I Am Blessed To Have Been Part Of A Fast Growing Industry That Underwent Many Changes And Transformations As It Evolved

By being passionate about ensuring the sustainable long term growth of the company and following a strict discipline in every aspect of his life, Uma Pingali, business president, sales and marketing-Asia Pacific, element14, has contributed significantly to the electronics distribution and supplier ecosystem of India for nearly three decades. In an interaction with Baishakhi Dutta of Electronics Bazaar, he shares the highlights of his professional journey.

Childhood

I was born in a small town in South India. Although my town was well known as an education hub, whilst in school, I was very preoccupied with sports, even more than in my studies. I was a bit of a Jack of all trades as far as sports were concerned and there was no games programme in the school that I was not a part of (and I really believed I could do anything if I put my mind to it). Yet, I wasn’t really good at any one sport!

Going forward, I was the only one in my family to choose maths and engineering as subjects of study. I wanted to be a chartered accountant, but was persuaded to follow an engineering stream instead, which defined my future career path. These experiences made me a flexible person, and prepared me to contribute in uncertain and challenging situations.

Education

I studied in the Telugu medium until middle school and switched to English when I was 17 years old (I still have the accent to prove it). Looking back on my school days, I spent more time on the playground and in outdoor activities than on studies (which was a priority too, though).

My father always encouraged me, while my mother along with my siblings always reminded me that I was not doing that well in studies! I did my BE in electronics and communications at Andhra University. This was followed by a part-time postgraduate diploma in marketing management eight years later from NMIMS (Narsi Monjee Institute of Management Studies), Mumbai.

My family

I was the youngest of four children (two elder sisters followed by a brother). My father was a doctor (a consulting physician) and my mother a homemaker. I had a very ‘matter of fact’ upbringing with a lot of focus on values such as humbleness, simplicity and building a strong work ethic.