Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships
Founder, Director of Avaali Solutions Pvt Ltd, Ms. Srividya Kannan’s article published in The Education Post. The article was also carried in the online version.
Srividya Kannan is the Founder and Director of Avaali Solutions Pvt Ltd, a company that enables enterprises to drive and deliver business results by leveraging digital technologies. Avaali has core strengths in powering upper mid-to-large enterprises with solutions in the areas of Enterprise Information Management and Enterprise Mobility. Avaali’s advisory, consulting, and implementation services have enabled enterprises to transform their business processes and engage better with their stakeholders including customers, employees, partners, vendors, and shareholders.
In an interview with The Education Post, Srividya talks about her company, college days, and women entrepreneurship. Excerpts
Could you tell us about your schooling and college days?
I studied in Mumbai. Finance and economics were my favorite subjects. After completing my Bachelor’s degree specializing in accounting, I then specialized in finance during MBA. Simultaneously I also did my cost accounting from ICWA. There was no provision of either mobile devices, electronic games or internet connectivity as we have now.
If I were to summarize those days as a student, they were very simple yet very effective, since there were limited possibilities for distractions. I would just go outdoor and play with my friends. I think there was better bonding with friends and family as it required real effort to stay connected – I would either write a letter or connect face to face over dinners and movies. The only drawback was that there were no immediate answers to the questions I had – something that we quite easily get these nowadays with search engines.
“There were some really grueling experiences that taught me a lot during my career span. In one such case, I was given charge to recover bad debts over USD 50 million for a large NBFC – I spent a large part of my time with the law firm and in Indian courts at that time to file civil, criminal suits and attach properties of promoters”
Where did you start your career, major turning points in your career?
I started my career with a financial services start-up. Though it was considered ‘cooler’ to join large enterprises, I was always intrigued with the possibilities that a start-up presented from a sheer learning standpoint as well as the real ability to make a visible difference to the company’s performance and add value. The growth that I experienced as a result of this decision is something that I cannot describe in words. Broadly, these experiences largely shaped me to who I am today.
There were some really grueling experiences that taught me a lot during my career span. In one such case, I was given charge to recover bad debts over USD 50 million for a large NBFC – I spent a large part of my time with the law firm and in Indian courts at that time to file civil, criminal suits and attach properties of promoters. I’ve been pretty fortunate to undergo varied experiences. I moved from finance to IT sales, innovation, partner ecosystem management, driving user group for a large IT OEM to business operations and then partner development. These experiences are coming to great use today since I’m required to wear various hats in my current role.
What prompted you start avaali.com, what are its possibilities?
I’m excited by the sheer possibilities that we have to shape the future of enterprises with digital. Avaali is actually a dream comes true. It is a very liberating feeling as it presents immense opportunities for us to influence and play a key part in this whole journey of enterprise transformation with digital. We have a great team (in fact some of the best minds in the industry) who share a similar passion, and our customer references speaks a lot about how the solutions we have delivered have influenced their business outcomes. We take great pride in enabling our customers to meet their business goals. I doubt if any other kind of environment can give us a parallel or better experience.
Because of your gender, have you faced any crisis in building your venture?
I don’t think so. I don’t believe that gender by itself brings about any issues. I’ve seen from my experience that every individual (irrespective of gender) is highly valued when they are able to truly execute their roles with excellence and deliver results for their stakeholders (including customers, employees, shareholders etc.). It is a myth in some sense, I would say a mental block that we have that needs to be removed, that being a woman makes it difficult to be successful.
Do you think building successful ventures is an easy task for a woman in India’s atmosphere?
Nothing is ever easy. It requires a lot of grit and determination coupled with relentless focus on planning and relentless execution. Markets are very competitive and winning requires to establish a clear differentiator in the minds of stakeholders – something that is easier said than done. Building a great team is therefore imperative. As a famous quotes goes “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships”.
“You’ve made the best decision in life. Go for it. Never give up. Stay positive and strong”
What you like to do when you’re not engaged with job, or company?
I like to spend time at home with my family including my pet dog. I enjoy their company. We watch movies, play games and eat some delicious home cooked food. I also read a lot of non-fiction. A cup of hot ginger tea with a good book is my ideal time off.
Your message to young female entrepreneurs?
You’ve made the best decision in life. Go for it. Never give up. Stay positive and strong.