‘Passion and commitment are my success mantras’, says Sonali Basu

Enjoy reading an exclusive interview with Sonali Basu Roy, Marketing Manager, Bulwark Technologies, an aspiring woman in the technology industry.

TECHx: What inspired you to pursue a career in technology?

Sonali: When I was in the crossroads of choosing a sound career, I was highly fascinated to see how technological innovation transforms our lives and at the same time impressed to see how an ordinary product transforms into an extraordinary brand with the assistance of the creative engine called ‘Marketing’. This highly inspired me to be a catalyst in the formation of large brands and pursue my dreams of becoming a successful marketer in the IT segment. The growth opportunities are enormous and so are the challenges associated as you successfully climb the corporate ladder.  

TECHx: How have you dealt with challenges throughout your career? 

Sonali: A good challenge that I constantly try to overcome in all my marketing initiatives is to develop accurate metrics to measure the outcome of the marketing activities in relation to the direct sales/revenue generated from such Marcom activities. The outcome of a successful marketing campaign may not be immediate and may take a while to derive actual lead generation & ROI from the activity. Also, limited budgets, timeframes and marketing perception in the industry add to the list of challenges. I also feel it is important to balance my personal & professional career giving both the required importance for a healthy work-personal life balance with constant support from my organization & my family to achieve this.

TECHx: How do gender balance and a diverse workforce contribute to the success of an organization?

Sonali: Gender balance and diversity is extremely critical for a successful and thriving organization especially as we all function in an interconnected, truly international environment not limited by geographical boundaries. Gender balance and diverse workforce helps us to get a wider, richer perspective on everyday organizational challenges. It does bring varied skills and inherent strengths in conceptualizing & execution of relevant strategies to overcome challenges in respective work domains. Every human resource should believe in their capabilities and should be quick learners and acquire different skills to grow in this highly competitive market and workspace. Market trends and mentalities are changing and there is plenty of opportunity for those who are dedicated and motivated. Organizations should invest in skill development and maintaining a good gender balance for their own success. 

TECHx: Do you have a female role model? If so, who is she and how has she inspired you?

Sonali: I have been fortunate to have worked with some dynamic female leaders, who have provided me with required guidance and support at various junctions of my career contributing to my success. I have been also inspired by life of Indra Nooyi (former CEO of Pepsico), helping me to be resilient in overcoming various professional challenges while maintaining work life balance. 

TECHx: What is it about your work that excites you?

Sonali: Over the last 12 years, I faced unique opportunities in the form of either creating Brand awareness of new Technology players in the Regional Market or helping create brand equity of an organization as a Thought Leader in Cyber Security. For attaining both these objectives in totally separate scenarios, have successfully devised Marketing programs having a measurable mix of Direct channels (such as events/webinars/tradeshows/3^rd party conferences/roundtables etc.), Indirect Channels (such as website/blogs/Magazines/Interviews etc.) and Digital medium (such as social media/EDM etc.), collaborating at any given point of time with various partners like marketing agency/media houses/PR agencies/3^rd party agencies etc. amidst an aggressive timeline to have the maximum impact. A planned approach towards the key objectives of the program, optimum utilization of resources and budget, I had at my disposal, the marketing mix and the target market & audience which we wanted to address, helped me achieve the desired results of the Marketing campaigns for the organization and channel community.

TECHx: With technology moving so fast, how do you remain updated?

Sonali: Technology is moving very fast and causing massive changes every day. My continued endeavour would be to keep myself updated on all changes & continue to deliver my best in my current role. Stay agile & up to date on industry trends with a constant thirst & focus on knowledge enhancement is the marketing mantra I live by. To get my daily dose of updates, I keep 30 mins/day to go through latest blogs/news through some of the bookmarked sites and social media. 

TECHx: What’s your favorite motivational quote?

Sonali: A marketing wisdom which motivates me every day to achieve the best would be: One should be visionary and creative with a constant thirst for knowledge to adapt to the rapidly transforming, highly demanding and ever challenging IT industry.

“When you do what you like, you won’t feel like you are doing work.” By Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum – Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates

TECHx: Among all the gadgets you use, which is your favorite?

Sonali: Amongst all the gadgets I use every day, my personal iPhone and professional laptop are the gadgets I cannot do without.

TECHx: When it comes to progressing in a leadership role, what are the most important traits? Can you give one piece of advice to young females who are considering careers in tech?

Sonali: Some important qualities of a good leader while progressing in a leadership role include integrity, accountability, empathy, humility, resilience, vision, influence, and positivity. “Management is about influencing people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about being a motivator & inspiration to people to do things, they never thought they could. One should believe in self, should be quick learners, be creative and have a thirst towards acquiring new skills. Being passionate and committed are the mantras for success.