WNS-Coverage-The-CEO-Magazine Jan2015

In The Office EXECUTIVE INTERVIEWShaping BusinessFORTUNESWNS Global Services is working with businesses around the world to use thepower of technology, analytics, and process excellence to quell the feared threein business—increased costs, eroded margins, and shrinking profitability.Images by Scott Ehler A s a leading business landscape. Concerns such as ensures tangible increase in process management retaining market share in the face business outcomes, including (BPM) company, WNS of constant innovation and creating new revenue streams for Global Services offers disruptive changes, facing a certain clients. vital value to more burgeoning number of Looking back a few years, when I than 200 clients around the world unprecedented business models picked up the reins as the group by combining operational due to changed consumer CEO of WNS—a globally leading excellence with deep domain behaviour, and building an agile, top-tier outsourcing provider expertise in key industry verticals. world-class organisation that can working with many marquee Keshav R Murugesh, Group CEO grow sustainably are some of the clients—the company was quite a of WNS Global Services, and concerns that keep CEOs awake bundle of contradictions. It had Chairman of the NASSCOM at night. grown exponentially from its BPM Council in India, sat down Therefore, it’s a no-brainer that headcount of 300 in the initial with The CEO Magazine to discuss CEOs are actively looking at ways years to a whopping 15,500 in the company’s transformation and means to achieve their 2009, but the business had in recent years as it has business goals, even if it means become static. The organisation restructured and reimagined its moving away from conventional was buzzing with talent, yet there processes and priorities. business models. Outsourcing of was a lack of cohesiveness. The The CEO Magazine: What are certain non-core business company had an impressive client some of the common concerns processes from locations that are roster, yet the organisational you hear from CEOs, and how do far away from their own shores, morale was at an all-time low. you help them address these? while focusing on their core The need of the hour was to usher Has WNS seen remarkable business, is now becoming the in changes—and by ‘changes’ I growth in recent years under business norm. don’t mean typical changes like your leadership? As a BPM company that handles lay-offs and shutting down units. Keshav: Let me first set a context the outsourced parts of clients, By ‘changes’, I mean those with a about business in general today. WNS sharply focuses on reducing dramatic influence on business— It’s a new world order where costs, increasing business ones with a far-reaching impact on traditional business strategies don’t efficiencies, and creating an overall revenues, people, clients, and the work anymore. Technology, impact on both top and bottom overall business philosophy. digitisation, globalisation, and lines. Through the use of platform First, the most impactful of all economic volatility have completely technologies and core analytics changes was the introduction of the transformed the business ably supported by people who are concept of organising our business experts in their own right, WNS1. The CEO Magazine - November 2014 theceomagazine.com.au

according to the industry of our matter whether it is client “What makesclients. The business units— organisations or outsourcing us the brandpractices—we have today are aligned providers like us. we are today iswith client industries. There is a At WNS, apart from using our impressivebanking and financial services unit innovation as a part of an roster of clients,for clients from the BFS industry; employee’s life cycle and work our ability tothere is a healthcare business unit for culture with various HR and other deliver market-clients from the healthcare industry. practices, I have also instituted an leading servicesIt’s important to mention that having entrepreneurial contest to and solutionsa business unit means end-to-end encourage innovation. The with the help ofunderstanding and solutions for that brightest minds in the company our expertparticular industry, and expert come and present their innovative talent andindustry talent, technology, and ideas—for developing either a technology, andsolutions at our end. product or a service that is relevant a strong cultureSecond was evaluating all the to clients—and, if chosen, they get a rooted in ourtechnology we were providing and sizeable investment from WNS to value system.”making changes or developing new kickstart the same. They remain onones to closely align with client our rolls, so they don’t have to face - Keshav R Murugeshneeds. Where the need was for a the fear of failure. We call thisplatform, we went ahead and “The most same location or near it to give around strategy, growth, HR contest ‘Wincubate’, and we havecreated one. impactful of all comfort to our clients. Our practices, and so on. I am quite seen our last two products thatThird was adopting a client-centric changes was expansion strategy is completely hands-on in interacting with my emerged as winners seeing greatclient–partner model, where the introduction guided by our clients’ wide range employees and always keep my eye traction with