Anirban (Oni) Chakravartti is an advisor to IT companies and an investor in startups.

In his last role, he was Global Channel VP for WW sales in Forcepoint. Before joining Forcepoint, Oni was a member of the leadership team in Optiv, managing partners’ business and solutions globally 2.5B IT Security company. Oni was also the global head of strategic partners for Symantec. With over 25+ years of experience in multi-faceted senior leadership roles at companies like Cisco, AMD, as well as HP/Compaq. Oni specializes in enterprise sales, global marketing, and global strategic solution partner. He has managed international channel partners and various business units worldwide and was instrumental in launching major brands and products with AMD and HP worldwide. 

Oni has a degree in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT-A India) and he has also attended Stanford School of Business – Executive Marketing Program. Oni is based in Silicon Valley with his family.

Biswadeep Gupta, Editor KRC Times, interacted with Oni Chakravartti. Here are the excerpts of the online interaction:

Biswadeep Gupta (BG): Can you please take us through your background and evolution as a thought leader?

Anirban Chakravartti (Oni): I come from very humble family background. I worked hard from day one and managed to understand the key aspects of hard work in order to achieve success in life. It is important to remember that nothing comes free in life. In my opinion, self-reliance and dedication are critical components for success. 

Growing up in Agartala, a small town, one can call it a small community where everyone knew everyone but with minimal access to the world outside. In the ’80s, when the only access to a large metropolis like Kolkata was through air travel and only one flight arrived per day to go there. I had come to understand that when you find any opportunity, you have to grab it as quickly as you can so that you can benefit in the long term. Managed to start a Travel agency when I was in Grade X.

I saw my father, who made a relationship outside his core competency: being a tea planter and building solid mutual relationships. I always heard that anything could be achieved if one put his mind and heart into that end milestone.

I grew up seeing empathy to people around me by my family. It did not matter who that person was; helping others in their best interest was something I saw from childhood. It got engraved in my DNA, and I still believe in that leadership style. Develop people around you in their best interest, and you will achieve the best result for the team’s success. 

A long time back I read a book by Kim Woo-Choong called, Every street is paved with gold and it somehow changed my view on life.

BG: We all know there are always ups & downs in life. How do you manage yourself and keep on going with the highs and lows? 

Oni: One thing for sure is that nothing in life comes easy and it is important to remember that there are no shortcuts to success no matter the goal one sets for oneself. One example of this in my own life was when I was in grade 8. My dad had a heart issue and we were not sure he would live long and need of necessity; we manage to open a travel agency, the first in Agartala. I started working there with my dad and uncle and learned how to engage with people at the same time learning the tactics and tricks on how to manage a business. I continued to work at the travel agency up until I graduated from NIT-A.  Once I reached Kolkata in June, as luck would have it, I managed to get an open door interview with Microland, one of the very first ends to end networking computer companies. They were hiring Electronic and Computer Engineers from Jadavpur Engineering College. I was the only person with Mechanical Degree. I had a campus selection for SAIL as a graduate trainee.  On the day of my interview, I was trembling to my core as I hardly had that exposure and knowledge of networking or even computers. I only read an article about the CEO/ Founder of Microland Mr. Kar and I felt that I had to give it a try.  

I gathered my strength and thought about what am I to lose. I still recall, the executive at the interview asked me what I knew about computers, and I told him, sir, you show me the front and back of the computer, I might not be able to differentiate, but I can discuss mechanical engineering. I was the only person to get the job. 

BG: “Success doesn’t come easy.” In your opinion, what are the keys to success?

Oni: One of the most quintessential lessons about how to achieve success can be seen in a quote said by Swami Vivekanand. He said that “If you work hard, honest and sincere, nothing can stop you”. I believe that to my core. 

Success does not come as an accident, you have to grab the opportunity and take the risk, but I will also say luck can play a critical factor in one’s life. 

BG: How would you describe your Leadership Style?

Oni: I believe my style revolves around, collaboration, accountability, and development through teams so that success can be attainable. I try to gather talent from all over the world so that our shared goal of overall triumph and success can be met. I try my best to motivate my team members and try to align organizational goals to their success. For every problem, there is a solution, and I try and cultivate talented and driven individuals to think outside the box and take the risk. I’m not fond of the attitude that something is impossible or just simply cannot be done.

-The 3 P’s in Leadership; – Purpose – Planning – Promote Creativity  

My mantra of leadership is “Lead by Example.” 

BG: 2020 has been a catastrophic year, yet what positives do you see coming out of the pandemic?

