Snowflake

Forbes India presents "The Data Circle" in association with Snowflake, is an initiative that showcases top tech leaders in a thought leadership format. The selection process takes a comprehensive approach, considering their influence on both their companies and industries. The pivotal roles of these tech leaders drive innovation and breakthroughs within their respective sectors. These agile and enterprising leaders adeptly strategize to manage critical organisational conditions. The campaign aims to acknowledge and engage these exceptional professionals who are shaping the future.

Yogendra Deep Singh, CDO, Crisil Limited

Bringing Tech to Enterprise

In the world of fi nance where data reigns supreme, Yogendra Deep Singh, chief data offi cer at Crisil Limited, stands as a pioneer. With over two decades of experience, his journey from a fi nance background to a tech leader is a testament to his adaptability and foresight.

Singh’s career began in fi nance, but the rapid integration of technology into the fi nancial sector piqued his interest. He saw the potential for technology to enhance value across various aspects of fi nance, from products to processes and team dynamics.

As a tech leader, Singh emphasises aligning technology initiatives with the enterprise strategy. Every interaction with stakeholders is rooted in the overarching strategy, whether it’s enhancing innovation or fulfi lling corporate responsibilities across jurisdictions. This strategic alignment ensures that technology serves as a catalyst for achieving organisational goals. Singh highlights the importance of data quality and its role in strategic, investment, and operational decisions. The organisation relies on key metrics such as business value and employs scenario analysis and simulations to validate future outcomes.

Singh’s approach to fostering innovation includes giving employees the freedom to experiment, learn, and share their insights. The adoption of a scaled agile framework has improved communication, reducing silos and accelerating information fl ow. A recent success story under Singh’s leadership is the implementation of a cutting-edge, userconfi gurable data ingestion platform. This innovation reduced data latency, improved data quality, and enhanced operational efficiencies, all at a fraction of a cost.

To address data protection and cybersecurity threats, Singh employs a multi-layered approach. The Chief Information Security Offi cer function safeguards the organisation from malicious attacks and breaches. Security by design is a core principle, with comprehensive training programs to make every system user an alert defender of data.

Singh takes an incubator approach to emerging technologies. An incubation lab identifi es teams to develop prototypes addressing business challenges, which are then validated by leaders for scalability. This approach ensures that the organisation stays at the forefront of technology.

His success mantra is simple yet powerful: Have a growth mindset, prioritise continuous learning, and practise extreme collaboration. These principles have propelled his career and shaped Crisil’s technology-driven journey.