Vijay Guntur, a 35-year veteran at HCLTech, has transitioned from his role as the President of Engineering and R&D Services to become the company's new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Head - Ecosystems.
Commenting on his former role, he said: “We followed a digital engineering strategy that was reasonably successful. We created reasonable impact and built new capabilities around softwarization, digital engineering, data, 5G and we made some progress with the semiconductor side of the business. We set ourselves in the direction of travel which will stand us in good stead for the future in our engineering business.”
In this new position, Guntur is focused on addressing the diverse needs of HCLTech's broader customer base, including CIOs, CMOs and business leaders.
“In this role, our customer profile and customer base that we can address is much more varied and broader,” Guntur explained. “I'm really excited to be able to build solutions, build technology capabilities and competencies to serve our broader customer base and we're able to now see patterns between different customer needs.”
Adapting to the evolving CTO role
By its very nature, the technology landscape is in a constant state of flux. In this environment, Guntur acknowledges the need to constantly adapt and plan for the future. “We need to be thinking one or two years ahead,” he said.
He added: “As a CTO, my role is to build the future technology direction, whether it is AI or generative AI, or something around quantum computing and the different ways people will interact with devices in the future.”
He also emphasized the unique aspect of the CTO’s role in building ecosystems and partnerships to deliver on the promise of innovation. “It's important for us to work with partners, whether its tech OEMs, hyperscalers or semiconductor chip companies, leverage our existing ecosystems and bring them together to synergize where technology and innovation will create value. I think that's what makes this role much richer and much more impactful.”
Transferring skills and adopting new ones
Guntur's transition to the CTO role has required him to adapt and develop new skills, while also leveraging his existing expertise. “The skills that are transferable are the technology skills, the people skills, the ability to manage executive expectations,” he said. “However, the new role also demands change management and the ability to collaborate and be able to take diverse teams across the business, where you have to have more influence.”
Guntur's long tenure at HCLTech has been a significant advantage in his new role, as he has been able to leverage his existing relationships across the organization. “I think it's more than a skill. It is about the relationships across the organization that I've built, which are coming in very handy to be able to galvanize people in a direction and move us forward,” he said.
Moving to the Bay Area
In addition to taking on this new role, Guntur has also moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where HCLTech has recently opened its new office in Santa Clara, which will host its latest Customer Experience Center (CEC).
Commenting on the move, he said: “Personally, the move to the Bay Area is something that I've always wanted to do. I'm happy that I could make the move now, to a place where there is so much happening with technology innovation and business impact at the same time. I'm fortunate and grateful that something like this has happened, and very excited about it.”
Regarding the opening of the new office and CEC, he continued: “I think this will help our customers and partners to engage with us more easily and more frequently, which will ensure that we are aligned and we can generate business outcomes and use technology as a way to achieve those business outcomes,” he said.
Guntur sees the CEC as a crucial investment to bring innovation, technology and people together to “supercharge progress” for HCLTech's customers. “As we say, we bring the best of our people and technology together to supercharge progress for our customers. I think [the CEC] is super critical for us to bring innovation, technology and people together,” he explained.
Leveraging the power of tech to create value
Guntur's transition to the CTO role at HCLTech has been marked by his commitment to embracing change, building strategic ecosystems and driving innovation to serve the company's diverse customer base. With his deep expertise, adaptability and focus on relationships, he is poised to lead HCLTech into the future, leveraging the power of technology to create value for his customers.
As Guntur looks ahead, he remains excited about the opportunities generated by tech innovation and customer interactions. “I think it's very exciting, but it is also challenging in terms of being able to prioritize well and invest correctly for what we think will be the future demand and where the future needs will be.”
With his vision, leadership and the support of HCLTech's ecosystem partners, Guntur is well-equipped to navigate the evolving technology landscape and deliver transformative solutions for HCLTech's customers.
Listen to the full conversation with Vijay in the latest episode from the HCLTech Trends and Insights podcast
