learn and the opportunity to try out different things is something that made me choose coming back to Comviva.”

Meet Mohit Dikshit, a fresh-faced technophile who eagerly stepped into the world of Comviva in 2007, right after completing his Masters in Science – Communication and Electronics. He started as a Software Engineer, exposing himself to what he described as an exciting, enriching experience, opening doors to novel tools, methodologies, diverse expertise and opportunities.

Mohit made the most of all scenarios that came his way and he recalled taking a leap of faith towards the career movement opportunity that was presented to him and pivoting to the role of a Business Analyst. Next three years of his journey exposed him to client interactions across industries, understanding their needs, collaborating with business decision and development teams, making valuable contributions to the overall business.

Mohit’s first innings at Comviva ended in 2012, only to soon knock on his door as another exciting opportunity after a few years, when he joined back as a Senior Technical Manager. Over the span of a decade, he took up various roles, and was rewarded with 5 promotions where he efficaciously wore and owned all his hats from a Director, to Product Owner and more.

Challenges, Mohit admitted, were constant companions during his transitions across different roles. The support of mentors and leaders, coupled with “open, heart-to-heart conversations, sync-up calls to not only align quarterly goals, but also discuss individual aspirations” supported him in such challenging situations.

From digitizing banking applications, to cross collaborating with R&D team, to introducing meta verses – flexibility, customer simplicity and innovation stood out as organization’s key focus areas for Mohit. “Being a product company, innovation, research and development will always remain close to our hearts”, he shared while reflecting on opportunities like idea-pitching forums, spaces to pilot/user test these ideas, hackathons and periodic patenting initiatives.

Currently heading the Product Owner Team, Mohit shared with great conviction that “Comviva as an organization is very different from other organizations that are out there” and looked at his journey that has not just been about climbing the corporate ladder but also about collaboration, innovation defined by shared values and trust across levels.

Mr. Greg Armstrong

My First Time Working for an Indian Company | #ComvivaAcrosstheGlobe

“I had preconceived notions about working for an Indian company, but those were soon blown out of the window.”

Originally from New Zealand, Greg Armstrong embarked on a journey in the telecommunication sector very early on in his life. In his initial years, he led the Consumer Business division in a large telecom organization ‘Telecom New Zealand’ – “quite a senior role at a very young age, I was a high flyer”, Greg humbly reflected.

Looking for new opportunities, Greg ventured into small business entrepreneurship in Australia, but things did not unfold as planned. He returned to Telecom New Zealand, where he directed their Consumer and Small Business division in Australia.

A pivotal encounter with David Peters from Emagine International marked a significant shift – “Consulting for Peters changed everything. Before I knew it, I was a part of Emagine.” Greg revealed. Comviva’s acquisition of Emagine in 2017 welcomed Greg to our Sydney office as Head of Product in the Consumer Value Solutions division.

“To be honest, I’d never been a Head of Product in software application before.” From gaining consumer market expertise in Telecom space to Marketing Technology and then moving into the Software Applications space, Greg reflected on all the challenges he took up head on. “This has been a very steep learning experience for me and that’s part of what keeps me motivated – learning and also working with some great people, some great brains” Greg admitted.

He recalled everything that made it work for him – experiencing global sales meets, project success celebrations, shared passion, sense of achievement with fellow staff and clients from across the globe. “I think there’s passion in people to make it work” – Greg also reminisced about his multiple travels to India, working with Indian colleagues, experiencing the culture – “I’m always engaged with Indian colleagues… I think I can almost understand Hindi.”

A New Zealander, who moved to Australia to “make his billions”, not only is Greg’s story about transformation, it is also about challenging stereotypes of working with an Indian company. Greg found his own tribe in a diverse environment and adapted to Comviva’s culture, which says a lot about his agility and learner mindset.

Mr. Gaurav Goyal

I Cannot Believe I Have 25 Patents to My Name | #ComvivaInnovationStory

“When you have had a lot of troubles in life, every success for you becomes a dream that came true.”

