Sudeesh Yezhuvath, COO, Subex, brings to the table over 21 years of work experience. During this time, he says he has learnt three important lessons: ?The most important learning is that all crises pass. Second, all situations will have several different angles to them. And third, one must work hard to leave a mark in one?s area of functioning.?
Building on these key learnings, Yezhuvath believes in ?mentoring and effective delegation?. He says, ?My role is to provide a facilitating environment, and get the work done.?
At Subex, he is in charge of the company?s overall operations, excluding the legal and financial aspects. He has been associated with Subex since 1993 and has been instrumental in building its software business. Besides, he has been closely involved in the company?s merger and acquisition activities, including the post-acquisition integration process. ?Subex was not a telecom-
centric company when I joined it. The transition took place in 2000, and I was a key part of that change,? he says.
In fact, he considers the role he played in that transition as his most important career milestone. ?The increased focus on telecom software helped us retain our leadership position in the segment,? he notes.
Other key achievements for Yezhuvath were the successful acquisition and integration of various companies with Subex. He recalls, for instance, the acquisition of Azure, a loss-making venture at the time. ?We acquired the company in 2006, turned it around and integrated it well with our company. That was a high point.?
Going forward, he says the main challenge before him is to retain the company?s leadership position in the domestic and overseas telecom space. ?The domestic telecom market has of late gone through a significant change and the challenge before us is to stay on top of the game and be able to adapt to this change.?
Despite having multiple tasks on his plate, he says he manages to strike a reasonable balance between his work and personal life. ?Walking that fine line is not difficult,? he says. ?It all boils down to how one manages one?s day.?
Yezhuvath?s day, typically, is long and busy. He begins at 7.30 a.m. and, on an exceptionally packed day, winds up by 10.30 p.m. On a normal day, however, he manages to leave early enough to play a game of badminton or catch up on his reading. He has just completed Ernest Hemingway?s A Movable Feast. ?My all-time favourite read is Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis. Reading helps one improve one?s overall personality, outlook towards life and worldview,? he says.
