The dawn of the digital age has ushered in an era of unprecedented convenience and connectivity. The gamut of ever-advancing technologies and digitalization have immensely enhanced the quality of our daily lives. From the palm of our hands, we can access an infinite universe of information, services, and experiences. The ease with which we can interact with businesses, governments, and individuals worldwide has transformed the way we live, work, and play.
These techno-times are empowered by globally recognized iconic women leaders who are shaping the future of technology and inspiring generations to come. At the forefront of this technological revolution are leaders like Jamuna Thangavelu, who are shaping the digital landscape and driving innovation. These pioneers are not only harnessing the power of technology to solve complex problems but also ensuring that the solutions are of top-notch quality and that their benefits are accessible to all. As the Director Engineering, Global QA, at Warner Brothers Discovery (a leading global company in premium content and entertainment), Jamuna’s leadership is inspiring a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs who are committed to building a more connected, equitable, and sustainable future.
Jamuna, a seasoned software professional with nearly two decades of experience, has consistently delivered high-quality digital products and solutions across a variety of industries. Her expertise encompasses agile methodologies, performance testing, automation, DevOps, and domain engineering.
As a leader in digital quality transformations for OTT and streaming platforms, Jamuna is dedicated to ensuring customer satisfaction and maintaining market leadership. She champions quality at every stage of the digital engineering process, from initial ideation to final delivery. By empowering her team with best practices, cutting-edge tools, and the necessary skills, she fosters a culture of excellence.
Jamuna works closely with business stakeholders to understand their needs, prioritize requirements, and align product roadmaps with the company’s strategic vision. Her recent accomplishments include receiving multiple awards for quality engineering, driving successful digital transformation initiatives, and being recognized for her leadership in the technology industry.
To give you an insider’s account of how quality-obsessed leaders like hers are transforming the way you have been served, Jamuna spoke in an exclusive interview with Women World India. Let’s dive into that candid discussion without further ado.
As an icon in the IT world, could you take us back to the beginning of your journey? What motivated you to step into your field?
Absolutely, I’d be happy to share my journey, which I would love to call a journey of championing quality across multiple domains: banking, capital markets, retail, and media OTT platforms.’
From the very beginning, my fascination with technology’s potential to solve complex problems and create impactful solutions and my curiosity about how things worked particularly computers and software, led me to pursue an engineering degree in IT. It ignited my passion for excellence and making a difference in my endeavours.
The challenge of ensuring technology is reliable, efficient, and user-friendly across diverse industries motivated me to enter this field. I found great satisfaction in uncovering bugs and optimizing software performance, knowing my work was crucial in delivering high-quality products. Over the years, my commitment to quality has deepened, driven by a desire to innovate and empower teams to set new standards for excellence.
The initial phase involved embracing the challenge of quality across various domains, which has been both challenging and rewarding. Each industry—banking, capital markets, retail, or media OTT platforms—has unique needs and expectations, requiring tailored strategies to ensure the highest quality. The demand for high-quality products and services is universal, from ensuring financial security and regulatory compliance in banking to optimizing customer experiences in retail.
In banking, quality assurance focuses on security, accuracy, and compliance, where even minor errors can lead to significant financial losses. Thus, robust testing frameworks, including automated and manual testing, are essential. In capital markets, speed and reliability are vital, necessitating performance testing to handle high-frequency trading and large transaction volumes.
Retail, heavily customer-focused, requires a seamless user experience across platforms for satisfaction and loyalty. Quality assurance here involves rigorous testing of user interfaces and payment systems to quickly resolve issues that could impact customer experience.
In the media OTT space, delivering high-quality streaming experiences demands continuous monitoring of network performance and content delivery. Quality assurance ensures smooth, uninterrupted viewing across devices.
Overall, the commitment to quality across these diverse sectors highlights the importance of tailored strategies and robust testing methodologies to meet each industry’s unique demands.
You are recognized as an inspirational force behind your professional achievements. Could you shed light on your approach to leadership and team building within the organizations you have worked for so far?
As a quality transformation leader, my approach to leadership is rooted in a blend of several modern leadership styles, including transformational, servant, and situational leadership. These styles have guided my journey in building and nurturing high-performing teams across various domains. I believe that successful leadership is not about a one-size-fits-all method but about understanding the unique dynamics of each team and project and applying the appropriate leadership style to foster growth, innovation, and excellence.
