Aspiring to inspire for generations – Senthil’s story
Whilst the world adapts to the “new normal” after the pandemic, IT is dominating how we rediscover a new way of life. Standard Chartered’s Senthil Janardhanam is a leading member of the Bank’s technology team and today, he tells us about life at Standard Chartered and how he utilises his skills to drive innovation, enterprise and strategic initiatives.
Tell us about your career journey with Standard Chartered.
I joined Standard Chartered in 2007 as an Executive after graduating from SRM University with a bachelor's degree in Electronics Communications Engineering. In the last 15 years, I have moved through a number of roles within the Transformation, Technology and Operations (TTO) team and I am currently the Lead of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) Transformation and a Product Owner within the Bank’s Production Engineering function. I am also proud to say I'm currently the only third generation employee of Standard Chartered Bank!
Can you tell us a little about the SRE Transformation Project that you are currently working on?
As the Lead of SRE Transformation and an Engineering Product Owner, I simultaneously work on a variety of projects designed to keep Standard Chartered in an IT “worry-free zone”. I am currently working on the following projects:
- Structuring and executing the Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking SRE transformation
- Partnering with SRE Leads across the Bank’s global technology teams to establish an SRE framework that will be implemented in every Standard Chartered office
- Developing transformation programmes to instil an engineering led mindset that focuses on optimising the reliability of our critical customer service journeys
- Enabling “always on” systems to help deliver a seamless customer experience free from maintenance outages or dips in service performance
What is your proudest achievement since joining Standard Chartered?
Despite Standard Chartered being my first and only employer, I have had a wide range of wonderful experiences that I am extremely proud of since joining the Bank over 15 years ago. I am incredibly proud of what I have been able to achieve on my journey with Standard Chartered and I have learned more than I ever thought was possible. It would be impossible to choose one achievement as my proudest, but my top three have to be:
- Transitioning a typical production support team into an SRE powerhouse
- Supporting over 250 colleagues in the technology team to become SRE certified
- Developing an award-winning SRE Passport tool and SRE SKILL-KIT assessment platform
What do you love the most about your job?
My journey with Standard Chartered has equipped me with an enormous amount of knowledge and exposure to high-profile projects. I have hugely benefited from the working culture and I look forward to coming into the office every day. My team is a melting pot of talent from all walks of life, allowing me to learn from my colleagues from diverse backgrounds. It is fantastic to be a part of a team that is so dedicated to achieving our common goals.
How would you describe the culture in your team?
Standard Chartered’s values of doing the right thing, being better together and never settle make up the foundation of the technology team. By adopting these values, the technology team is a wonderful place to be and I thoroughly enjoy working with my colleagues. Some of the key elements of my team's culture are:
- A clearly defined purpose and goal
Alignment with team values and working practises - Creating a space for personal and professional growth
- Providing regular opportunities for open and honest discussion
- Flexible working hours that suit each individual's personal needs and requirements
- Opportunities for cross-function collaboration and connection
- Transparent and communicative management
Time and space to have fun as a team