MR. PRADEEP SREEDHARAN’S INSPIRING JOURNEY IN EMPOWERING BUSINESS
VERKKO MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS PRIVATE LIMITED
In the ever-evolving landscape of leadership and organizational excellence, few individuals have made as profound an impact as Mr Pradeep Sreedharan. He is a dynamic leader and the chairman of Verkko Management, dedicated to supporting companies to thrive globally and maximise their business potential. With a career spanning over 25 years, Mr. Pradeep Sreedharan has earned worldwide recognition for his expertise in conceptualization, planning and executing transformational strategy and new businesses worldwide. As a keynote speaker in both corporate and non-corporate circuits as well as coach to start-ups, he empowers individuals and teams to achieve unprecedented levels of success.
THE FOUNDATION OF A VISIONARY: EARLY CAREER AND SUCCESS ROOTS
Mr. Pradeep Sreedharan began his professional journey in Bahrain as a Sales Engineer at a visual communication company called Awal Plastics WLL. He later joined CMC Ltd., a quasi-government company that was subsequently taken over by TCS. After a couple of years at CMC, Pradeep joined Cable and Wireless PLC, UK. Over the next decade, he served as a Board member and Global Director for Asia-Pacific and MENA before leaving C&W Worldwide.
During his tenure, he played a key role in establishing global delivery centres in the Asia-Pacific and driving strategic business expansion. He then pursued a corporate career as the Group Director for Mergers and Acquisitions at Ooredoo Group in Qatar. In this capacity, Pradeep led multimillion-dollar M&A engagements in MENA and the Asia Pacific region, particularly contributing to the transformation of Indosat Ooredoo in Indonesia. He has also been the Senior Vice President of the IOT business of ADA Group, known as Unlimited, in Mumbai where he was instrumental in setting up the practice.
Along with his corporate endeavours, Pradeep gained valuable experience in his home state, Kerala, India by investing in the establishment of an engineering college and attempting to make a movie. Around 12 years ago, he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey as the co-founder of a real estate company called CEEIPL, which is accredited by CREDAI. He also cofounded Verkko group and has supported multiple tech start-ups as an advisor including Chalice Vitalchem Pvt ltd., a pharma start-up. Additionally, Pradeep is an investor in digital innovator company P-Ton GMBH, Germany.
Leading through the Challenges
“As a consultant, navigating various industries presents distinct challenges, as each client brings unique expectations that differ across sectors”, says Mr Pradeep Sreedharan. To address these effectively, it is essential to stay informed about the latest trends and leverage experience and expertise to deliver tailored solutions that meet client needs. Managing expectations, and timelines and being ahead of the game, while being cost-effective and value-optimized is a very exciting challenge.
Managing multiple projects simultaneously, across the entire value chain, requires a constant focus on ensuring that every customer receives the service that delights them. To achieve this, the magnificent man prioritizes continuously enhancing his team’s skillsets, fostering a shared understanding of the goals, and acting on regular feedback from both clients and team members. Moreover, cultivating a culture aligned with the organizational vision is crucial to delivering consistent success.
Latest Trends and Technologies: Their Remarkable Impact
In the era of shifting paradigms, digital transformation is becoming increasingly inevitable. Data analytics, driven by machine learning and AI will be crucial for the functioning of all industries. Across various sectors, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria gaining significant importance as the world moves forward.
With a growing emphasis on sustainability and environmental issues globally, these criteria will play a key role in business practices. In the service industry, agile working models are emerging, as clients seek faster resolutions to their problems. With the increasing integration of technology across both service and manufacturing sectors, agile models that suit the client’s needs are becoming essential.
Distinctive Strategies for Success in Agile Environments
To thrive in agile working models, Mr Pradeep Sreedharan continuously promotes a culture of learning. He encourages the team to be adaptable and to stay updated on emerging trends, tools, and frameworks within agile methodologies.
By embracing experimentation and fostering a mindset that views failure as a natural part of the process, teams can quickly test and refine their ideas for better results. Collaborative leadership is vital in agile environments. Leaders must work closely with teams, provide regular feedback, and eliminate silos to ensure a shared vision and facilitate quick adaptation to change.
Additionally, regularly adopting and reassessing agile tools and frameworks such as Scrum or Kanban, can significantly enhance efficiency and agility. Finally, flexibility in leadership is essential, allowing leaders to respond to ambiguity, pivot quickly, and adapt to changing market conditions.
Personal and Professional Growth: Pradeep’s Take On
Swami Vivekananda once said, “How to transcend the senses without disturbing the health is what we want to learn”. Mr Pradeep Sreedharan finds this quote particularly valuable, as it reflects his quest for growth. In the realm of business consulting, staying updated is essential. To achieve this, he reads regularly to keep abreast of emerging social, political and economic trends. He also values travel, considering it a critical part of his learning journey. Immersing himself in different cultures allows him to gain unique insights, contributing significantly to both his personal and professional growth.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Verkko Management
As Verkko Management look forward, they are focused on enhancing their consulting services in key sectors to provide the value that customers need and deserve.
” While strongly adhering to our core values of I2CE, we aspire to be the preferred partner for global organizations looking to do business in India. Additionally, we want to be the goto organization for Indian companies seeking inorganic growth opportunities”,
shares Mr Pradeep Sreedharan. To achieve these objectives, the team is aiming for a conservative 5x growth in resources, along with a significant increase in their presence in more global markets.
A Pearl of Wisdom
Mr Pradeep Sreedharan has always believed in and practised what he refers to as the 3 Ts: teamwork, transparency and trust. With these 3Ts, he believes that a leader can deliver value to the 3 Cs: colleagues, city and the customer. He advises future leaders to embody these principles along with integrity and humility at all times. To summarise he shares his favorite quote on leadership by John Quincy Adams.”If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
