Vasanth Kumar, Associate Vice President of the Technical Services Group (TSG) at HGS, talks to The Ortus Club about the evolution from desktop engineering to global enterprise infrastructure, the reality of AI-driven hardware procurement, and why the most important question a leader can ask is: “Am I still qualified for my role?”
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Executive Summary: Key Takeaways
- The Myth of the Automatic Cloud: Digital transformation is a physical reality; leaders must remember that the cloud still relies on physical data centers and submarine cables.
- AI as a Hardware Disruptor: Proactive leadership involves anticipating market shifts, such as how AI demand is currently driving up the global costs of RAM and SSDs.
- The Future Skill of AI Challenge: The next generation of IT leaders must be able to validate and challenge AI outputs for bias and accuracy, rather than accepting them as absolute.
- Continuous Credibility: To remain a qualified leader, one must aim for constant upskilling. Investing in certifications like CISM and ITIL to prove that knowledge is not static.
- Hands-on Leadership: Ownership and consistency are built by understanding every layer of the ecosystem, transitioning from firefighting to predictable, stable operations.
Starting a career in the late 1990s meant learning the ground truth of technology, where every system beep was a hardware diagnosis, and OS installation was a manual, high-stakes marathon. Vasanth Kumar, now the AVP of the Technical Services Group at HGS, has parlayed that desktop-level grit into a global leadership mandate. Managing massive infrastructure across multiple geographies, from the Philippines to Jamaica, he bridges the gap between old-school hardware fundamentals and the high-velocity world of AI-driven CX. His philosophy is one of relentless self-assessment: in an industry that evolves by the second, leadership is not a permanent title, but a credential that must be re-earned every single year.
How did the Desktop Era build the foundation for enterprise leadership?
Vasanth Kumar reflects on the early days of manual DOS installs and how troubleshooting from the ground up creates a more resilient leader.
“I started my career as a desktop engineer in the late 1990s. At that time, you had to learn everything from the ground up. You had to manually install operating systems, and even small mistakes meant restarting the entire process.
I moved from handling 5–10 machines to managing enterprise environments with thousands of endpoints. One of my early breakthroughs was introducing disk imaging and network-based deployment automation. It significantly improved large-scale rollout efficiency. That transition, from physical hardware duplication to network-based imaging, was where I began understanding how to manage enterprise operations at scale.”
Why is AI leadership about filtering the noise?
As organisations rush toward digital transformation, Vasanth argues that the challenge for modern leaders is separating practical utility from industry hype.
“Today, IT leadership is no longer about managing a single vertical. It is about owning the entire ecosystem, from network infrastructure to endpoints and security layers. Initially, this was challenging because I had to understand every layer deeply.
Now that our systems are stable, we can focus on optimisation rather than firefighting. With AI, the challenge is filtering noise. Everyone talks about AI, but not everything is practical. Leaders must understand the fundamental layers behind the technology to know what is actually relevant to their specific infrastructure.”
How does market awareness influence long-term procurement?
A technical lead must also be a geopolitical observer; anticipating the hardware demands of AI saved Vasanth’s organisation from skyrocketing costs.
“One major trend is the impact of AI on hardware demand and pricing. Based on industry signals, we anticipated increases in RAM and SSD costs. We ensured that our organisation made future-proof hardware purchases for 5–7 years, rather than short-term upgrades.
Today, that same hardware costs significantly more. These decisions require not just technical knowledge, but also market awareness and geopolitical understanding. For example, the Windows ecosystem transition required upgrading endpoints to meet new standards; you have to see these shifts coming before they hit your budget.”
Why is the “Cloud” still a physical challenge?
A common misunderstanding among non-IT stakeholders is that modern technology is virtual, ignoring the massive physical infrastructure beneath it.
“Many people believe IT transformation is simple or automatic, but it is a complex, physical ecosystem. People assume everything is cloud-based, but the truth is that cloud still runs on physical data centers and servers.
Similarly, internet connectivity depends heavily on submarine cables and global infrastructure, not just satellites. Understanding these physical fundamentals is critical for making informed decisions. If you don’t understand the physical layer, you can’t truly own the digital layer.”
What is the single most important question a leader can ask themselves?
In a rapidly evolving landscape, Vasanth believes that static knowledge is the fastest route to irrelevance.
“Leaders should ask: ‘Am I still qualified for the role I am doing?’ This question forces continuous self-assessment. In today’s environment, it is easy to become outdated quickly. You must constantly invest in upskilling.
I dedicate weekends to learning, often spending 6–8 hours per week on structured study. This has helped me add at least one credential per year, like CISM or ITIL. Certifications build credibility at the leadership level; they prove you are not static. Leadership is not just about position; it must be maintained through constant adaptability.”
Join the Conversation: The Ortus Club’s Executive Network
As Vasanth Kumar emphasises, the value of high-level dialogue comes from the “quality of engagement.” In a world where AI is driving hardware costs and cloud complexity, IT leaders cannot afford to operate in a vacuum. You need to know how your peers are future-proofing their infrastructure.
At The Ortus Club, we host executive roundtables that allow IT leads to move beyond the hype and discuss the ground truth of digital transformation. Join our network to exchange insights on hardware trends, cybersecurity credentials, and the physical realities of the modern cloud.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does AI impact IT hardware procurement?
A: AI demand has significantly increased the global cost of components like RAM and SSDs. Proactive IT leaders like Vasanth are now making 5-7 year future-proof purchases to avoid budget inflation.
Q: What are the future skills for IT leaders?
A: Beyond technical proficiency, leaders must be able to challenge AI outputs for bias and accuracy. They must also possess strong audience awareness to explain complex infrastructure to non-technical stakeholders.
Q: Why is hands-on leadership still relevant at the AVP level?
A: Understanding the ground-level layers (networking, endpoints, telephony) allows a leader to create system predictability. This stability moves the team from a state of firefighting to one of strategic optimisation.
Q: How does submarine cable infrastructure affect BPO operations?
A: Global BPO and contact centers rely on low-latency connections. Understanding the physical paths of submarine cables is vital for disaster recovery planning and ensuring consistent CX delivery across different geographies.
Q: How much time should an IT leader spend on upskilling?
A: Vasanth Kumar suggests a minimum of 6–8 hours of structured study per week, aiming for at least one major industry certification (like CISM or ISACA) per year to maintain credibility.
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