Praveen Rao | Digital Thread Podcast | Momenta

Hyper-Scaler Spotlight: Praveen Rao's Journey in Industrial IoT and Analytics

In this week's episode, Ken Forster interviews Praveen Rao, Global Head for Industrial IoT and Analytics in the Worldwide Specialist Organization (WWSO) at A*S.

The Industrial IoT and Analytics branch within A*S's WWSO is dedicated to assisting businesses in the manufacturing and supply chain verticals in adopting and implementing IoT and advanced analytics solutions. They focus on delivering strategic guidance, innovative technologies, and partnerships to drive digital transformation and unlock new efficiencies within industrial sectors.

Praveen oversees the global strategy, growth initiatives, and partner ecosystems for the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) business within the Manufacturing and Supply Chain vertical.

Before joining A*S, Praveen garnered invaluable experience during his eight-year tenure at IBM, where he served as a Managing Director. In this capacity, he was responsible for spearheading Manufacturing and Supply Chain solutions that leveraged the transformative power of IoT, Analytics, and Blockchain Technologies. During his time at IBM, Praveen successfully introduced innovative solutions and monetization models by collaborating closely with partners, particularly within the Industrial sector.

Before his tenure at IBM, Praveen held various influential positions, including Managing Partner, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), and consultant for several Fortune 500 companies. Through these roles, he accumulated a wealth of expertise in delivering strategic guidance and driving technological advancements across diverse industries.

Discussion Points:

• What would you consider your digital thread (the one or more thematic threads that define your digital industry journey)?
• Having co-founded LeadStrong, an IT consulting company, in 2006, how did your experience leading your own company prepare you for your subsequent successes?
• You joined IBM in 2013 with senior roles over eight years around Big Data, Analytics, Predictive Asset Optimization, and Blockchain. This was a formative time in Manufacturing and Asset Analytics. If you had to summarize your experience into three key lessons learning relative to this space, what would those be?
• All of this, of course, led you to A*S in 2021. How did your prior leadership prepare you for A*S, and what attracted you to the company?
• Can you tell us about your remit at A*S?
• We've watched with interest the impact of the 'so-called' hyper-scalers on the Industrial IoT space. What's A*S's strategy here?
• We noted the recent downsizing of the equivalent IIoT/Manufacturing teams at your peers, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. How should we think about these moves?
• A*S rolled out Monitron, a full-stack A*S-branded predictive maintenance solution, in 2020, a possible shot across the bow of Operational Technology companies. What's the story behind Monitron, and what lessons do you think it's taught A*S?
• We saw that A*S rolled out several new industrial and manufacturing-oriented offerings recently. What are some of the more notable in your perspective?
• In closing, where do you find your personal inspiration? (i.e., book recommendations, articles, podcasts, people, etc.)