AKILAA ANANTHANARAYANAN
Product Management
Chennai
Summary
Strategic Product Management Leader with 28 years of experience leading product-market strategy and supporting implementation of innovative products for unique niches. Creative strategic planner with product value and impact assessment prowess. End-to-end product leader successful bringing products from inception to rollout with efficiency and speed.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Director Product Management
Kyndryl India Pvt Ltd
09.2021 - Current
- Led the creation of competitive analyses to inform strategic decision-making for product positioning in the marketplace.
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders, ensuring alignment of business objectives across departments.
- Collaborated with sales and marketing teams to develop effective go-to-market strategies for new products or updates.
- Achieved product development milestones by closely collaborating with cross-functional teams.
- Identified risks early in the development process, implementing mitigation strategies to prevent delays or setbacks.
- Oversaw product design and roadmap and coordinated aspects of development and rollout.
- Delivered high-quality products on time and within budget constraints, effectively managing resources.
- Developed comprehensive product roadmaps, establishing clear goals and timelines for development teams.
- Improved user experience by working closely with UX/UI designers to develop intuitive interfaces and features.
- Managed a diverse portfolio of products, balancing resource allocation while maintaining focus on key business priorities.
- Championed innovation within the organization by encouraging experimentation and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Developed creative presentations, trend reports, kitted assets, and product data sheets.
- Conceptualized long-range product roadmaps and strategically designed according to market data and research.
- Mentored local personnel on best practices and protocols to maximize productivity.
- Conducted market research to identify new opportunities and target markets.
- Worked collaboratively with developers, senior-level stakeholders and partners to collect data on deficiencies and provide solutions to long-standing issues.
- Streamlined product management processes for enhanced efficiency and team productivity.
- Implemented market research initiatives to identify customer needs and opportunities for product growth.
- Spearheaded new product launches, driving successful market penetration and adoption rates.
Senior Product Manager
IBM India Pvt Ltd
11.2016 - 08.2021
- Consulted with product development teams to enhance products based on customer interest data.
- Created product positioning strategies designed to achieve optimal market penetration.
- Drove go-to-market plans for product releases, coordinating marketing efforts to raise brand awareness and generate leads.
- Conceptualized long-range product roadmaps and strategically designed according to market data and research.
- Liaised with sales and marketing team to collect customer feedback, incorporating into subsequent production runs and development lifecycles.
- Improved user experience by collaborating closely with design and development teams on UI/UX enhancements.
- Worked collaboratively with developers, senior-level stakeholders and partners to collect data on deficiencies and provide solutions to long-standing issues.
- Monitored market trends and competitor performance and analyzed gaps to update promotional strategies and maximize sales.
- Leveraged Agile methodologies for efficient project management and rapid iteration cycles in response to changing market demands.
- Conducted market research to identify new opportunities and target markets.
Senior Manager - Business & Technology Operations
SunEdison
1 2015 - 8 2016
- Responsible for developing strategy/ business plans for rural utility business - Frontier Power, along with CEO
- Business Modelling and Analysis - Define and develop mini-grid Financial tool - A tool which would forecast the load demand, derive the size of the mini-grids, and calculate financials of a minigrid, conducted sensitivity analysis, Complete analysis of the rural electrification market in India and Africa
- Process Development/Improvements - Developed process for Scalability of Rural business - Process spanned from Inception (Identifying sites), Sales of services, Construction to Maintenance
- Product Management - Defined World Class end to end SaaS Platform requirements and roadmap for Mini Grids - Design to Operations
- Repeatedly dubbed by Engineering team as 'most engaged and involved product manager-and by far the best analyst.' Meet Customers to understand the business & technical requirements and work closely with the development teams (internal and external) to guide the direction of our product offerings.
