Mr. Murli Menon is currently the CSO (Chief Security Officer – India, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Tenerife, Philippines & Malaysia) at Atos Global IT Solutions & Services, Mumbai . A former member of the Indian Navy, Mr. Menon brings to the corporate world solid experience in leading teams under high-pressure situations. Mr. Menon is known for his ability to meet challenges head-on and convert them into opportunities that benefit his organisation in tangible ways.
When did you start your professional journey and how has it been so far?
My professional journey commenced in the year 1984 when I joined the Armed Forces. I got commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1985 after an initial vigorous training. I moved to corporate environment in 2008 voluntarily after completing mandatory 20 years required for a permanent commissioned officer. During my career in the Indian Navy, I had the opportunity to serve in various capacities i.e. as a Communication Officer, Instructor in Training Establishments, Staff Appointments in two prime organisation namely the Naval Headquarters, Delhi and Headquarters, Western Naval Command, Mumbai. During these 22 + years in the Indian Navy, I got the opportunity to participate in Sri Lanka Operations including two tenures of being Commanding Officer of Indian Navy ships. The movement to Corporate or civil life was challenging initially but was smooth. Atos India (then Atos Origin & now Atos Global IT Solutions & Services), an IT MNC where I started my corporate career as Chief Security Officer in Jan 2008 was filled with challenges, learning & enjoyment. I had the opportunity to witness several business transformations, acquisitions, bidding successes etc being a part most of the time, as by then Information Security had become essential part of all business transformations.
What are some of the challenges you faced during this journey and how did you overcome them?
The transition from Armed Forces to civil life along with my family was itself a challenging task because it is a huge shift from a well-protected environment to an open world. The three important learning traits from the Armed Forces were motivation, decisiveness & being result oriented that helped me to successfully adjust well in the corporate culture. Since, Leadership came in automatically, I was able to lead a team on several occasions including successfully implement ISO Certifications for the entire Organisation. Other challenging tasks that I experienced were conducting a Business Continuity exercise for a huge customer on which the entire ‘GO or NO GO’ for business was dependent upon and coordinating various Crisis Management actions during natural calamities/ emergency situations.
What according to you are some critical job skills in today’s work landscape particularly in your industry?
Programming, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Cyber Security, Big Data, Cloud Security & Project Management are few of the skills that are in demand today and most probably would remain relevant in the coming years too.
What are some important trends in your industry and how is it affecting India?
The strategy of most of the Organisations are built towards organic growth and hence they look for acquisition & merges, to achieve the same in short time. Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Robotics etc are the technological changes that has taken place today, which is a major step forward. These changes have also introduced high skill requirements, reduction of manpower/ enhanced attrition & cost savings, which in turn affected quality of resource (s) working in Security.
Where do you see your industry in the next 5 years?
Industry would still grow organically in next 5 years i.e. a small company merging with another one to become a medium or major company.
What is your take on the youth of today and why do you think internship is necessary?
Youths of today are more knowledgeable in terms of technology & they are hands on in most cases. Internship does give a first timer, brief experience of corporate life and culture that can help a candidate to convert the imaginary hazy picture that he or she had before into a real scenario, when they join a Organisation as an employee.
What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting out?
I would like to give following advise to those who are starting their journey :
- Be honest to yourself
- Be committed
- Enhance professional knowledge consistently i.e. try and achieve minimum one certification every year in individual area of interests
- Believe in healthy competition with peers & respect experts/ experiences of other colleagues
- Be a problem solver rather than a problem creator
- Contribute as a team member
- Take initiatives as opportunities may not come again
- Do the task with interest and enthusiasm, however small or big the task is
- Produce high quality results
- Be communicative
- Accept challenges & emerge as Leaders
- Make a difference wherever you go
Nandan Kanvinde , 8 January, 2020.
Nandan Kanvinde is an intern at Cynergi Connects. His responsibilities include editorial and operations support, research and marketing.
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