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SANJAY BRAHMAWAR, CEO OF SOFTWARE AG - INTERVIEW WITH WBM TOP 100 INNOVATION CEO
SANJAY BRAHMAWAR, CEO AND CHAIRMAN OF THE MANAGEMENT BOARD OF SOFTWARE AG HAS BEEN SELECTED BY THE JUDGES OF WORLD BIZ MAGAZINE'S ANNUAL AWARDS TO BE A RECIPIENT OF THE TOP 100 CEOS IN INNOVATION AWARD 2021. THIS SELECTION FOLLOWS A STRINGENT PROCESS THAT EVALUATED OVER 40,000 NOMINEES TO SELECT THE EXCLUSIVE LIST OF 100 WINNERS.
Sanjay Brahmawar became Software AG's Chief Executive Officer in August 2018. He leads Software AG in a new era of digitalization, a time when digital connections via integration, APIs, the Internet of Things and analytics are increasingly important to ensure business continuity. Before joining Software AG, Brahmawar served as general manager for global revenue at IBM’s Watson IoT and managed the global business of data analytics and artificial intelligence software products in that capacity. He previously held GM, Vice President and Executive Partner roles within various IBM businesses.
Brahmawar brings hands-on IoT expertise, a wealth of international experience and technical know-how blended with an entrepreneurial vision to Software AG. Prior to IBM, he served at PwC, Fedex, DSM and Honda. He is a frequent guest speaker at industry events and conferences where he demonstrates the value of the connected IoT ecosystem and his obsession for customer-centric innovations that can deliver unprecedented organizational performance.
Brahmawar earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Delhi College of Engineering and M.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from University of Leeds. He is a citizen of the world, born in India, and having worked and lived in England, Finland, Belgium, Holland and Germany. An avid cyclist and runner, Brahmawar resides in Darmstadt, Germany.
"Software AG is elevating the software industry by showing businesses that they can design and execute a digital transformation strategy around open standards and agnostic platforms. This is crucial to set industries and organizations up for future success because we don’t know where the next big innovation will come from."
How is Software AG driving innovation forward in the software industry?
Software AG is elevating the software industry by showing businesses that they can design and execute a digital transformation strategy around open standards and agnostic platforms. This is crucial to set industries and organizations up for future success because we don’t know where the next big innovation will come from. What we do know is that companies that are locked into specific [closed] standards or platforms won’t be in a good position to capitalize.
How are companies doing with their digital transformation and why is Software AG their best partner?
Digital transformation is an on-going mission and has picked up pace in the last two years. The social and economic changes we’ve experienced as a result of the pandemic have showed organizations how important it is to be digital. The resilience of being digital has been a differentiator and to that end more companies are committing themselves to transformation. The renewed rush to change has to be balanced with responsible technology decisions and this is where open standards are crucial. Businesses can’t afford to rush into locked-in solutions that solve a problem now, because they could have a whole new set of challenges in the coming years.
How are companies adapting to the importance of being connected?
One of the most significant trends at the moment is one that isn’t new, but definitely has renewed importance: to be connected. We’re seeing organizations that realize the idea of ‘connection’ runs much deeper than perhaps a video call or instant messenger. The level of integration for a fluid flow of data that needs to be established in order to allow companies harness the power of data and become ‘truly connected enterprises’ is coming into clearer focus now. This is brought about by a number of different factors, from hybrid working to supply chain operations, and affects everyone within a company’s ecosystem: customers, partners and employees.
How are you seeing companies dealing with the impact of the pandemic?
We are seeing a difference between those who were digitally mature before the pandemic and those that weren’t. Those who weren’t are playing catch up now. They have to go through the same growth cycles that every other organization that has undertaken transformation has to go through, but they are set up for success now. Expect these companies to have a sudden new wave of capability to implement new products or services in order to move their business forward.
For those that are at a mature stage of their transformation will be more focused on how they can find new opportunities for the business and for their employees. The fact that have already found a number of efficiencies means that they have the financial capability to make new investments or commitments. So now that the world is starting to return to a form of normal, expect new, innovative and diversified offerings to emerge.
"We are seeing a difference between those who were digitally mature before the pandemic and those that weren’t. Those who weren’t are playing catch up now. They have to go through the same growth cycles that every other organization that has undertaken transformation has to go through, but they are set up for success now. Expect these companies to have a sudden new wave of capability to implement new products or services in order to move their business forward."
What is your view on good leadership?
What drives me most is actually our people. I witness the amazing talent, ingenuity and commitment of the people in our organization on a daily basis and it’s an inspiration. Leadership has to be about harnessing and empowering that talent, not about having the last word or trying to tightly control it. My view on leadership is the same thing that drives me: the success of an organization is reliant on every person within feeling like they have the opportunity to make a positive impact.
"The technologies that have the most transformative effects will be those that solve everyday problems and make enterprises more connected. That could be through creating more connected customer experiences, or it could be connecting formerly disparate parts of an organization to find new, more efficient ways of working."
What technologies do companies need to factor into their thinking?
The technologies that have the most transformative effects will be those that solve everyday problems and make enterprises more connected. That could be through creating more connected customer experiences, or it could be connecting formerly disparate parts of an organization to find new, more efficient ways of working.
Some of the technologies involved in this will include task/process mining and robotic process automation (RPA), which have the ability to implement smart, standardized automation within an organization. Doing this not only brings the obvious and immediate efficiency and cost benefits, it also allows companies to differentiate their services. Focusing the skills of people in the business on areas that elevate customer services or product development above the competition is truly transformative.
Another key technology is IoT. We have seen connected devices in the home for several years now, but smart devices in B2B environments have the ability to bring more efficiency and operational excellence benefits to companies. This is because they bring more data and insight to the table when it comes to anything from manufacturing processes to public transportation to stadium/event management.
All of this has to be supported by a platform that connects everything together. The crucial thing is that no technology in isolation is going to be transformative. The real change is made when companies can harness multiple initiatives in a truly connected way.
Software AG
We give businesses the power to instantly see, decide, act—and thrive. A truly connected world - For modern enterprises, software is the ultimate value driver. That’s why we set out to become the software pioneers of a truly connected world. It is our mission to empower you to become a truly connected enterprise. Using our industry-leading suite of products across integration & API management, IoT & analytics and business transformation, we create a fluid flow of data between people, departments, systems, and devices.
We’re not new to this. Since 1969 we’ve been dedicated to integrating and connecting everything to help more than 10,000 businesses instantly see, decide, act — and thrive.
