A passion for numbers and an analytical mind help Sanjay Baweja in his job as chief financial officer (CFO) at Tata Communications, enabling him to ensure profitability for the company and raise funds from the capital markets. Moreover, his ?can do? attitude makes him result oriented.
In his current capacity, Baweja is responsible for the company?s strategic financial management, including financial reporting and compliance, treasury and fund management, financial planning and analysis, management assurance, global taxation, global logistics, supply chain, and real estate.
He has a team-centric style of management. ?My team is my biggest asset. They appreciate me for my empathy and for my constantly striving for perfection and delivering results,? he says.
His interest in finance is apparent in his career graph. A qualified chartered accountant and a cost and works accountant, he brings to the table over 25 years of experience. Prior to joining Tata Communications, he worked with Emaar MGF Land Limited as executive president, corporate affairs and chief risk officer. He also worked in several positions in companies such as Bharti Airtel, Xerox Modicorp, Digital Equipment and Ballarpur Industries.
Of these, he says his stint at Emaar MGF Land Limited was the most memorable. ?I helped build the company into a formidable real estate player with a transacted valuation of $7 billion. This was a memorable journey for me. It involved a considerable focus on processes, capital structuring, corporate build-up and significant merger and acquisition activity along the way ? all of which have added to the rich experience I have today,? he recounts.
As CFO, he has multiple focus areas, which include innovating new products and services to ride the data explosion that ?is bound to take place?. In terms of capital expenditure, he adds that the emphasis is on data centres and cloud computing. ?Our capex intensity is now much lower with better and faster payback,? he comments. In a nutshell, he aims to build the right capabilities by leveraging these trends, which will help the company expand both its customer segments ? large enterprises and service providers.
Baweja is an avid sports lover and spends a few hours playing badminton every day at his Delhi home. That apart, he enjoys watching various television serials, which he finds ?de-stressing?. He also describes himself as a ?keen student of politics?.
