K.G. Purushothaman, managing director, Protiviti India, is responsible for spearheading and growing the company’s business in southern India as well as in emerging markets like Saudi Arabia and South Africa. His team offers telecom operators solutions related to cost management, revenue management and identification of threats to the network with the deployment of new devices and technologies.

Commenting on the challenges before him, he says, “The telecom industry is undergoing transformation. It has grown and demerged from active infrastructure to passive infrastructure. As a consulting firm, we need to be up-to-date on the market, and understand the latest products and technologies. We need to be an enabler and help our clients maximise their revenues.”

Prior to his current stint, Purushothaman was involved in areas such as business consulting, risk management and internal auditing. He started his career as an auditor and has worked with companies like Deloitte and Ernst & Young. As an auditor, he had the opportunity to handle a major demerger of business verticals for a leading European operator. Having tracked telecom markets like Russia, he is better positioned to advise clients on businesses in emerging markets like South Africa at Protiviti. The most fulfilling assignments for him have been those related to cost reduction and revenue management for clients in emerging markets.

For Purushothaman, clients come first – a philosophy that had defined his customer-centric management style. He briefs his team members about client needs and expects them to ensure these are fulfilled. While there are high work pressures and stringent deadlines to meet, he adopts a people-oriented strategy and motivates his team to put in the required hard work and deliver results.

Talking about the trends in the telecom sector, he says, “The telecom industry has evolved from being a pure voice and SMS provider to offering value-added services (VAS), m-commerce, etc. Other stakeholders in the telecom ecosystem, such as VAS providers, are looking to offer operators innovative services and are ready to share revenues with them. The VAS segment will be instrumental in triggering industry growth, especially with smartphones, tablets and data-intensive devices becoming popular and more affordable.”

A keen marathoner, Purushothaman keeps up with his fitness regime despite his busy schedule. He is also enthusiastic about reading, his all-time favourite being Born to Run.