At the heart of my leadership philosophy is transformational leadership, which focuses on inspiring and motivating teams through a shared vision. One of the key aspects of this is the ability to motivate and empower team members. People are the most valuable asset of any organization, and when they are motivated and empowered, they are capable of achieving great things. I strive to create an environment where team members feel valued, trusted, and encouraged to leverage their unique skills and talents. This involves recognizing and celebrating their achievements, providing opportunities for growth and development, and encouraging them to take risks and innovate.
For example, in a past project aimed at overhauling the quality engineering processes, I shared a bold vision of a future where manual testing was minimized and automation was the norm. By clearly articulating the benefits of this transformation—such as increased efficiency, reduced errors, and improved customer satisfaction—I was able to gain buy-in from the team and motivate them to embrace new tools and methodologies. Through regular team meetings, workshops, and brainstorming sessions, I fostered an environment where everyone felt involved in the change process and motivated to contribute their ideas and expertise.
To build high-performing teams, which is key to achieving quality transformation, I focus on creating a culture of trust, collaboration, and continuous improvement. As a quality transformation leader, my approach to leadership is rooted in a blend of several modern leadership styles, including transformational, servant, and situational leadership. These styles have guided my journey in building and nurturing high-performing teams across various domains. I believe that successful leadership is not about a one-size-fits-all method but about understanding the unique dynamics of each team and project and applying the appropriate leadership style to foster growth, innovation, and excellence.
The essence of entrepreneurship lies in bringing innovation and advancements to one’s niche. How have you seen organizations strike a balance between customer expectations and user experience in your professional journey?
In my professional journey, I’ve observed that organizations balance customer expectations and user experience through a multifaceted approach.
Understanding Customer Expectations: Organizations conduct thorough market research to grasp customer expectations, gathering feedback through surveys and focus groups. This understanding allows companies to align their innovations with these demands.
Design Thinking and User-Centered Design: Many organizations utilize design thinking methodologies to prioritize user experience. This process involves empathizing with users, defining their needs, ideating solutions, prototyping and testing, and ensuring innovations are practical and aligned with user expectations.
Personalization and Customization: To meet broad customer expectations and individual user needs, companies implement personalization strategies, such as customizable features and targeted recommendations. Tailoring the user experience helps cater to diverse customer needs while maintaining a cohesive product vision.
Continuous Feedback and Improvement: Successful organizations gather user feedback through various channels, allowing them to refine products and services continuously. This feedback loop ensures that offerings not only meet but exceed customer expectations.
Integration of Technology and Innovation: Leveraging technologies like AI and machine learning enhances innovation and user experience. Predictive analytics can anticipate user needs, while advanced interfaces improve usability, ensuring that innovations enhance the user experience.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Achieving balance often requires collaboration across departments, including product development, marketing, and customer service. Each team contributes unique insights, creating products that meet customer expectations and provide a seamless user experience.
Metrics and KPIs: Organizations use various metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor their success in meeting customer expectations and delivering positive user experiences. These metrics help identify areas for improvement, ensuring alignment with innovation goals and user needs.
Sustainability and environmental responsibility are crucial aspects of modern entrepreneurship. How do the companies in various domains in which you worked – banking, capital markets, e-commerce, and OTT – integrate these principles into their operations and contribute to a sustainable future?
As a senior leader in quality engineering, I’ve observed how different sectors integrate sustainability:
Banking: Banks enhance sustainability through digital transformation, cutting paper use, offering green financial products, and implementing energy-efficient practices. They also engage in comprehensive ESG reporting.
Capital Markets: Firms incorporate ESG criteria into investments, issue green bonds, and focus on energy-efficient data centres. Regulatory compliance and transparency are key drivers.
E-commerce: E-commerce companies adopt sustainable logistics, use eco-friendly packaging, and optimize data centre energy use. They also embrace circular economy practices to minimize waste.
OTT Services: OTT platforms reduce energy consumption with optimized streaming technology, invest in green data centres, and participate in carbon offset programs. They also prioritize sustainable content production practices.
