Sapient Global Markets - Meet Our People From Gurgaon

Dheeraj Specialist

Hello, a bit about me: In the last 7 years that I have been with Sapient, I have held multiple roles and have grown with the company. With my passion for the financial markets and zeal to excel in technology, there is no place else that I would rather be.

Introduce yourself and explain your current role and responsibilities.

I have been working with Sapient Global Markets for the last seven years, three of which I was in the US, at the client’s site. During my tenure, I have worked in multiple profiles, and currently I am an offshore project lead. What attracted me to SGM was the company’s alignment to the fast paced world of capital and commodities, globally. So not only have I built my expertise in technology, but have also increased my knowledge of the capital and commodities domain. In India, technologists like us, who can straddle both these domains simultaneously, are at a premium.

Tell us about a client problem you are working on these days?

Whenever a security is set up for the first time, the trading system needs to know the set up price for that particular security, to be able to place trades on it. Until now, prices for such newly set up securities were sourced manually from external vendors like Bloomberg and Reuters. This process was too tedious and error prone, involving a lot of manual data entry.

Currently we are working on a solution which will automate many such processes; right from inception to vendor interaction, to seamless system updates, thereby eliminating the scope of any manually induced errors.

Give us one example of your creative thinking or an innovative solution to a client problem.

For one of our clients, all the trades of the day are keyed into a portfolio management and accounting system.

This is a central product used to get the correct P&L, position and exposure information administrators, prime brokers, asset managers for global equities, fixed income etc. However this system was not scalable. We recently adopted a new approach using Web Services and SOAP protocol, which made the system reusable as well as scalable.

How do you balance personal priorities and project commitments?

We work on the global distributed delivery model, and sometimes we are needed to be connected to our clients in the late evening. However, Sapient compensates for intermittent long hours, by providing a lot of flexibility to employees. In my own case, I live closer to the Noida office but I joined Gurgaon office, because my team worked from here. I was given the flexibility to work from Gurgaon and Noida both, as per my convenience.

One of my team members who has just joined, was awed when I told him that I just completed 7 years in the company. In fact, Sapient overall has a lot of old timers, which tells you about their level of contentment with the company.

What is that one thing that brings you to work every day?

After a certain point in your career, compensation is not the only factor you are looking at. You want to do good work, work with inspiring people and have fun. Sapient offers everything. There is so much happening here at any given time. We have quarterly outings and annual account level outings once a year. The team becomes like a family. I also appreciate the abundance of opportunities to develop one’s professional self. For instance, I was involved in hiring activities from my initial days at Sapient, as well as a range of extra-curricular activities. In fact, I got my first iPhone for being a volunteer interviewer.

What message do you want to give to people joining Sapient?

If you are really passionate about technology, want to achieve something in the consulting world, and are passionate about the capital and commodities space, there is no place better than SGM for you. No one holds you back here, you own your growth and the culture really needs to be experienced. There is a strong focus on learning; so many IT learning portals, business learning portals like acumen that help you pace and plan your own growth. Sapient gives you a free canvas, less bureaucracy, no cubicles doesn’t matter the title of the person.

Aman Specialist

Hello, a bit about me: I joined Sapient in 2009 and currently working as a dot net specialist for a leading hedge fund company. I am fortunate that I have spent precious years of my professional career in Sapient working along with some of the most enthusiastic, passionate, technically sound talent in IT industry

Introduce yourself and explain your current Role & Responsibilities.

I am working with Sapient for close to 6 years now. This has been one memorable journey filled with lot of challenges and fun. This is the story of ambition meeting the opportunity. I joined as Senior Associate L1 in the year 2009. When I started my stint with Sapient, I went through Sape Start (5 Day Orientation Program) and heard people talking about Core Values, Strategic Context etc. There are many things that are still with me from that program. The famous phrase “You Own Your Own Growth at Sapient� in Sapient is engraved in my memory forever. This has really helped me move on leaps and bounds. There is lot of value associated with the phrase for people who indeed are ambitious, who want to grow and on the way share knowledge.