our existing clients,we closely aligned resources to the of the concept of business needs. open for the talented sparks whom even before showcasing it to newclient in an effort to understand of organising Currently, we have delivery centres I often observe at meetings, town clients. In fact, Progenie, ourclient needs better and work as a our business located in Australia, China, Costa halls, or other official gatherings proprietary solution for unifiednodal part of the client ecosystem. according to Rica, India, the Philippines, Poland, we might have. web management, just won a GoldTo add to the above, we also carved the industry of Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Having said that, I have to admit that Stevie Award for Best New Productout a group to focus on creating the our clients.” the United Kingdom, and the I don’t have to switch gears at all or Service of the Year—Software—right solutions for clients. With United States, and the list is when it comes to employees across Web Services Solution.these strategic changes, our clients - Keshav R Murugesh still growing. different global locations. They Moving to a completely differentbegan to exude immense What makes us the brand we are might look different or like different topic, you and your family areconfidence in our ability to deliver, today is our impressive roster of cuisine or work in different offices, very involved in cricket. What they can play to their full potential. results. Only your commitment andas they could see that we knew clients, our ability to deliver but their goal and ethos is one—to inspired your love for the game? I have always practised that patience will allow you to emergetheir industry from the inside, were market-leading services and enable outperformance for clients How do you think this dedication learning even in corporate life: as a winner.willing to develop solutions that solutions with the help of our with a passion for service and to sport has impacted your I believe in empowering people and What is your short- and long-they required, and were willing to expert talent and technology, and innovation. This goal has been the leadership style? allowing them to perform to their term vision for WNS?closely align ourselves with them. a strong culture rooted in our cornerstone of our entire growth Are you asking me this question fullest potential.How have you expanded the value system. story, from the time we were because I recently interviewedWNS global delivery network How do you engage and work swimming the tide as an organisation Adam Gilchrist at a conference? Another learning that I have The future is exciting as we moveand increased the company’s with your employees across a few years ago, to the leader we are [Laughs] had from cricket, especially test into new areas of growth. In termsreach? What went into making WNS? Being a global company, today—testament to what can be My father, MK Murugesh, and my cricket, is that you have to of new geographies, I foreseethe brand that WNS is today? how often do you have to switch achieved when the minds and hearts father-in-law are well-known former prepare really well to play a long growth in markets such as Europe,A key indicator of the maturity gears working with employees of 27,000-plus people tick together. cricketers who represented the game. In cricket, you need to have the US, and the Asia–Pacific.of a BPM player in today’s market across different locations? How important is innovation in southern region in India. My the stamina and the wherewithal to Our investments into buildingis its ability to deliver services I am very proud of my stable team your context? We know that mother, Arati Murugesh, was the sustain you for five days, whether technology-enabled services andto clients as and when they want of leaders who work with me. I organisations today cannot first manager of the first Indian you are batting, bowling, or domain expertise have shown greatit. Today, an organisation’s have a lot of channels within the survive without innovation at womens cricket team and was fielding. In the world of business, results. I expect WNS to capitalisebusiness imperatives behind company, including a quarterly live their end. What happens when instrumental in driving womens you have to have the stamina to on these strengths and buildadopting BPM services are webcast that I conduct to speak the process is moved to cricket in India. For me, cricket is a make the right investments in long-term, strategic partnershipsvaried, and BPM players must about the results of the company providers like yourself? passion, and I have imbibed a lot terms of people and technology with clients.respond to these needs. and answer questions of employees Innovation is the oxygen for every from the gentlemans game. and wait for them to show the rightIf our client is based out of a organisation today, it does not It is beyond doubt one of the finestcertain location and cannot move team games. You may have onesome of its processes outside of captain, but you need all eleventhat location for whatever reason, players to win the game. You needthen we have centres either in that to understand the strengths of the team and empower your players so3. The CEO Magazine - November 2014 theceomagazine.com.au theceomagazine.com.au The CEO Magazine - November 2014 4.