Meet Sudhakar Thamankar : A Seasoned CFO sharing his multisector experience and valuable insights on Finance industry

Please mention the ideals that you follow in two lines:

I strive for honesty, empathy and continuous self -improvement while fostering kindness and respect in all my interactions.

Please tell us about yourself.

??I am a Chartered Accountant? by profession? with 19+ years of industry experience. I am a versatile and curious person with a passion for learning and adapting. I believe in continuous learning and improvement.

As per your advice, what is more valuable in your career, your education or your experience.

Both education and experience are valuable in a career. Formal education provides a structured learning environment that equips individuals with essential? Knowledge and foundational skills and expertise.

On the other hand, experience enables individuals to apply knowledge in real world scenarios . What matters is problem solving abilities using a practical approach to the problem. Adaptability to the situation ,resilience and ability to handle different situations? one? may not learn in classroom structure, and? one learns more through experience .

Ideal approach would be to seek a balance between the two leveraging education to build strong foundation and experience to develop and refine skills.

Please tell us about your journey in CFO Bridge

I have completed one year? in CFO bridge? and am enjoying my journey. CFO bridge is giving me a good platform to expand professionally and getting exposed? to different situations.

We have seasoned CFOs as CFO partners in CFO Bridge who worked?in different sectors . It is a good opportunity to interact with each of them .

Supporting the growth of SMEs and MSMEs requires a holistic approach that addresses financial, operational, and regulatory challenges while fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. SMEs and MSMEs play a vital role in the Indian economy .I am delighted to work in CFO bridge , supporting the SME and MSME sector in the overall growth.

?- Can you tell us more? about your outstanding career??

a. How long have you worked in this industry?

I have worked around 19 Years

b. What drew you to this field?

From the beginning I was drawn towards? numbers, data and analysis .

c. How do you maintain a work-life balance?

Maintaining work life balance is essential for overall well being, productivity and happiness. At times work might be too demanding and it is also depending on which ? stage of life? you are in . setting the boundaries , prioritizing life, learning to say no, follow discipline ,setting realistic expectations? are few factors which help to maintain work life balance .? Work life balance is also a? continuous process.

I started cycling and trekking? 4-5 years ago so that I get “me” time. This also allows me to think beyond work. Nature teaches /offers us amazing experiences and surprises.

?d. What inspires you?

What amazes me always is the possibility of human potential- Often untapped abilities and capabilities that reside within each individual. I always believe that human beings possess remarkable talents,skills,creativity and resilience which can be harnessed and developed to reach? extraordinary? heights.

How ever many times negative energy pulls us down and adding to this our monkey mind always confuses? us by throwing different thoughts

What inspires me is this idea of endless possibilities of human potential where even if I fail badly on any given? day , I can still stand up and start from scratch and learn each day.

Can you give detailed insights of which sectors you have been a part of and how the industries have changed over the years?

Worked in a diverse/unstructured? environment bringing transformation. Experienced in building the finance team ground-up in previous organizations, focusing on designing systems, processes, and financial controls.

I have worked in Manufacturing industry ,Technology industry, Food processing?industry and many more .

Industries have undergone changes over the years due to technology, digitalization and globalization. Automation and robotics have improved efficiency while e-commerce and the sharing economy disrupted traditional business models. Further sustainability and personalization gained importance .Particularly after covid we have seen tremendous changes in the way of doing business like remote work etc.

Recent changes like Data analytics and AI? have a great impact on business empowering business owners. These changes also helped industries to create new products.

It is vital now to remain in the competition. Businesses? must adopt and embrace innovation, catering to evolving consumer needs businesses which failed to adapt to the situation or new technology will? eventually disappear.

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What is your Unwinding ritual /Free time activity post a hectic day ?

I read self-help and spiritual books. I watch /binge watch web series on OTT platforms over weekends . Of late I started listening to a lot of podcasts on different subjects . I am also attracted to? practical spirituality and I practice meditation.?