For them it is a place where you get wings to fly.

Tells us about the client problem you are solving these days?

I am currently working on a task to calculate the net Present Value on a pre-closure of Repo contracts. This involves calculating the future value of contracts keeping in mind the loan value and rate on the contract, also trying to post the calculated cash to counterparty on successful closure.

How do you see yourself growing professionally in Sapient?

After first few months of my joining, as part of quarterly review I had conversations with my Manager to set goals, path for the coming few months to years. These conversations helped me in visualizing, how I can be involved in different activities at organization level (apart from delivery). I became part of GMI (Global Market Institute) where fresh grads from different esteem colleges join Sapient. I started delivering business sessions to these grads on Capital Markets, Equities, and Risk Management etc. I already had a lot of passion towards Capital Markets; this activity channelized my knowledge to the right people, eventually ended up getting the Best Facilitator award multiple times from there on. I have been part of several activities since then for GMI.

Give us one example of your creative thinking or innovative solution to client's problem.

On one of my onsite visit I met the business users to understand their roles, activities during a day. I noticed that user used to perform an activity through excel which was painstakingly time consuming. It was error prone too as it was done manually through excel. I came back to my counterpart from client end and discussed the complete process and suggested him to move on to .Net application and C++ on server side to which the client agreed. Eventually the process which used to take 1.5 hr. of user’s day is now taking only 15 min and is also not exposed to any manual mistakes.

How do you balance personal priorities and project commitments?

Sapient has taken n number of steps to bring your family closer to your company. We take our family along on team events, frequently invite families on company events like family day, children’s day celebration etc.

Based on the nature and duration of onsite engagement we can take our family along which keeps you connected with your family. Till date I am able to live a healthy balanced life and am able to spend quality time with my family along with my work.

What is that one thing which drives you to come to office every day?

If I try to explore the driving force behind me which makes sure that I go the extra mile, words like; Better Career Planning, Determination, Vision echo in my ears.

The other thing which keep coming back to my mind is Openness in Sapient, the day I joined I saw people sitting on open floors not limited by any Cabin boundaries. You can approach your team mates, people from other team, Managers, Senior Managers and Director whenever you feel the need for it. You can express your thoughts through various forums like Surveys, Open house discussions etc. I would like to share one such experience. With an inclination to do something outstanding, I went to Director (Account Lead) of the account. In that conversation we discussed several avenues and finally concluded that I should write a Whitepaper of a topic of my choice. He told me if I succeed the whitepaper would be published on Sapient’s Global Markets website. I took it as an opportunity/challenge and eventually got the whitepaper published.

It took me 18 months to get this done, but I wanted to thank the person who set the right path and enlightened me with his thoughts. This was only possible because I was able to walk up to him without any fear, hesitation, and shyness. The freedom to talk to right people on right occasions motivates me to come to office everyday.

What message do you want to give to people joining Sapient?

I am fortunate that I have spent precious years of my professional career in Sapient working along with some of the most enthusiastic, passionate, technically sound talent in IT industry. The territories I have conquered in last few years give me immense pleasure. But there are miles to go before I sleep. All has been achieved because of the organization I work with and the kind of people I work with. It has been fun filled journey so far, a one to cherish forever.

Lalita Specialist

Hello, a bit about me: I am a Core Java architect and I have been working with Sapient for the last ten years. I joined as a associate and today I manage a trading account team, with folks spread across 5 geographies, internationally.

Introduce yourself and explain your current role and responsibilities.

I am a Core Java architect and I have been working with Sapient for the last ten years. I joined as a associate and today I manage a trading account team, with folks spread across five geographies, internationally.

Tell us about a client problem you are working on these days?

