'Younger CIOs are welcome at the top position'

Explaining the factor that led to his entry into IT, Srikanth Appana narrates about a complimentary copy of a computer magazine and how he accidentally bumped into the word 'computer'.

One thing led to another as the curiosity about the word proved to be the turning point of his career. At the tender age of 15, he started writing different programs in different languages. Unable to obtain admission to the BE computers course, he pursued BSc with specialization in computer science.

"I got my first break in Majoris, a Bengaluru based firm, which helped me understand the reality of software programming. And later, his association with companies like GE, IBM global services, Microsoft helped him to hone his skills, while SKS Microfinance was a totally different experience altogether," informs Appana.

Becoming a CIO at a young age has its own set of advantages. They bring a lot of passion, excitement, and commitment and also innovation and experimentation. "Younger CIOs are welcome at the top position and acceptance of the management purely depends on the organization's mindset, philosophy, and culture. Young CIOs have a bright chance as they are capable of striking a balance between the deliverables, and it is all about innovation and leadership. The industry needs people who are strategic and innovative - these are 2 key principles where success stems from," informs Appana.

For 2012, SKS Microfinance intends to automate further by introducing more advanced systems and connectivity and make transactions much faster and build much quicker dashboards by introducing predictive analytics.