UDAYAKUMAR BALAN
Chennai
Summary
Dynamic and results-driven Presales Leader with nearly 20 years of experience in IT solutions and services with proven ability to craft winning presales strategies, build high-performing teams, and drive business growth.
Leadership & Collaboration: Led teams to deliver innovative solutions, fostering strong interdepartmental collaboration and project management. Adept at managing multidisciplinary teams, both internally and remotely, ensuring on-time and on-budget project delivery.
Seeking a challenging leadership role to leverage extensive experience and technical acumen to propel business success.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Presales Manager
Cognizant Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd
09.2011 - Current
- Team Leadership: Led a team of 10 presales engineers and consultants in developing customized IT solutions for enterprise clients, fostering collaboration and innovation
- Strategic Process Implementation: Implemented strategic presales processes, resulting in a 30% increase in proposal win rates
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborated with sales and delivery teams to ensure seamless transitions from presales to project implementation, enhancing overall client satisfaction
- Technical Showcases: Conducted product demonstrations, proof of concepts (POCs), and workshops to highlight technical capabilities and value propositions, effectively communicating complex solutions to potential clients
- Client Engagement: Delivered impactful presentations and demonstrations to potential clients, building strong relationships and driving business growth
- Consultative Advising: Advised clients on IT infrastructure solutions, identifying opportunities for process improvement and cost savings
- Expertise in CMS/CRM: Demonstrated expertise in CMS/CRM solutions, including customization and implementation, to meet diverse client needs
- Comprehensive Experience: A seasoned delivery manager with over 20 years of experience in delivery, project, product, presales, and process management for software projects
- Mentorship and Competency Building: Mentored middle management and built competencies across the organization, fostering professional growth and development
Technical Leader
Wipro Technologies Pvt Ltd
08.2007 - 08.2011
- Team Leadership: Built and led a high-performing technical team, overseeing projects from conception to completion, ensuring alignment with client goals and quality standards
- Project Management: Involved in various Proof of Concepts (POCs), effort estimation, and resource allocation, optimizing project planning and execution
- Stakeholder Communication: Acted as the single point of contact (SPOC) for onsite and offshore counterparts, leading the team onsite for a shorter duration and facilitating seamless communication and collaboration
- Technical Communication: Effectively communicated technical concepts to all relevant stakeholders, addressing technical challenges and roadblocks promptly
- Quality Assurance: Ensured that products were delivered with minimal escalations and maintained the highest quality standards
- Team Development: Provided training, mentorship, and guidance for team members' professional development, fostering a culture of continuous learning
- Issue Resolution: Troubleshoot issues and provided solutions in a timely manner, maintaining project momentum and client satisfaction
- Change Management: Managed changes to project scope and schedule, assessed the impact of changes, and communicated them to relevant stakeholders to ensure alignment and transparency
Software Engineer
BirlaSoft Pvt Ltd
01.2005 - 08.2007
- Template Development: Created reusable XML templates for Interwoven projects, streamlining the process of XML template creation across multiple projects
- Requirement Analysis and Coding: Analyzed user requirements, designed, and developed code according to defined use cases, ensuring alignment with project specifications
- Testing: Developed and executed unit tests and integration tests using both manual and automated scripts, ensuring robust and error-free code
- Documentation: Created and maintained comprehensive technical documentation, including specifications, system documentation, and user manuals, facilitating knowledge transfer and project continuity
- Initiative Leadership: Played a key role in forming the Interwoven Tech Pool at the Chennai Development Center and participated in various other organizational initiatives
- Technical Training: Conducted technical training sessions for practice members across India on Interwoven Concepts, enhancing team capabilities and knowledge
- Knowledge Sharing: Presented a white paper to the PCM practice on Interwoven TeamSite UI Customization, contributing to the organization's knowledge base and best practices
Education
Masters in Computer Applications -
Anna University, SRM Easwari Engineering College
Chennai06-2005
Skills
- Presales Strategy Development
- Client Needs Assessment
- Demand Generation & Marketing Strategy
- Proposal and Presentation Writing
- Team Leadership and Development
- Communication and Negotiation
- Marketing Team Management
- Project Management
- Relationship Management
- OpenText Suite of Products
- Bloomreach
Accomplishments
- Multi-Channel Marketing Campaigns: Successfully executed organic on-site and off-site marketing efforts, resulting in a 300% increase in on-page conversion rates and a 200% increase in organic social media leads.
- Marketing Team Management and Interdepartmental Collaboration: Led and managed multidisciplined teams, both internally and remotely, as well as external agencies. Delivered cohesive cross-platform projects within budget and strict deadlines. Provided direction, coaching for skill and career development, and fostered a sense of responsibility, pride, and accountability. Managed programs and goals organization-wide, enhancing efficiency through marketing collateral, sales enablement projects, visibility, and reporting.
- Support for CMS Products: Actively supported OpenText Digital Products and Bloomreach competency by collaborating with Sales and Marketing teams on proposals, promoting the practice and its offerings, and driving business growth.
Certifications
CPMD (Cognizant Program Manager Development) Certified
Developer Foundations - Bloomreach Experience Manager Certified
Microsoft Specialist – Programming in HTML5, JavaScript, CSS3
Timeline
Presales Manager
Cognizant Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd
09.2011 - Current
Technical Leader
Wipro Technologies Pvt Ltd
08.2007 - 08.2011
Software Engineer
BirlaSoft Pvt Ltd
01.2005 - 08.2007
Masters in Computer Applications -
Anna University, SRM Easwari Engineering College
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