Guna Chellappan has been in the IT software industry for over 30 years in various leadership roles. Currently, he is the general manager for Singapore at Red Hat, where he leads sales and business development activities in the country. Over the years, Guna has been extensively involved in the implementation of complex solutions such as hybrid multi-cloud platforms, customer experience and supply chain across the world in various industries ranging from financial services, government, manufacturing and retail.
Prior to joining Red Hat, Guna was the General Manager for Cloud & Cognitive Solutions at IBM Singapore. He also held global and regional leadership positions at IBM, JDA Software and Oracle. He has been contributing to the community as the VP, SCS Cloud Chapter. Conferred the title of Fellow for established reputation of eminence and authority in the field of tech and positive influence to the tech community. In addition, as the Past President of SGTech, he has worked towards the success of the IT Industry in Singapore. Guna graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Honors). Guna is also an active NS Volunteer recognized with the National Commendation Medal and as a NS Man of the Year.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Digital First Magazine, Guna shared insights on what drives his passion for leadership and growth, personal hobbies and interests, his favourite quote, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Guna. What drives your passion for leadership and growth?
Simply put … leadership is a not a task but rather something that needs to be ingrained in leadership whereby you lead without thinking of it as a skill or responsibility. Working with people to deliver goals especially objectives that would not naturally be obvious or within reach. A natural leader inspires his team to greater goals. Nothing is more exhilarating than achieving goals that we once thought impossible.
What do you love the most about your current role?
Having worked in AsiaPacific roles for most of my career, I have seen how many organisations work in various parts of the world from Latin America to Eastern Europe to Asia. In my current role, as GM for Red Hat Singapore, I get to enjoy talking and working with Singapore organisations to bring my global experience to bear with local and regional organisations. Working with them on solving their challenges is something that gives me joy.
What’s your perspective on the importance of cross-functional collaborations in driving business success?
No single organisation or even function can meet a customer’s requirement for a full solution to their challenges. We have to work across the organisation to bring forth the experience and knowledge to drive business success.
What personal or professional philosophies have contributed to your success, and how have you applied these principles in your career?
Collaboration and ensuring a win-win proposition has always taken an undue amount of focus in ensuring success in a cross organisational and functional engagement. A strong leadership style to bring all the parties to understanding, adopting and aligning to a common goal is critical to business success.
How do you stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving tech industry?
Read, Listen and Collaborate! Accepting that you are not the smartest person in the room and being able to absorb new technology has always helped me stay a step ahead.
What are some of your passions outside of work? What do you like to do in your time off?
A happy life leads to a positive attitude, I set aside time for both family and personal pursuits so that it gives me “downtime” to rest and recover. I personally like to do long runs up to 30-50km a week to be able to check out and reflect during these periods of reflection while I run.
What is your favorite quote?
It is said that I like to say “It is what it is”…. I keep reminding myself that there are some issues or boundaries that I have to respect. While its great to challenge the system, it may not be practical for the organisation to implement some of those ideas.
Which technology are you investing in now to prepare for the future?
It sounds like a cliche, but its AI. It’s not just about the technology but also about how we can harness the true power of AI while ensuring that the organisational risk is managed. It’s about people, process and then technology… not the other way around.
What are your long-term career aspirations, and how do you see yourself evolving as a leader over the next five years?
Personally, I don’t see a significant evolution of myself as a leader but rather, evolving as a leader who can contribute to the success of key Singapore brands. I want to leverage my experience in working with global companies to impart those leadership and business skills to Singaporean companies.
What advice would you give to aspiring leaders in the tech industry?
The tech industry is one of the most challenging as it’s ever changing. As a leader in a tech industry, then key attribute is to be always ready to listen and learn as it equips you to make an informed decision always! As they say…. “Resisting change in IT is like holding your breath… If you succeed, you die!”