Senior Manager-Software
SunEdison
08.2013 - 01.2015
- Managed entire suite of Software product management and development for SunEdison
- SW Platform is critical for the success of SunEdison and managed the entire fleet of 1.5GW of Installation Worldwide
- Build from the ground up a key Software team in Bangalore for developing a Remote Monitoring Platform to monitor solar plants installed in Small Commercial and Utility sites
- Developed a Software product to automate solar Plant design - A Ruby based plugin for Sketchup 3D environment, which helps in site modelling and developing optimized solar designs based on energy and cost estimates
- This tool increases engineering productivity and enables rapid design optimization throughout the system design process.
- Provided strong leadership to enhance team productivity and morale.
Strategic Marketing Manager
Cypress Semiconductor India Ltd
11.2011 - 8 2013
- Revamped sales funnel management process and proposed new metrics which are today's corporate standard to effectively track the sales opportunities
- Built a sales funnel management tool that is used by all product managers for revenue forecasting.
- Streamlined internal communication processes, enhancing collaboration among departments and improving overall efficiency.
- Created comprehensive marketing reports and presented findings to executives, informing strategic decisions on budget allocation and campaign direction.
Senior Software Engineering Manager
Cypress Semiconductor India Ltd
11.2008 - 11.2011
- Evaluated ongoing development efforts, providing feedback on potential methods of expediting completion and improving final results.
- Optimized software development processes by implementing Agile methodologies, leading to improved project efficiency.
- Wrote strategic business plans outlining need for departmental information technology resources.
- Established an open communication culture within the team that fostered collaboration, knowledge sharing, and timely issue resolution.
Engineering Manager
Motorola India Pvt Ltd
06.2003 - 11.2008
Technical Specialist
Bell Labs Development Center, Lucent Technologies
4 2000 - 5 2003
Senior Software Engineer
Future Software (P) Ltd
01.1999 - 03.2000
Software Engineer
Motorola India Electronics Ltd.
02.1997 - 12.1998
Management Trainee
Index Computing (P) Ltd
06.1995 - 12.1995
Education
Management Development Program -
Leavey School Of Business, Santa Clara University
11.2011 - 05.2013
M.E. Software Systems - undefined
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
01.1996 - 05.1996
M.Sc (Hons.) Science & Technology Development - undefined
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
08.1991 - 05.1995
Executive General Management Program -
Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
01.2013 - 04.2014
Skills
Product Management
Analytics
Product Strategy and Vision
Cloud
Product Roadmap
Product Offerings
Market Research and Analysis
Product Team Leadership
Strategic Direction
Corporate Strategy
User Experience
Digital Transformation
Leadership and People Development
Strategic Thinking
Accomplishments
- Received three awards for contribution in architecture and development of the 1xEV-DO controller
- Received the Bells Labs President Gold award for contribution in architecture and development of the 1xEV-DO controller
Timeline
Director Product Management
Kyndryl India Pvt Ltd
09.2021 - Current
Senior Product Manager
IBM India Pvt Ltd
11.2016 - 08.2021
Senior Manager-Software
SunEdison
08.2013 - 01.2015
Executive General Management Program -
Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
01.2013 - 04.2014
Strategic Marketing Manager
Cypress Semiconductor India Ltd
11.2011 - 8 2013
Management Development Program -
Leavey School Of Business, Santa Clara University
11.2011 - 05.2013
Senior Software Engineering Manager
Cypress Semiconductor India Ltd
11.2008 - 11.2011
Engineering Manager
Motorola India Pvt Ltd
06.2003 - 11.2008
Senior Software Engineer
Future Software (P) Ltd
01.1999 - 03.2000
Software Engineer
Motorola India Electronics Ltd.
02.1997 - 12.1998
M.E. Software Systems - undefined
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
01.1996 - 05.1996
Management Trainee
Index Computing (P) Ltd
06.1995 - 12.1995
M.Sc (Hons.) Science & Technology Development - undefined
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
08.1991 - 05.1995
Senior Manager - Business & Technology Operations
SunEdison
1 2015 - 8 2016
Technical Specialist
Bell Labs Development Center, Lucent Technologies
4 2000 - 5 2003