This is the story of Gaurav Goyal – son to government school teachers and later only a powerful single mother; a father to 10-year-old bright little girl, a solution-driven tech enthusiast and an #Innovator at heart.

Gaurav had a humble beginning with Polytechnic diploma and B.Tech. in Computer Science. He joined Comviva in June 2011 as a Technical Lead, with experience across various technology solution firms.

As the first member of the CMS project, Gaurav “wrote the first line of code for that application”, sowing the seed of innovation which later became a crucial part of Comviva’s portfolio. After this nothing could come in Gaurav’s way towards chasing excellence.

2015 and 2016 proved to be pivotal years for Gaurav and in turn for us in the space of technology innovation. Gaurav with his team participated in and won various Hackathons. He was also a part of the ‘Social Innovation Hackathon’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan – “we started building the solutions, by the end of the day we had won the first prize and we were not even aware of our impact.”

Gaurav shaped Comviva’s technological landscape by spearheading our patent management space, filing 25 patents across diverse domains including call management, financial transactions security, tap and pay, cardless payment and usage of mobile devices for payment. He also conducted practical tests, worked on proofs-of-concept to bring ideas to life and integrate them into our products.

With a strong belief that, “Failing at something does not mean the end of it; it might actually be an opportunity to have a fresh start at it”, Gaurav embraced the opportunity of joining our elite ‘BandX’ initiative for SMEs. His contributions further earned him career advancements from a Technical Lead to Senior Technical Manager, Principal Architect, and now a Senior Principal Architect working with the CTO’s office.

Reflecting on his journey of 12 years with Comviva, Gaurav talked about high level customer-centricity, people centricity and our leaderships’ approach of maintaining transparency across levels. Currently, he is embracing new challenges by working on selected technology tracks. “I look back at my past and where I am today…I never thought that I will reach at this point in my life. Special thanks to my mentor and manager Manish Jain for providing various opportunities which helped me excel in my career.”

Ms. Rashmi Ranganath

I Was Surprised to Get the ‘10-Year Completion Certificate’ | #ComvivaWomanInTech

Hailing from the UK, Rashmi Ranganath embarked on her Comviva journey right after completing her master’s degree, stepping into the realm of marketing with youthful enthusiasm. Her early days were marked by small beginnings as the Marketing Executive in the year 2010.

Rashmi joined a modest European team in the UK, soon found herself supporting events and regional marketing efforts. She reminisced about her initial years, her adaptability and eagerness to learn. This was reciprocated with various opportunities including travelling to customer events, role expansions, key account management, sales, demand generation programs leading all top level funnel opportunities and rewarding her with ACE recognition cards to constantly encourage her.

Reflecting on her journey, Rashmi admitted, “Over the years, Comviva has given me plenty of opportunities to take my career ahead at a pace that I wanted to, in various cycles of my personal life.”

Comviva’s supportive environment provided Rashmi the much needed space to find her balance. She recognized this as she shared, “having a baby I think is a complete turnaround for a woman. When I went on a maternity leave, I told my manager that I would just need 3 months off. I didn’t know about it myself, and I extended my maternity leave just because I couldn’t cope with it.” Rashmi expressed her gratitude for her manager during those days who extended endless support, slowed down her projects to make this transition easier for her, without any biases or judgements.

Standing strong as a testament to our people centric approach, Rashmi highlighted focused leadership, learning/skill development programs and highly supportive employee policies including maternity leaves policy which gave her financial strength & the freedom to prioritize her health during challenging times.

She underlined her experience of working with a global Sales team from different cultures including Morocco, Dubai, Latin America, France, India and feeling valued, included regardless of being a remote worker. Rashmi praised this, as she shared, “I have always been a remote worker, but I think I have hardly had moments where I’ve not felt included.”

Currently contributing as a Senior Manager, Rashmi looked back on her decade long journey and expressed a pleasant surprise on how quicky the years have gone by while she praised Comviva’s commitment to its people as well as their holistic growth.