My guest today is Yeshwant Satam, an ICT professional and consultant with over four decades of experience.

In this conversation, he freely shares:

• His four-decade journey from soldering boards and PROM patching to firmware, software, IT services leadership, and manufacturing automation.
• Continual learning multiple programming languages including Pascal, Fortran, C, and Occam, then rapidly building capability through curiosity and commitment.
• Memorable moments including reverse engineering an IBM PC BIOS before realizing the boot floppy was still in a drawer in the US.
• The early days of Indian software exports: faxed requirements, shared processors, STPI floppy submissions, and the birth of professional delivery processes.
• That managers in technology must stay connected to the craft, even if they no longer code every day.
• Tips for great crisis leadership which includes staying calm, finding the real problem solvers, shielding the team from noise, and tracking technical progress closely.
• On AI in manufacturing, he distinguishes stable predictive AI in core operations from generative AI, which is currently safer at the fringes and in human-assisted decision making.
• Career advice for new entrants: study where hiring is moving, reskill seriously, and do not wait for a company to teach you everything.
• Career advice for mid-career professionals: get back in touch with technology, learn continuously, and show that you can move with new directions.
• Actionable takeaway: stay curious, stay close to the work, respect people who solve problems, and never let a title separate you from learning.

Yeshwant Satam is an ICT professional and consultant with over four decades of experience.

Over his career he has experience in multiple domains and technologies. A few highlights:

Solutioning, managing and guiding full life cycle projects, including network managed services.

Managing global delivery units with multi-million USD P&L responsibility.

Building long-term sustainable customer and partner relationships.

Work experience spans from conceptualizing IT solutions and products on heterogeneous platforms, to successful implementation and support in diversified cultural environments.

International exposure and is conversant in dealing with international customers.

Consistent track record of driving teams in achieving higher customer satisfaction. Guide teams in establishing processes to optimize effectiveness of IT deliveries.

Defining and designing IT architectures and approaches for solutions in OT to IT integration in manufacturing enterprises

• Identifying technologies, frameworks and standards for practical and fit-for-purpose solutions

www.linkedin.com/in/yeshwant-satam-a3b1809