Amruta Sardeshpande

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On one assignment, Amruta Sardeshpande found herself in a remote location in France, unable to speak French but tasked with implementing a cybersecurity solution. Undaunted, she found a solution for connecting with people. “By leveraging a translator app, communicating clearly and concisely, preparing materials in advance and observing non-verbal cues, I successfully understood customer needs and guided them through the project work,” she says. “In the end, not only did I leave the customer satisfied, but I also received some great recommendations for exploring Paris.”

Which of your professional achievements are you most proud?

I was selected to join a team of highly experienced and industry-leading executives to spearhead one of the organization's most crucial Smart Digital Reality Acceleration Project, which included a multi-tenant SaaS solution designed to provide a connected, insightful digital platform for industrial facilities. This project involved developing new product technology integrations with cross-functional teams (500+ people) located globally. This strategic initiative by Hexagon contributed to the company’s competitive advantage and long-term success, providing me with significant visibility within the organization and the opportunity to demonstrate my leadership abilities.  

What has been your most challenging project to date, and how did you meet the challenge and accomplish your goal?

I worked on a project with a customer in the chemicals industry where the project scope involved the custom development of a regulatory compliance reporting module. Understanding the compliance requirements was the first challenge, followed by designing complex workflows and user stories to meet the client's needs. I worked through the entire process of creating the custom module, from conception and design to testing and implementation. This project taught me the importance of stepping outside my comfort zone and instilled confidence in my ability to adapt. I learned that, regardless of the primary role, embracing multiple responsibilities, acquiring new skills rapidly, prioritizing effectively and delivering results within project constraints is essential.

What advice would you give other young professionals?

My professional advice would be to develop a strong technical foundation through continuous learning and hands-on experience. In addition to this, cultivate essential soft skills such as communication, teamwork and leadership. These skills are critical for career advancement and effective collaboration. Also, find mentors who can offer advice, share their experiences and provide guidance.

My personal advice would be to maintain a healthy work-life balance by prioritizing time for family, hobbies and fitness. This will contribute to overall success and well-being in your career.

What qualities do you think are necessary to be a good leader in the oil and gas industry?

As a part of an employee onboarding program, I received the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson. To this date, I find this book very relevant because it has taught me to embrace change and adapt proactively. This quality is crucial for leaders because technology is evolving rapidly. Leaders must possess the vision to adapt to these changes, which can pave the way for growth and new opportunities.

Secondly, effectively conveying complex information to both technical and non-technical stakeholders is critical because effective communication ensures that everyone is on the same page. This leads to better collaboration, teamwork, and project success.

Building and maintaining relationships with your customers and team members is another essential quality that a good leader should have because this builds trust and team members feel connected and more motivated in their work.

Which transformations do you think the industry must undertake for it to thrive in the future?

This industry can leverage big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to optimize data for engineering, operations, and maintenance to improve efficiency, safety, and productivity and to also enhance decision-making.

Since the rise of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, industrial systems are becoming more interconnected. While this connectivity offers benefits like remote monitoring and operational efficiency, it also increases the attack surface for cyber threats. I think it is crucial to highlight the importance of cybersecurity in industrial control systems to protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats.

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