Up On Cloud Nine
Anita started her journey with her father's hardware business, and today is a part of the India leadership team of Dell. She has had her share of ups and downs and that's what she feels has brought her this far.
Vanita Peter D'souza | March 2016 Issue | The Dollar Business
Anita Sanghi, Global CFO & Executive Director, Infrastructure & Cloud Computing, Dell ServicesShe started her corporate career almost two decades ago, but her professional journey started much earlier. During her college days, Anita assisted her father in his hardware retail and distribution business in the steel city of Rourkela, Odisha. Anita, a Chartered Accountant by profession, then worked with numerous companies. However, her ‘big break’ came in 1995 from Yokogawa Blue Star where she became the Accounting Head. Since then, there has been no looking back for her. After a maternity break, she joined Rational Software and soon got promoted as their India CFO. When Rational Software was taken over by IBM, she started heading the treasury of the American IT giant’s India subsidiary.
So what would come next? Having experienced almost every role that the domestic market had to offer, she says her next logical move was to take on a larger global role. In 2014, she joined Infrastructure and Cloud Computing business of Dell Services as its Global CFO. And she is upbeat about Dell's future in India. She says, "In the coming years, I foresee India playing an even bigger role in Dell’s future."
She calls her job challenging, but not demanding. How does she manage all this with such ease? Just like any other woman, Anita is backed by a supportive family. She owes her business instincts to the environment she grew up in. “Since my brother was young, I quickly stepped in to help my father, who proudly involved me in all his business dealings. Even today, he (my father) is my biggest inspiration, along with my mother and siblings. I got married when I was pursuing the CA programme. Since then, there has been a lot of support from my husband, who has been my mentor, supporter and critic. He deserves a lot of credit for everything that I have been able to achieve. My daughter, now 18 years old, has been my reverse mentor and admirer” says Anita. But this picture was not always perfect. Anita’s husband survived cancer in 2003 and since then, in gratitude, she started serving the society. She is associated with various causes related to cancer patients, children from underprivileged background, and old age homes.
What is her success mantra? She laughs and says – the art of delegating! “Delegation is extremely empowering, and if done right, has the ability to deliver best results. This has also allowed for people development like no other training ever has”, she concludes.
TDB: From an Accounting Head at Yokogawa Blue Star to Dell’s Infrastructure and Cloud Computing CFO – how has been your professional journey so far?
Anita Sanghi (AS): My career journey started early; while attending college, I joined my father’s hardware retail and distribution business in Rourkela. My corporate journey began in 1995 with Yokogawa Blue Star. After a maternity break, I joined Rational Software as Finance Manager and was soon promoted to India CFO. IBM acquired Rational Software in 2003, and I started with heading Treasury for IBM India, post which I performed various roles, including leader of the CFO Project Office, Tax Head for IBM India-South Asia, Cost Take-out Executive, Finance Director for the Global Delivery Centers & Labs, and ended my long run at IBM as CFO for the domestic businesses, India-South Asia. I was the first woman executive in IBM India finance and also part of the IBM India board. I must say it was a very fulfiling journey. I joined as Global CFO for Infrastructure and Cloud Computing business of Dell Services in November 2014. This is an exciting role and allows me to work with global teams and clients. It has been an enriching experience with a lot of learning, great business partners to work with, and opportunities to give back in many ways. Apart from being in the India 'Leadership Team' of Dell, I Co-chair the CFO council. Additionally, I am a passionate advocate of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) at the workplace and currently head the India and APJ (Asia-Pacific including Japan) Finance D&I initiative.
TDB: You are a mother of two and also associated with various social causes such as cancer prevention. How do you manage all these tasks alongside such a demanding job?
AS: I strongly believe in giving back to the society, and my personal experience has inculcated humility in me. My husband survived cancer back in 2003, and ever since, the cause of cancer patients has been one that’s very close to my heart. Other causes that I am passionate about are education for children from less privileged backgrounds, and care for the elderly.
How do I manage all this with a rather challenging job?! Well, one thing which has helped me create time is the art of delegating, both at work and home. Delegation is extremely empowering, and if done right, has the ability to deliver best results. This has also allowed for developing people like no other training ever has. At work, I have been able to build strong teams, and some of them have moved on to leadership roles. At home, my kids have learnt to be independent and confident individuals, and excel in various literary and academic fields.
TDB: Please throw some light on Dell’s cloud computing business in India, and how important is India for Dell?
AS: India is the third largest market for Dell, globally. With over 27,000 team members, Dell India is the largest operation for Dell outside US. Apart from this, Dell has end-to-end solutions and delivery capabilities in India – sales and marketing, manufacturing hub, Dell Services, R&D center, Customer Contact Centers, Dell IT, Global Analytics and Global Financial Services – besides setting up a distribution network of commercial and retail channel and a service network that spans over 650 locations across India. Hence, India is a strategic market for Dell, and both from sourcing industry’s best talent for global operations as well as to address the technology solutions need of India as a market. In the coming years, I foresee India playing an even bigger role in Dell’s future.
With respect to Dell’s cloud computing business in India, a lot of new age companies are adopting our cloud solutions in an increasing way. The IPs and solutions in private cloud environment that Dell offers are the leading ones in the industry. We have seen good traction in certain industry segments like banking, telecom, and technology. We expect these solutions to take center stage in other industries as well. From a global operations stand point, we provide transformational outsourcing services on the back of advanced cloud-based outsourcing solutions. Adoption of that is picking up fast in North America, and we expect that to happen in India in the near future.
Quoting the words of Dell’s Global CFO who visited India recently – “If you look around the globe today, India is a bright spot. The economy is growing, unlike many other places.”
TDB: Is Dell looking to export services from India to newer markets across the globe? 
AS: Dell has a large base in India for its global pure play IT Services business. Engineers and delivery teams based in India are providing IT services to customers across the globe. As a business, Dell Services is continually exploring new geographies with attractive potential to expand the business into. As and when these expansions happen to new geographies, a good portion of those services will be delivered out of India.
TDB: The government introduced the SEIS scheme under the new Foreign Trade Policy. How happy are you with it?
AS: Yes, it is a welcome step and replaces multiple schemes which were in place earlier, and had different conditions for eligibility and usage. The Indian government is actively engaged in making its presence felt in the global marketplace. The Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020 expands the scope to Service Providers located in India (regardless of their origin), as against Indian Service Providers in the earlier SFIS scheme. It encourages foreign manufacturers to ‘Make in India’, and facilitates Ease of Doing Business in India.
to success.