Within a span of 1-1.5 years, I have been part of three extremely diversified projects . In one of these, I handled a lot of interfaces including Cubes creation and deployment, ATC , EFET gateway Integration , WEBICE Integration etc. For one of our key projects, the requirement demanded a hands on Endur Open Component person with C-sharp skills. Being from Core Java background with neither any exposure to .Net world, nor to ENDUR Open Components side of things, I took on the challenge. With client’s approval we were able to stabilize the project in a very short time.

What is that one thing that brings you to work every day?

It’s the people we work with. I do feel that I am blessed to have worked with the best talent at Sapient, I joined as an associate but I always felt that I was surrounded by rock stars. The other aspect is a focus on ongoing learning; some of the best clients to work with who also give us the opportunity to grow and learn with them. We always work with the most up-to-date and extensive technologies. So within java frameworks for instance, we work on a varied, cutting edge range of technology stacks. In the last few years, I have worked on niche specialized tools such as GoldenSource Enterprise Data Management, Trillium, Oracle Collaboration Suite including OID , Attivio Search Engine over and above normal Struts, Spring, and Hibernate tools.

Give us one example of your creative thinking or an innovative solution to a client problem.

We were working on a next generation HR portal for one of our clients with about 120,000+ employees. This portal was first solution in the market that completely integrated Oracle's suite of enterprise products: Oracle portal server 10g release 2, Oracle BPEL server , Oracle collaboration suite, Oracle Identity Management, LDAP and ERP (Oracle Applications) at that timing. Looking at the integration challenges, tool stability and deadlines, nobody thought we would be able to deliver a quality solution on time. However, we did it. Delivering on the project gave me and my team the confidence that give us any technology stack, any circumstances, we will pull through and pass with flying colors.

How do you balance personal priorities and project commitments?

That’s a difficult one. There have been numerous occasions where project commitments take priority and we are required to stretch. More so, since we work in GDD model and client is based out of US. The flexibility to work from home, really helps.

What message do you want to give to people joining Sapient?

I do a lot of hiring for core java. I always tell interview candidates that come to Sapient with an entrepreneurial mindset, i.e. you own your own growth. If you have a great idea, no one stops you. Sapient is very hands on kind of a work environment, directors will also do coding work happily. A colleague who has joined us from a leading IT consulting company tells me that the knowledge he has gained in three months in Sapient, was much more than what he learnt in three years at his previous company.

Sachin Director

Hello, a bit about me: I am Sachin and I joined Sapient as an Associate and have grown to be a Director.

After 13 years in the company, what excites is the fact that every single day I get to be someone’s role model, while I still have enough people to look up to as role models of my own.

Introduce yourself and explain your current role and responsibilities.

I am Sachin Mengi and I have worked with Sapient for the last 13 years. I have had a very fulfilling career and have grown through the ranks. Currently, I am Director, Technology, and the delivery lead for one of our key, long-standing clients. In a nutshell, my primary responsibility is to ensure that all our deliverables meet a high quality standard and get delivered on time.

Tells us about the client problem you are working on these days?

Currently, we are working on re-scoping a legacy system that is used for hedge fund administration. The business of our client is growing and we are enabling their systems to keep pace with business growth.

Give us one example of your creative thinking or an innovative solution to a client's problem We recently delivered a solution based on fluid design. As you know, with multiple devices and tech platforms, the traditional approach has been for each to have it’s unique code base. So the laptop has one, the tablet has a different one, the mobile has another. We created a solution whereby a single code base could be leveraged across platforms, using technologies like Jquery, Angular js, Bootstrap, etc. The client was very satisfied with the convenience and performance of the newly implemented solution.

What is that one thing that brings you to work every day?

Given that I am a veteran member of the Sapient family, it is definitely the relationships that I have built here over the years. What excites me is that every single day I have to be someone’s role model , while I still have enough people to look up to as role models of my own.

How do you balance personal priorities and project commitments?

