Quick Chat with Avnish Sabharwal.

Corporate Strategist and technology evangelist who spearheaded digital transformation and leadership development for Top 500 Fortune clients. Had been associated with IBM for over a decade in various leadership roles and earlier served the Indian Armed forces and as ADC to Governor of MP. Alumnus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Insead and Harvard Business School. Lest the introduction overshadows the interview, I stop there about Avnish Sabharwal, Managing Director- Accenture - Ventures and Open Innovation, Accenture in India (you can visit his linked in profile https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/avnishsabharwal/ to know more about him). 

Over a chat , Avnish gets candid about digital transformation, the latest in geo marketing trends and on exploring new technologies. 

How have you found it best to promote and nurture women in the workplace, particularly at senior management positions?

Some of my best team members have been women. I have never had to promote them because they always did well based on their own talent and strengths, which is how it should be. I do however let many of my women team members’ shadow me at work which helps them learn some key leadership skills from close quarters and enables them become better and confident leaders. 

Regardless of gender what is the one piece of advice you would give to people in the midst of their career?

Follow your passion, don’t be afraid to fail and never compromise on your integrity.

I've heard marketers say digital is the CMO's biggest blessing and biggest curse. Can you talk about that?

Most CMO's I talk to are obsessed with providing better customer experience through digital technologies. On the other hand digital also makes all the information accessible for the customers, which is a challenge for the CMO's while defining their Brands’ value proposition and differentiating features from their competition.

What is your biggest stress reliever?

An early morning run in Cubbon Park helps me de-clutter and de-stress. A nice single malt helps me relax at night.

 Do you think strategic networking helps personal growth? If yes, how?

Yes, Networking helps, but it needs special kind of skills and a bit of shamelessness to do it. Whether you network or not is a personal choice and all choices have implications.

How do stories create customer loyalty? Between Stories based on emotion and logic, what do you think is more effective?

Everyone loves a good story and the best stories are packed with human emotions which we can all relate to. Facts and logic are necessary but not sufficient to make a great brand.

Why do we need Empathy in a digital world?

Empathy is what will differentiate humans from AI in a digital world. Also, it is a core part of design thinking which makes sure you are creating products and services which really solve a problem for your customer. It is equally important at the workplace - No one cares how much you know, till they know how much you care.

What do you think are the five important steps to become a marketing led company?

1. Listen to your customer.
2. Use big data and analytics to understand your customer rather than go just on your intuition.
3. Be a great story teller.
4. Embrace AI.
5. Practice design thinking.

What are your views on real-world location data as the next logical step for remarketing? Can you explain us the geo-marketing trends such as geofencing and beacon-based in-store activations?

There are many ways you can use geofencing to help increase customer interactions. 

1. North Face recently experimented with geofencing as a means to lure customers to their stores by using push notifications about the weather. 
2. Walgreens is using mobile marketing as a way to build trust and eventually promote brand loyalty in its customers through geofencing. 
3. Uber uses geofences at Los Angeles International airport so that when users arrive at the airport they are notified about the number of cars available to meet their needs. This allows geofences to serve as a means of providing proactive customer. 
4. Honeywell’s Lyric is a smart thermostat that uses geofencing to detect the presence of people in the room. It turns the heat on and off depending upon the presence of people in an area so that power can be saved.

Are you exploring new technologies, such as AI, AR, VR, and voice?

Yes, as part of our strategy to help our clients Rotate to the New, we are working actively with all the disruptive technologies like AI, AR/VR/MR, Block Chain, IIoT, etc. My team focuses on working with the most disruptive start-ups from India and other eco-systems in these areas.

What's the most unexpectedly important skill from your past that plays into your successes?

Curiosity and Ability to connect the dots are 2 key skills which have helped me a lot to navigate the digital maze.

What does digital transformation really mean in its entirity?

Digital transformation for me comprises of 3 things:

1. Digital Customer (transforming your customer experience)
2. Digital enterprise (making your processes and operations more efficient) and
3. Digital Business Model (disrupting the existing business model in your industry). 

***(Expressed here are the personal views of Mr.Avnish and does not indicate their endorsement by organisations he is / was part of)