Even with over 20 years of experience in IS Tech infrastructure and security, Sunil Gujral, EVP and CTO, Quatrro is not comfortable talking about himself; he rather let his work speak for him. Born in Chennai, Gujral did his initial schooling from St Xaviers, Delhi and followed his fathers footsteps to become an electrical engineer from BITS-Pilani.

For a man who has been the founder and CEO of Futuresoft India, and has worked in the IT industry, Gujral has no qualms in admitting that initially, he had no inclination toward IT. I still remember the time when I was selected by Wipro but was in two minds about joining an IT company. It was my uncles advice that compelled me to join Wipro, he recalls.

Gujrals confusion was apparent during his last semester at BITS-Pilani when he was asked to make a choice between studying Gandhian philosophy and Microprocessors. He chose the latter simply because of the positive influence of a professor (professor Mathur) who he remembers fondly as one of the best teachers at that time. Gujral did his internship (then known as practice school) at DCM Data Products which was also his first exposure in the field of technology.

His tenure at DCM was followed by a one-year stint at Wipro where he worked on several projects, including developing a payroll system for the Indian Army. Gujral says that this was a humungous task considering that the Indian Army had several concessions and special allowances. His exposure at Wipro helped him bag a job at American Express. Gujral adds, Though the company had advertised for an experienced Unix professional, they hired me because I had worked on Unix and had considerable knowledge about it.

Raman Roy: Friend and Mentor
His first meeting with Raman Roy was at a breakfast interview for American Express, and thereon, as Gujral admits, his life changed forever. Willing to learn and push myself to the limit, Raman and I forged a friendship which has lasted more than 27 years now. It was his confidence in my capability where on deciding to leave American Express, Raman encouraged me to go ahead and start my own software company, he says proudly. It was perhaps their trust in each others capabilities, which made Gujral leave his own company when Raman was starting his own venture, Spectramind, to join him.

Pillar of Support
Interestingly, during the initial years of his career, Gujral always shied away from taking up a Mumbai-based position. The reason was his wife, whom he married in 1986. He adds, Every time I was offered a Mumbai-based position, I would invariably be in two minds about taking it up. Even while I was working with Wipro at Mumbai, I took the first opportunity that brought me back to Delhi. [A successful businessperson herself, Priyadarshini (owners of high fashion labels like Soi Moi and Priyadarshini), has always supported his endeavors, admits Gujral.]

After my marriage in 1986, I decided to pursue my Masters from IIT-Delhi; I was burdened with studying and doing a job. And even though I had been married recently, never for once did she complain that I was not giving her enough time, he recalls. Even during the time when Gujral left his job at American Express and decided to start his own software company, she gave him the freedom to pursue his dream of being his own boss and owning his own company. The first two years were extremely critical, financially, since there was no concept of funding from venture capitalists and with my service background, I had no prior experience of being an entrepreneur. Had it not been for her belief in my dreams and her understanding, I would not have been able to achieve whatever little I have managed.

Lead by Example
Leaders lead from the front and inspire others to follow by setting an example themselves, is Gujrals guiding philosophy when it comes to handling his team.

As someone who has worked in various leadership capacities: as CEO of his own company, Futuresoft; CTO of Quatrro; or Spectramind, Gujral has always set expectations right from the beginning to avoid heartburn later. However, Gujral admits to following some simple steps for motivating his team members like empowering them to take independent decisions by making them aware of their roles. I ensure transparency in the team, and have developed a culture of learning and sharing knowledge. Moreover, I am known as the most apolitical person in my office since I avoid making any side deals with anyone, which I know would not work anyways, he says.

The New-age CIO
In the initial phase, the CIO/CTO was more focused on delivery technology to support business and to ensure that, in short, his role was more reactive with technology being a support function and a cost center, Gujral says. Over a period of time, he believes that the CIOs/CTOs have adapted to the changing times and are now well aware of the existing as well as the emerging technology offerings and trends.

Beyond his interaction with technology partners, he is required to be aware of what competing businesses are doing, and how some of the new technologies have been harnessed by other diverse businesses. Gujral believes that CIOs/CTOs are now being more proactive than reactive and are successfully leading some of the new business initiatives, given their end-to-end understanding of the business processes and firm grasp on available technologies.

Stuti Das
stutid@cybermedia.co.in

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