Oni:  Covid has changed our society in all directions and challenged the status quo. Yes, it has taken a massive toll on the human population, but it has given us opportunities to rethink and reinvent our destiny for success as a whole society. One monumental realization that has finally come to light is that we need to reduce our carbon footprint to let the earth survive. I believe this pandemic has made us draw our attention to all of the flaws in our society as well as making us adapt to new embedded rules in society.

The path from analog to digital has been a steep curve, and I believe it is for the better. The engagement in every aspect,  E2E, B2B, B2C, and C2C, everything is changing with the move to digital. Companies, people who could migrate and adapt to the new normal was a great acceleration point for society.

You look at how your buying habits have changed, your consumption of services, telemedicine, restaurants,  businesses, banking, you name it. We were in a digital economic train at the beginning of the 21st era, but Covid accelerated the adoption by multiple folds for a better and productive economy. 

At a personal level, this pandemic has also had some positive effects on me. I got to spend more time with my family as I was not traveling 20 days a month. Did the business suffer? No, it skyrocketed. Yes, the pandemic had other emotional impacts of losing friends and family, which cannot be compared with anything. However, with the vaccines out now, I hope that all the suffering will be put to an end. With a move to the digital economy, the earth will be impacted less, and in turn that will carry down like a domino effect on all facets of life and through society for the better.

We need to leave a better future for our kids, grandkids, and future generations to come, and the only way is to persevere, cherish, and protect our earth.  I know a lot is going in India with Covid and I hope to pray things to come under control quickly.

BG: How have you managed deadline stress or prioritized multiple deadlines?

Oni:  Before I do anything, I ask my self few fundamental questions, Why? What? Where? and How? Depending on my internal responses to these pivotal questions, I create goals and timelines and I set deadlines. I have a simple saying; try not to make a landing strip until you know which aircraft you want to land and which one you want to take off.

Stress will be there no matter and a way to overcome this stress is to be patient. In airports, I see people going from one side of the baggage claim carousel to the other side to pick up their bags thinking they will get it faster. But in reality, if they stand, wait and try not to stress, the bag will come in front of them, and the experience will be better for everyone. What I mean by this is that sometimes running after things does not help; it takes time to get things done. People need to learn to be patient and persistent even if some methods give the illusion of being more gratifying.

BG: As a leader, how do you deal with conflicts within your team?

Oni:  I am a firm believer in collaborative leadership that aims to bring leaders and staff to come out of silos, team members. Good people do not leave due to organizational issues, they leave because of their leaders. Everyone needs to work for the common good of the organization and fight for success. In order to keep this drive towards success steady, I try to identify weak links and provide a strong, supportive structure so that the weak ties do not lead to failure. As it is known, no one in his or her wildest dream wants to fail. Another way I deal with conflicts within my team is by promoting the members’ success openly and share my failure publicly, so other team leaders do the same. We all make mistakes, and I want teams to take the risk, make mistakes, and learn from them.

A poem by Charles McKay projects this message in a powerful way, “You have hit no traitor in the hip, you have dashed no cup from the perjured lips, You never turned wrong to right, you have been a coward in your fight.”

BG: How often do you use social media? What do you use it for?

Oni: It is a phenomenal tool to express oneself. It truly helped me to connect with friends with whom I lost touch after school. I enjoy sharing my travel experience with friends. As you know, I am an avid photographer, and it allows me to share with my family how the world looks through my eyes.

BG: If you could, what one piece of advice would you give to your 20 years younger self? 

Oni:  One piece of advice I would give my younger self would be, to venture into something I really enjoy. I would also remind my younger self not to succumb to family and societal expectations and pressure. To branch off from that I want to add that even in present-day life, I am learning and growing every day from people around me and my kids mostly. One thing I share with my kids is that; if you dream, DREAM BIG.

BG: We would love to know your advice for many future leaders reading this interview?

Oni:  We have known each other since our college days in NITA. I am sure you recall our days in college. I was the quiet guy standing in a corner in the room while everyone shared their viewpoints. The same demeanor still exists within me. I tend to listen first and not react. You never know, something amazing might come out of a good conversation. I take my time to make an opinion. Everyone has his or her barometer for success, and I never calibrate my journey with anyone else. My way to calibrate success with how many lives I was able to impact positively and which were within my circle of influence. 

 I try to see the best in everyone, and I am learning every day.

BG: Oh yes, you have been one of my influencers in life and I am your follower. Finally my last question for this session. How do you manage work-life balance?

I would say.. wherever I travel for work- I make sure I am back at home Friday evening and only leave Sunday late night or Monday. My weekends are for my kids. We love playing tennis and during winter we are avid skiers.

BG: Thank you Oni, for speaking to KRC Times.

Oni: It is always a pleasure, Biswadeep. Stay safe, and I wish all your readers a great year ahead!