- Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Ashok is the CEO of UnfoldLabs, an innovative cloud, mobile, and digital solutions company based in San Diego, California. Before this role, he held senior technology management positions at Fortune 500 high-tech companies like Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and some start-ups. He currently serves on the board of directors at several technology start-ups. He’s a passionate thinker, an active learner with an open mind for change, and curious about everything in the world. He always tries to do things differently and believes creative thinking can simplify complex situations. His dedication to mentoring, inspiring, and motivating people has brought success and happiness to many lives.
- Tell our readers about your current leadership role at the company.
As mentioned, Ashok’s current leadership role is the CEO of UnfoldLabs. He has expertise in driving customer insights into thriving businesses and commercializing products for scale. He’s an expert in innovating and ideating next-generation products and services for mobile/web/SaaS/PaaS/cloud platforms. Ashok collaborates with his colleagues to discuss technology, market trends, and strategic alliances. He’s an expert on software platform technologies and product creation. He’s also responsible for road mapping and architecting features, value-added content, services, and solutions for platforms/futuristic mobile devices. As a techie, he’s more interested in writing and inspiring others with forward-thinking concepts. He has spoken at several international conferences. Ashok has been honored with numerous accolades for his leadership, technology, and product development.
- Can you share an example of a significant challenge you faced as a business leader and how you overcame it?
As a business leader, Ashok faces many challenges each week. There isn’t a specific challenge that he wants to highlight. Instead, he wants to discuss his approach to dealing with challenges. First, he believes in learning from his mistakes and to keep moving forward, no matter how bumpy the road is. Second, he believes in being transparent with his colleagues and staff. If there’s an issue, then he discusses it directly with each individual involved.
- What strategies do you employ in today’s rapidly changing business landscape to stay ahead of the competition and adapt to new market trends?
Ashok strongly believes to stay ahead of the competition and adapt to new market trends, you need to empower your employees to think outside the box and be strategic. He also thinks that having “a great culture will always build a great company.” The company culture emerges when teams in the organization actively engage and collaborate. Continuous learning also keeps his team updated with happening in the market. With that mindset, Ashok feels that a good company will always find ways to be forward-thinking and adapt to new trends.
How do you create a positive, inclusive work culture that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization?
As a thought leader, Ashok creates a positive and inclusive work culture by being an example to this team. He prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the organization, from hiring practices to decision-making processes. He actively listens to and amplifies diverse voices, creating space for open dialogue and collaboration. Ashok ensures policies and practices are in place to support equal opportunities and fair treatment for all employees. Lastly, he fosters a culture of respect, empathy, and continuous learning, embracing and celebrating the unique contributions of each individual.
- When making key business decisions, what factors do you consider most crucial, and how do you ensure they align with the company vision?
As a technologist making important business decisions, Ashok considers several key factors. First, he assesses the impact on his company’s technological capabilities and infrastructure, then ensures they align with his technical vision and long-term business goals. He assesses the innovation potential and competitive advantage, weighing the benefits and risks. Second, Ashok considers the client’s needs and market trends to ensure his decisions reflect the client’s current and future needs. Third, he works with the stakeholders across all departments to ensure the decision aligns with the company’s overall vision and strategic goals, then promotes a consistent and unified approach.
- As a business leader, how do you foster a continuous learning and development culture among your employees?
Ashok fosters a continuous learning and development culture among his employees. Ashok leads by example and commits to his employees’ learning. He provides resources and opportunities for learning, such as training programs, workshops, and mentorship. Ashok also encourages employees to set individual development goals and regularly reviews their progress. He is also adept in creating a safe environment where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities. He encourages knowledge-sharing and collaboration among employees, recognizing and rewarding their learning efforts. Ashok continuously communicates the importance of learning and development and aligns it with the organization’s goals and vision.
- In your opinion, what’s the most important takeaway/lesson from the COVID-19 epidemic?
The most important takeaway from the COVID-19 pandemic is that it accelerated the pace of digital transformation across different industries. The crisis emphasized the need for companies to quickly embrace emerging technologies, such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and automation, to enhance their efficiency and resilience. Also, the pandemic reinforced the need for companies to have comprehensive business continuity plans in place. Such plans should include strategies for remote work, backup and recovery procedures, crisis communication protocols, risk assessments, etc.
- What advice would you give aspiring business leaders who aim to impact their respective industries significantly?
Ashok’s advice for aspiring business leaders aiming to make a significant impact in their respective industries is that they should focus on developing a clear vision, continuously learning and honing leadership skills, and fostering innovation and adaptability. They should also focus on building a diverse and inclusive team, embracing social responsibility, staying customer-focused, and persevering through challenges. For more specific advice tailored to their industry, aspiring leaders can visit https://www.asokaninc.com/ to explore more resources and insights relevant to their goals.
- What have you envisioned for the future regarding your role at your organization and your personal ambitions?
Ashok started his career as a Software Engineer, and he’s never looked back on innovating things that help humanity grow. He believes that life has its ups and downs, but hard work and passion keep you moving forward. He envisions continuing his current role and embracing new technologies, etc. As for his personal ambitions, Ashok is passionate about writing and motivating people with thoughtful, forward-thinking ideas. He’s tried new things, learned from failures and successes, and always taken steps forward, even during failures. Having an open mindset and being creative are the two things that made him grow personally and as a business leader.