Rajesh Ramanathan
Senior Director, AI and Data, Verizon India
With about two decades of experience in the digital domain across data and analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), Rajesh Ramanathan has led large-scale technology transformations and used technology as a competitive edge to solve business problems.
Currently serving as senior director, AI and data at Verizon India, he is at the forefront of tackling evolving challenges and opportunities in the tech landscape.
His responsibilities include creating actionable insights that drive business growth and enhance the customer experience. He leads the development of industrialised data and AI-ML solutions, products, platforms and tools to ensure the best network for Verizon’s customers.
As the ever-evolving tech landscape becomes more AI oriented, making a conscious effort to change perceptions or set reasonable expectations is a challenge, Rajesh observes. “With data as the backbone of all we create, how do we ensure that data is accessible across the enterprise rather than being restrictive?” he says. Further, with an active shift in the talent landscape, creating the right talent strategy that will allow catering to the rapidly growing demands of AI and emerging technologies as well as changing customer dynamics is a major issue.
In the future, Rajesh expects there to be a heightened focus on driving customer experience and building autonomous networks, exploring how AI supported by robust data can reduce the cognitive load across the network operations space, and scaling the entire digital ecosystem of data to meet the demand that the continual expansion AI drives.
One of Rajesh’s most eventful assignments so far has been bringing an AI-embedded “data product” mindset across the data and business fraternity. “This involves re-imagining how data and organisations are rightly set up, keeping value at the forefront of building it,” he says.
Rajesh describes his management style as adaptive, blending transformational and situational leadership. He emphasises building lasting leaders through a coaching approach.
He has a bachelor’s degree in technology, electronics and communications engineering from NIT.
Apart from work, travelling, participating in short marathons and giving back to the community are things that keep Rajesh engaged. He also loves exploring offbeat places with his family.