These approaches collectively contribute to a more sustainable future by improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and aligning with evolving standards and expectations.
In entrepreneurship, technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency. How do you leverage technology to optimize services and stay ahead in a digital age?
As a thought leader in Quality Engineering, I advocate for a strategic approach that leverages advanced technologies to optimize services and stay ahead in the digital age. It encompasses:
AI-driven insights: Utilizing advanced analytics and AI to anticipate trends, automate processes, and improve decision-making.
Agile development: Adopting CI/CD and agile methodologies for faster, higher-quality software delivery.
Cloud-based infrastructure: Leveraging cloud technologies for scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.
Automation: Implementing automation across various operational areas to improve efficiency and reduce errors.
Robust cybersecurity: Prioritizing data protection and compliance with advanced security measures.
Innovation culture: Fostering a culture that encourages experimentation, continuous learning, and the exploration of emerging technologies.
Customer-centric approach: Using technology to gather customer feedback and enhance user experience through data-driven improvements.
The workforce is the cornerstone of any successful organization. How do you contribute to fostering a culture of growth, skill development, and empowerment among the teams?
To foster a culture of growth and empowerment, I prioritize:
- Continuous learning: Providing access to training and development opportunities.
- Career pathways: Defining clear career progression and development plans.
- Autonomy: Empowering team members with decision-making authority.
- Collaboration: Encouraging knowledge sharing and teamwork.
- Feedback and recognition: Providing constructive feedback and celebrating achievements.
- Work-life balance: Supporting a healthy work-life balance.
- Growth mindset: Promoting a culture of learning and improvement.
- Leadership development: Investing in training and opportunities for future leaders.
As a leader in India’s corporate sector, you surely have likely faced your share of challenges. Could you share an instance in your career experience where your team’s resilience and ingenuity triumphed over adversity?
A notable challenge in my career involved a complex digital transformation project in India. Our team demonstrated resilience and ingenuity despite tight deadlines, a legacy system, and resistance to change.
- Rapid problem-solving: We identified bottlenecks and devised a phased approach.
- Innovative solutions: We implemented change management strategies and custom training.
- Agile adaptation: We adopted agile methodologies for flexibility and responsiveness.
- Collaboration: We fostered a collaborative environment for knowledge-sharing and problem-solving.
- Continuous testing: We ensured quality through extensive testing and feedback loops.
Despite these challenges, the project was successfully completed on time and within budget. The new digital system improved efficiency, reduced processing times, and enhanced customer satisfaction. This experience highlighted the importance of teamwork, innovative thinking, and adaptability in driving successful digital transformation initiatives.
Looking to the future, what is your vision as a senior leader in the Engineering space, specifically in QE? How do you aspire to continue making a significant impact on India’s corporate landscape?
As a senior leader in Quality Engineering, I focus on driving excellence and innovation within the industry. Here’s how I do it:
Championing Advanced Quality Practices: I aim to lead the adoption of AI-driven testing, predictive analytics, and automated quality assurance processes. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, I plan to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of quality engineering and set new benchmarks for excellence.
Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement: I will instil a culture of continuous improvement and agility within teams, promoting agile methodologies and encouraging a mindset that embraces change and innovation. My goal is to ensure that quality practices evolve alongside technological advancements and market demands.
Driving Digital Transformation: I am committed to driving digital transformation initiatives that align with business goals. By integrating quality engineering into the digital transformation strategy, I aim to ensure that digital solutions are robust and scalable and deliver exceptional user experiences.
Mentoring and Developing Talent: I will prioritize mentoring the next generation of quality engineering professionals. By providing guidance and growth opportunities, I hope to build a strong pipeline of talent that can drive future innovations and uphold high-quality standards.
Promoting Industry Collaboration and Best Practices: I aspire to collaborate with industry peers and contribute to the development of best practices. Sharing knowledge and insights will help advance quality engineering and elevate standards across the corporate sector.
Advocating for Sustainability and Ethics: I am dedicated to integrating sustainability and ethical considerations into quality engineering practices, promoting eco-friendly processes and ensuring data privacy.
By focusing on these areas, I aim to make a lasting impact on India’s corporate landscape, driving innovation, excellence, and sustainable growth in quality engineering.
