A Tech Leader

Even with over 20 years of experience in IS Tech infrastructure and security,
Sunil Gujral, EVP and CTO, Quatrro is not comfortable talking about himself; he
rather let his work speak for him. Born in Chennai, Gujral did his initial
schooling from St Xaviers, Delhi and followed his fathers footsteps to become
an electrical engineer from BITS-Pilani.

For a man who has been the founder and CEO of Futuresoft India, and has
worked in the IT industry, Gujral has no qualms in admitting that initially, he
had no inclination toward IT. I still remember the time when I was selected by
Wipro but was in two minds about joining an IT company. It was my uncles advice
that compelled me to join Wipro, he recalls.

Gujrals confusion was apparent during his last semester at BITS-Pilani when
he was asked to make a choice between studying Gandhian philosophy and
Microprocessors. He chose the latter simply because of the positive influence of
a professor (professor Mathur) who he remembers fondly as one of the best
teachers at that time. Gujral did his internship (then known as practice school)
at DCM Data Products which was also his first exposure in the field of
technology.

His tenure at DCM was followed by a one-year stint at Wipro where he worked
on several projects, including developing a payroll system for the Indian Army.
Gujral says that this was a humungous task considering that the Indian Army had
several concessions and special allowances. His exposure at Wipro helped him bag
a job at American Express. Gujral adds, Though the company had advertised for
an experienced Unix professional, they hired me because I had worked on Unix and
had considerable knowledge about it.

Raman Roy: Friend and Mentor

His first meeting with Raman Roy was at a breakfast interview for American
Express, and thereon, as Gujral admits, his life changed forever. Willing to
learn and push myself to the limit, Raman and I forged a friendship which has
lasted more than 27 years now. It was his confidence in my capability where on
deciding to leave American Express, Raman encouraged me to go ahead and start my
own software company, he says proudly. It was perhaps their trust in each
others capabilities, which made Gujral leave his own company when Raman was
starting his own venture, Spectramind, to join him.

Pillar of Support

Interestingly, during the initial years of his career, Gujral always shied
away from taking up a Mumbai-based position. The reason was his wife, whom he
married in 1986. He adds, Every time I was offered a Mumbai-based position, I
would invariably be in two minds about taking it up. Even while I was working
with Wipro at Mumbai, I took the first opportunity that brought me back to
Delhi. fashion labels like Soi Moi and Priyadarshini), has always supported his
endeavors, admits Gujral.>

After my marriage in 1986, I decided to pursue my Masters from IIT-Delhi; I
was burdened with studying and doing a job. And even though I had been married
recently, never for once did she complain that I was not giving her enough
time, he recalls. Even during the time when Gujral left his job at American
Express and decided to start his own software company, she gave him the freedom
to pursue his dream of being his own boss and owning his own company. The first
two years were extremely critical, financially, since there was no concept of
funding from venture capitalists and with my service background, I had no prior
experience of being an entrepreneur. Had it not been for her belief in my dreams
and her understanding, I would not have been able to achieve whatever little I
have managed.

Lead by Example

Leaders lead from the front and inspire others to follow by setting an
example themselves, is Gujrals guiding philosophy when it comes to handling his
team.

As someone who has worked in various leadership capacities: as CEO of his own
company, Futuresoft; CTO of Quatrro; or Spectramind, Gujral has always set
expectations right from the beginning to avoid heartburn later. However, Gujral
admits to following some simple steps for motivating his team members like
empowering them to take independent decisions by making them aware of their
roles. I ensure transparency in the team, and have developed a culture of
learning and sharing knowledge. Moreover, I am known as the most apolitical
person in my office since I avoid making any side deals with anyone, which I
know would not work anyways, he says.

The New-age CIO

In the initial phase, the CIO/CTO was more focused on delivery technology to
support business and to ensure that, in short, his role was more reactive with
technology being a support function and a cost center, Gujral says. Over a
period of time, he believes that the CIOs/CTOs have adapted to the changing
times and are now well aware of the existing as well as the emerging technology
offerings and trends.

Beyond his interaction with technology partners, he is required to be aware
of what competing businesses are doing, and how some of the new technologies
have been harnessed by other diverse businesses. Gujral believes that CIOs/CTOs
are now being more proactive than reactive and are successfully leading some of
the new business initiatives, given their end-to-end understanding of the
business processes and firm grasp on available technologies.

Stuti Das

stutid@cybermedia.co.in