A time to bid Adieu...& An Ode to Cognizant

From: Gopalakrishnan, Karthik (Cognizant - Finance) Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 6:46 PM Cc: gopaalakrishnan@yahoo.com Subject: A time to bid Adieu... Sensitivity: Personal

Tomorrow is my last working day in an official manner…

The day of reckoning has at last come for me to bid adieu to all of you here in Cognizant…the departure albeit is only from being an official counterpart. I would, however, still like to retain and remember the finest of times we have had together and as a united team. Every moment we have had together would be etched and verdant in my memory forever. Towards this, on a personal front, I share with you all my personal email ID –gopaalakrishnan@yahoo.com

I would definitely like to be in touch and share with each and every one of you, wherever you are and share my joyous moments, movements and developments at all times. I have never done this, though, in the past. Let me take a different step aside this time around to be in contact with folks who have contributed in various ways and means to my personal growth and development from a professional and personal perspective.

As the company law maxim goes, "People may come and People may go, but the company goes on forever" but what remains imprinted in each one of us are the moments, rolled up into eventful days, months and years in Cognizant. To briefly describe, life at Cognizant, it just moved at a blizzard pace. Each and everyday was a day of reckoning, never a dull moment, it was not a case of being plate full rather you being virtually drowned with a boulder, having to swim your way out unlocking the shackles and carrying the rest of the crew to safety. Don’t get the picture wrong, however, what this company has taught me is to expect the unexpected on a daily basis and be prepared to face it. Life is definitely a challenge and if you do not smirk, you can learn, definitely how to handle complex issues manifesting itself by the day and by the hour. So nothing is staid and you are always expected to challenge and rewrite the status quo.

It’s been a 3 ½ journey of life in Cognizant. And what a ride it’s been. Ever since I joined Cognizant on 15thMay 2003, there has never been a dull moment. Service Industry and in particular, IT Industry was new to me after 4 years of experience in manufacturing sector. It was akin to a toddler going to nursery school, learning the nuances of the game, step by step and move forward. Everything about IT or is it Cognizant was different. Work culture, Work ethics, inter personal behavioral patterns, non hierarchical structure, can do attitudes, adherence to deliverable timelines, come what may, willingness to lend a sympathetic ear to fellow members, understanding of individual / family concerns, it was a buoyant life indeed. At that time, the team was very limited and handful. Today, even within the finance fraternity, we are stretching the horizon. We have grown from 20 odd to 150+ today and still growing along with the company.

It’s been a phenomenal growth indeed and beyond the wildest dreams of many. Here we are today and I am proud to have been part of the revenue team, which today is the biggest team and plays a significant stellar role in ensuring the right numbers are reported. I am not decrying the roles and responsibilities of others, but wish to make a point on where I belong within the finance fraternity.

In the roller coaster of a ride, I have been fortunate enough to see the automation of the following,

IBIS receivables automation – was the first initiative within AR team and it went live in Q4 of 2004. The foundation for automation was laid here.

Fixed bid revenue recognition and billing system – Control M – Go live in Aug 05 – the system name being provided in honor of Hari, who actually ushered in the era of automation by writing excel macros and paving the way for more innovative ideas to flourish in an unperturbed manner. The ever smiling charismatic gentleman who knows not the word “No” to anything.

T&M revenue recognition and billing system – BYT – Bill Your Time

And the ultimate test to our internal systems team – Revenue assurance team – ARC (Assure revenue on click)

…all of which we earlier used to do manually using multiple spreadsheets, sending thousands of emails, extensive usage of Alt+Tab or Ctrl+Tab to move between different Microsoft applications.

It’s been a sea change in the way we operate today, compared to the yore of yesterday. Special thanks to Shanthi and her team for their fullest and earnest support in each and every one of our endeavors. Ever encouraging souls with unflinching support and guidance through and through, without them we would not have achieved what I have stated above.

One singular aspect of Cognizant finance team has been the “attitude” of everyone. It’s what we can and are capable of doing. Stretched as we were, we stretched beyond our realms to explore and bring about changes in the course of time. Here, management encouraged a bottom up approach to ferment new ideas, process changes, however, tuned them up and ensured that they met the demands and rigors of corporate requirements.

Toughest times were the months of Jan to Mar 2005 when the whirlwind of SOX swept us all with sweeping requirements. Every day and night was a literal day-nightmare, until the day it was formally signed off. However, it was an altogether different learning experience for all concerned and the changes that occurred post-facto symbolized the concerns of investing community in public companies and the need for better corporate governance in the form of superior controls and greater transparency. It’s an experience to be remembered for all the right and wrong reasons.

Each one of the senior members of the finance team are emblazoned with the following virtues, typically, honesty, integrity, commitment, team spirit unbiased judgments and the will to exceed and succeed. Now when you are brought up in such an invigorating environment, you are bound to discover new vistas which you probably would not even have dreamt of. Such is the sheer exuberance these leaders exhibit whenever they interact with you. More pertinently, even if they hold such high position and privilege within the company, each one has their feet on the ground and talk what they practice. I have, but only extol their qualities and hope that I would be able to practice them wherever I go in the true spirit of Cognizant.

