What’s your role at Envision?
I currently head the Global Operations and Training for Envision. I also serve as an Executive Director at Envision India. I work on client implementations, mutual fund operations and production support, pre-sales activity and employee training.
What has your career path looked like?
After my MBA in 2002 and a brief stint at a start-up I joined Envision’s India office in Bangalore in November 2003 as a Business Analyst. (I completed my 19th work anniversary at Envision last week.).
I worked as a Business Analyst for about 12 years which included working at Envision’s Owings Mills office at Maryland as a Client Manager for two years between 2011-2013. As a Business Analyst I worked on several projects in all areas of our product including data conversion, NSCC/DTCC, tax and compliance, workflow and imaging, investor & rep websites, and the core recordkeeping platform. I have been privileged to work with almost all employees of Envision across all offices and departments due to the nature of my role and my special interest in training and client servicing.
I headed the Business Analyst Team from 2007 onwards and after complete succession planning, I moved to take up a new role as the head of Mutual Fund Subaccounting Operations. In this role I was responsible to setup the Subaccounting Operations and Production Support teams in Bangalore and Denver, write down processes for the new business, and work with clients and business partners to onboard clients.
As of today, I continue to look for new challenges and roles where I can contribute to the growth of Envision, its employees and its clients. In 2017 I was named one of the Executive Directors of Envision India.
In your work with Envision’s clients, what are you most proud of?
I like it when our clients love working with us and when they feel we have made their life easier through our products and services. In every interaction with clients, I want to give them something of value to them. It could be suggesting a better way of dealing with their mutual fund daily cycle, processing a transaction, tackling an exception, or suggesting alternate ways of meeting the same business goal, but more efficiently. I like to hear the voice of the customer (without any filter) so that we can address any items that matter to them. I have not hesitated to put in extraordinary hours (running for a few days to a couple years!) to deliver what is needed and I know I can deliver.
In what ways do you partner with other firms to serve Envision clients?
I have worked with vendors and other partners who are in the mix of our overall products and services to our clients. I work on establishing requirements (e.g., quarterly statements, tax forms printing, omnibus trade settlement) and implementing the process from beginning to end. It is important to establish common goals and a way forward which meets expectations of our clients as well as partners.
What’s an interesting question you’re asked in your work?
“Why are we doing this?” The pursuit to find the ‘Why’ in everything we do. It gives a sense of purpose and pride. It also guides us to know the ‘what’ and deliver the ‘how’.
What advice would you give someone starting a career in your specific field?
I would suggest they should be ready to learn continuously and not be afraid of failure. The only failure is failure to try. When you try and you don’t get the desired result, you have learnt something, and you use that learning towards improvement in your next try. The field I work on is vast and is changing continuously so one needs to adapt to the changes. It is possible only when one realizes the pace and extent of change happening. Keeping up to date on developments in domain, client preferences, and technology should be an integral part of one’s learning.
The good news is all skills I possess can be learnt through experience, training, and keen observation. However it requires a lot of perseverance and self-motivation.
What hobby or pastime do you enjoy away from work?
I have always loved teaching as a hobby. Since the last 25 years I have been involved in some sort of teaching activity in my spare time and on weekends. When I was in college in 1996 I started teaching Maths to Chartered Accountant (CA) aspirants who were preparing for their Foundation exam. This was my way of developing public speaking skills and a means to prepare for my MBA. Since then, I have not looked back. In my last 25 years I have taught thousands of students preparing for CA and MBA (including GMAT) during my spare time on weekends. My biggest reward is the glow on the face of my students when they learn something from me and they exhibit trust in me.
I have mentored several MBA students to land into their first jobs by helping them prepare their resume, Statement of Purpose, and for their interviews.
Cycling and running are more recent hobbies. I participated in a 100K cycling event and a 30K walk-run event recently. While my body ached and complained, my mind was very relaxed and vibrant! I am preparing to run a half marathon within the next two years and a full marathon some day!
What would you say makes Envision special?
Envision is special due to its people’s commitment towards our products and services. I have witnessed my colleagues go the extra mile to ensure quality in everything we do. Their efforts motivate me and encourage me to do more.