Nilormi Das, Management Consultant, Tech Mahindra Ltd
I have worked extensively in digital transformation with major telecommunication of the world. I am investing my time and energy outside work on creating communities and conversations on Ed Tech industries with emerging disruptive technologies. With south Asian origin residing in the UK at present, education had given me a voice, and I want to make an impact on the SDG area with it.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Clubhouse- The audio-only platform is powerful and especially given its Silicon valley origin, amazing to learn and make connections in the tech sector
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I manage the digital transformation and work in the business architecture of organizations, but my passion is making a footprint in Ed Tech and creating future leaders.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
Tech as an enabler, Transformation, Connectivity, Collaboration.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Be the change you want to be. And as a woman of colour, immigrant, I want to see more people like me make an impact and difference.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
Constant learning and growth, and this is not just work/career but in all aspects of life Be multicultural and have diverse conversations have shaped me and make me a better person 50 years down the line if I am blessed enough to wake up, I can see my grandchildren be proud that their grandma had made some cool impact.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
Rebuild me every time and get better no matter how many setbacks happen. Relentlessness.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
Via community building or meeting people with a common interest, that's a more organic and long-lasting relationship. Plus, always be generous to offer help before asking for one. Lead with generosity rather than agenda.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
Curiosity, clarity of thoughts, differentiate noise from actual value, adapting first, observant of cultural nuances.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
It will work out fine eventually, not to stress.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
To progress, we need various channels: academia, business or creative circles are a powerful part of it. However, let's not only adhere to the conventional boxes and reimagine the existing channels which don't make you conform but trigger conscious critical thinking.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Nature hikes, fitness, reading, podcasting, journaling, writing, dancing, travelling, eating.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you been managing it?
Pandemic had given me more bandwidth to think, slow down and restructure by pivot to the next phase of my career.
Do you have a mentor or have you ever mentored anyone?
Both yes and no.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Be technically sound but also know how to tell a story.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
They don't commit to action enough, and without action, there is no progress. And if we don't progress, we feel demotivated and likely to give up. Also, a lot of people follow other's journeys and try to imitate them rather than creating their own.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what's left, and live it properly." - Marcus Aurelius.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Strictly on data: Tesla, Amazon, Apple. Although I may not necessarily agree with all their activities.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Don't define it by money. Define it by the value it creates for you and the people you care for.