There are conflicts all the time, and it is unrealistic to wish them away. No one will come and solve that problem for you; the company can give you flexibility around it but you are the one who has to own and solve it. My biggest insight is that you need to use your time effectively. Often, we get into a cycle of procrastination, which impacts both our professional and personal commitments. It is then that your balance goes for a toss, no matter how much flexibility the company provides you.

What message do you want to give to people joining Sapient?

SGM is the place to build careers, not just jobs. You need to come in the company with a mindset to learn, deliver and grow. Only then will you be ale to do justice to the opportunities this place will send your way. All the best.

Neha Senior Associate

Hello, a bit about me: I rejoined Sapient Global Markets, after a small stint outside, because I felt that no other place currently provides the combination of great work opportunities coupled with an entrepreneurial mindset that Sapient offers. This time I intend to stay put.

Introduce yourself and explain your current role and responsibilities.

We were working on building a Google like search functionality for one of our clients. They were not happy with the performance of the utility we had initially implemented. By creating the same functionality with a different approach using SharePoint Web Services, I was able to reduce the performance time by 2/3rd. The whole development/delivery effort was as low as two weeks. This happened within few months of my joining my current project; so for me personally, it was quite a shot in the arm.

Tell us about a client problem you are working on these days?

For one of my projects, I am working on migrating a standard fees model from a legacy system to a relatively new reference data application based on the Grails framework. We are using latest front-end technologies like Ext-js, Angular.js and jQuery, to enable the transition.

How do you see yourself growing professionally in Sapient?

I aspire to grow in the technology domain, and with the kind of complex work opportunities it sends your way, SGM is the ideal place to do so. I am proud that the company invests in training us on emerging technologies; so essential to grow as technologists. Besides domain training, there is a focus on developing all aspects of our professional personalities. For instance, I was recently asked to deliver a technical session for a large team that included many senior colleagues. I was skeptical about pulling it off but I did, and in fact was well appreciated!

Such exposure on a regular basis, really boosts one’s confidence as a client-facing technologist.

Give us one example of your creative thinking or an innovative solution to a client problem.

We were working on building a Google like search functionality for one of our clients. They were not happy with the performance of the utility we had initially implemented. By creating the same functionality with a different approach using SharePoint Web Services, I was able to reduce the performance time by 2/3rd. The whole development/delivery effort was as low as two weeks. This happened within few months of my joining my current project, so for me personally, it was quite a shot in the arm.

How do you balance personal priorities and project commitments?

So far, I have not faced any work-life balance concerns.

The nature of our work is such that it will never be a purely 9-5 role; there will be times when you would be expected to stretch. But what is important is that at SGM, everyone is conscious of building a balanced work place. For instance, in a recent release on my project, we were having long calls regularly. After a month, we raised this issue to the management as well as the client. Not just the client but the management also understood our concern, and adjusted the duration and frequency of these calls.

What brings you to work every day?

All work and no play makes us dull technologists and my team truly believes that! We engage in a lot of fun activities, something new to look forward to almost each day. For instance, during the world cup we had the bidding brackets, we have a big screen TV in our area where all the matches were screened. We have team gettogethers and outings on a regular basis, as well celebrations of all major festivals are organized by the company.

If you are a good time manager you also have enough time to benefit from self growth sessions (online + classroom) on technology, business knowledge and soft skills. I also invest my time well on self-learning.

What message do you want to give to people joining Sapient?

As a Core Java technologist, you will get to work on the latest technologies and frameworks. You will also have the flexibility to move across technologies. Unlike other organizations and especially captive organizations where you are restricted to a particular technology/platform, here you also have the ability to switch across accounts. For instance, if a particular account is not investing on middleware and another client is, I have the choice to move to that team to get hands-on experience.

Also, the role(s) and a title(s) are not tightly coupled here; more depends on what skills you bring to the table. For instance, even as a fairly new person in the company and with not too many years on my rÊsumÊ, I was given a track lead responsibility. None of my peers in other companies have experienced this kind of exposure. Simply put, Sapient’s philosophy is, you own your growth! So join the company with a growth mindset and you will go places.