Even though I have waxed lyrical about Cognizant at length, life is definitely demanding at work place and only the toughest and fittest can survive. So if you are decorated as one high flier, I am sure you have definitely worked real hard to earn your laurels. I have thoroughly enjoyed my work in Cognizant, though frustrating at times for various reasons, I believe Cognizant and my seniors have been able to derive the best out of me and help me realize a persona hitherto, having a siesta.

I take this opportunity to thank profusely RR who ultimately took the decision to hire me after multiple rounds of interviews with Kalyan, Sridhar, Mani and Murugan. RR told me during the interview, I may or may not hire you…I just had one sentence to reply…even if do not hire me, it’s fine, the interview sessions I had with others have given me a personal belief and confidence which I started losing, so I am happy to have attended these interviews and realize that I have the potential within me to excel. Though I have had very limited interactions with him, his presence has been a towering one for all of us in Cognizant Finance. Like I mentioned earlier, a personal enquiry even to my wife on how life is, to understand and reiterate that there is life beyond work, when we meet on common occasions like marriage or otherwise would make us feel more important…as they say even lesser mortals are embellished here. Also I would like to thank Vinod, Balaji, Kalyan, Mani and Murugan for their close interactions, suggestions and mentoring. Vinod definitely requires special mention here for his sheer audacity and courage to implement new systems / processes amidst toughest of situations. It’s been a real learning for me in terms of understanding the nuances of providing requirements, developing, testing and implementing new systems in the last one year or so. And also for the insight into developing next set of team leaders within the team.

The verve and vitality the youngsters have brought in to the work place is truly amazing. The infusion of fresh blood and adrenalin is always important to bring about radical changes at any place. Even though Cognizant is young…it would remain afresh and youthful on account of its ability to attain, retain and nurture talent at workplace. It’s been a pleasure working with such vibrant minds, understand their aspirations, grow with them and profile a growth path for them. Though it’s been done to the best of our ability, considering the persisting circumstances, if there is a feeling that it could have been done better, feel free to share… It’s not a disclaimer statement though. Nothing is perfect and no one is perfect, change is a constant phenomenon and as I have always reiterated, please do not refrain from voicing out your opinions or thought processes, please proclaim them. It’s a unique opportunity that exists within Cognizant where everyone is invited to express themselves freely and fairly. So if you have something to say…say it out aloud, right now, right here without waiting for something to happen or someone to approach you. Time waits for no one…Seize the opening and Initiative…Please express yourself…The eyes and ears of your seniors are always open for suggestions and to wade you through gushing waters.

It’s been a brief history (for some it would have been a long one, if you have had the patience to read through…) of life at Cognizant…True to its name, I have been able to decipher a different caliber in me. It was also a dream to work for a billion $ company, some number some might say, but working for a multinational that has presence all over the globe, growing at a ripping pace was a dream come true. Thanks a billion to Cognizant for providing me with this opportunity.

The learning curve just improved by the day…and I hope that I would be able to learn much more in the days to come with my future assignment. Look forward to being in touch with each and every one of you…signing off…not from your hearts though…Karthik

Mail me at- gopaalakrishnan@yahoo.com

Mobile - 09840720425

Residence Telephone no. – 91-044-24867018

An Ode to Cognizant

It’s another day; a day of myriad challenges, ruminations and yearnings

The day begins with smiling hi’s, hello’s and good mornings

As you unlock your workstation to reach the destined land

To discover, learn, compute, complete and compete with the Cognizant band

Life ambles along with breaks and chuckles during the day

Along the corridor and by the bay

Each one echoes their inner self, in this Cognizant family

Sometimes in a manner conspicuous, Sometimes discreetly

The hues of vision take wings one of these days to augment

Incubating the seeds of change and development

And as we progress, in unison as a team

The winds of change feathering our lives, we often beam

Embattling the odds, crossing with ease the most difficult of streams

We have achieved our innate dreams

A dream to systemize not just the processes

Even that of our lives

To synchronize and to initiate

To better work life balance and to resuscitate

And today here we are eulogizing

A billion dollars of turnover, at astronomical speeds multiplying

Managed, accounted, controlled and reported to investors satisfaction

With a fascinating array of systems and processes developed to perfection

An intrinsic self achievement to be acclaimed and proclaimed

The vision and will to experiment and change has always remained

The fire to excel and exceed never ends by dusk or dawn

As the constant motion to change keeps away the yawn

Driven is everyone to scale the peaks of infinity

Day by day, hour by hour…life goes on and we move on with absolute humility

To scale even greater heights, unassuming of the peaks trekked

At frenetic pace…to be stopped

Only by the biological clock…to be resumed

To have the Cognizant colors around the world bedecked.

Warm regards,

Karthik

P&T - 91-44-4360 5104

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