Janani Shanmugam
Sr. Manager - Tech Support | IT Service Operations | AI & Automation Leader
Chennai
Summary
Strategic IT Operations Leader with 19 years of experience driving excellence in IT Service Desk (ITSD) and Command Center environments. Expert in navigating the full vendor management lifecycle—from RFP creation to SOW/T&M governance—while leading large cross-functional teams (Quality, Training, and Operations). Distinguished by a unique combination of veteran operational leadership and modern technical certifications (PG in AI for Leaders and SRE Foundation). Proven track record in achieving 36% volume reduction through AI-driven IVR optimization and Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
Forward-thinking Senior Manager adept at managing teams of 30 employees with 25 direct reports to accomplish challenging objectives. Imparts clear vision to guide cohesive, high-performing teams.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
Work History
Senior Manager
VERIZON INDIA
01.2023 - 01.2025
- Strategic Leadership: Directed end-to-end ITSD operations, focusing on service stability and technological modernization.
- AI Integration: Applied 2024 PG certification insights to drive AI-led automation projects, enhancing user self-service capabilities.
- Modern Reliability: Integrated SRE (Site Reliability Engineering) frameworks into support workflows to transition from reactive troubleshooting to proactive observability.
Manager – Vendor Governance & Operations
VERIZON INDIA
01.2019 - 01.2023
- Vendor Management: Led the management of external partners, overseeing the RFP (Request for Proposal) process and hiring.
- Contract Governance: Managed a portfolio of T&M (Time & Materials) and SOW (Statement of Work) vendors, ensuring deliverables met stringent enterprise standards.
- Volume Reduction: Successfully reduced IVR volume by 36% by optimizing menu logic and implementing CI-based (Configuration Item) routing.
- Team Leadership: Managed a team of 25+ across Quality, Training, and Tier 1, fostering a culture of continuous process improvement.
Team Lead & Command Center Lead
VERIZON INDIA
01.2012 - 01.2015
- Service Level Management: Owned real-time service level delivery for the ITSD, managing a team of 25 tier-1 agents.
- Escalation Excellence: Acted as the primary point of contact for high-priority incidents and handled executive-level escalations.
Senior Associate – Tech Support
VERIZON INDIA
01.2011 - 01.2012
- Provided Tier 1 support across phone, chat, and ticket queues with high resolution efficiency.
Senior Consultant | IT Service Desk
SUTHERLAND GLOBAL SERVICES
09.2007 - 03.2011
- Provided Tier 1 technical support for global employees and contractors.
- Served as Queue Monitor, optimizing ticket flow and ensuring SLA adherence across network and hardware issues.
Technical Support Officer | Client - British Telecom (BT)
HCL BPO
08.2006 - 09.2007
- Troubleshooting internet connectivity (wired/wireless) for UK-based customers.
Education
Post Graduate Program - AI for Leaders
Great Learnings
01.2024
PGDBA - HR
Symbiosis Pune
01.2010
B.com - undefined
Bharathidasan University
01.2006
Skills
ITSM & Governance: ServiceNow (Expert), ITIL v4, Major Incident Management (MIM), BCP/DR Planning
Modern Operations: SRE Principles (Toil Reduction), AI Implementation Strategy
Vendor Management: RFP Development, SOW & T&M Contract Governance, Vendor KPIs/Scorecards
Strategic planning
Employee talent development
Operations management
Resource allocation
Cross-functional collaboration
Data analytics
Process improvement
Hiring and training
Documentation and reporting
Performance tracking and evaluation
Data-driven decision making
Certification
Lean Six Sigma Certified: Successfully completed a project on High AHT (Average Handle Time) reduction using DMAIC methodology.
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Hindi
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Tamil
Advanced (C1)
Timeline
Senior Manager
VERIZON INDIA
01.2023 - 01.2025
Manager – Vendor Governance & Operations
VERIZON INDIA
01.2019 - 01.2023
Team Lead & Command Center Lead
VERIZON INDIA
01.2012 - 01.2015
Senior Associate – Tech Support
VERIZON INDIA
01.2011 - 01.2012
Senior Consultant | IT Service Desk
SUTHERLAND GLOBAL SERVICES
09.2007 - 03.2011
Technical Support Officer | Client - British Telecom (BT)
HCL BPO
08.2006 - 09.2007
PGDBA - HR
Symbiosis Pune
B.com - undefined
Bharathidasan University
Post Graduate Program - AI for Leaders
Great Learnings