After obtaining a master’s degree in computer applications and a bachelor’s in physics from Madras University, Vijayaraman Subramanian started his career as a software trainee at HCL Technologies in Chennai in 1998. This was followed by a stint with a large client of HCL in the US, working on telecom OSS products. He moved to Verizon in 2001 and rose steadily in position. Currently, he is senior delivery head for network and technology at Verizon Data Services India.  His team provides IT software and solutions for Verizon’s network factory.

In Subramanian’s opinion, “code” will soon become a commodity. A testament to this is the proliferation of smart devices, smarter processors, and a plethora of applications being written by amateurs. “IT will enable better software-defined experiences, be it software-defined networks or internet of things or the converged experience that customers seek. The larger vision will be to use IT as an enabler of society by driving better service quality,” he says.

At Verizon, Subramanian has had several memorable assignments. “One was in 2003-04 when we were working on a large migration project to move over customers and circuits from a company we had recently acquired,” he recalls. Another was in 2013, when he was responsible for driving a large programme that involved the end-to-end migration of customers from legacy networks to Verizon’s strategic network. “The magnitude and complexity of these programmes allowed me to learn and grow as a professional.”

Subramanian has worked with some very smart minds and inspirational leaders and this, he says, has helped him develop his management style. He describes himself as an outgoing person who connects easily with diverse types of people. He believes in executing strategies through people and is open to creativity, experimentation and new approaches. “Some ideas do fail, but it is better to fail than to never try something. My belief is that every problem has a good solution; I drive people to find that solution.”

Subramanian likes to spend some “me” time over the weekend with books, his iPad or magazines, besides spending time with his young children. “My wife, a teacher by profession, and I also make it a point to visit the library on weekends,” he says. Growing up, Subramanian had the opportunity to travel all over the country, courtesy his father’s transferable job with the central government. “I carry many fond memories of the different places I’ve lived in.”