As director, channels and strategic partners, India and SAARC with Avaya, Hrishi Parthasarathy has his hands full. He is responsible for spearheading the company’s channel business and driving growth for its commercial and mid-sized business.

Outlining the key challenges before him, Parthasarathy says, “The challenge lies in building a robust product portfolio, offering the right kind of solutions and expertise to large enterprises, and expanding the company’s presence in the mid-market segment.” He points out that currently, Tier I and Tier II markets are underserved. Going forward, companies will have to look at cost-effective ways to serve the growing business requirements of mid-market enterprises and the government segment.

A chartered accountant by qualification, Parthasarathy, however, had only a short stint in a financing role early in his career. His manager was of the view that he had a “nose for business” and gradually led him to take up roles related to product development, sales and marketing. Having shifted gears, Parthasarathy, over the years, developed expertise in business development, sales and marketing, and served in various leadership positions. In the past, he has worked with organisations such as Microsoft, Redington India and Sutherland Global Services.

Talking about his key learnings and professional experience so far, Parthasarathy says, “To deliver results, it is important to build a trust-based adviser relationship with one’s team as well as customers. Accountability and integrity are a must while dealing with clients. When one is managing a large business, it is extremely important to be creative, to offer locally built smart solutions, and to execute projects with speed.”

Commenting on emerging trends in the telecom and IT space, he observes that today, a large number of businesses are investing significantly in cloud-based services. Earlier, if one out 10 companies was open to adopting cloud-based services, now the number has increased to five or six. Also, in the managed services business, clients are becoming more demanding and seeking higher engagement with the solution provider. Further, comparing customer behaviour in India and the West, Parthasarathy points out that, unlike in the West, businesses in India always seek to derive more value out of their investments.

On the personal front, Parthasarathy says he enjoys trekking and ensures that he spends time with his wife and their seven-year-old son by involving them in his trekking adventures.