Datta Vellal

2021

Took on a managerial role in March as Software Competency Specialist II and led software excellence transformation projects for Philips businesses, then was promoted to Software Excellence Competency Lead with the transfer to the US in November. I led the senior-hiring redesign sponsored by the India site leader (candidate NPS up 18%), was lead coach for the technical-debt program that realized about EUR 2.1M in savings and spoke at a developer conference in Brazil. The CTO Annual Address named me one of about 30 Outstanding Technical Achievement Award recipients, and I won the campus award for organizational capability.

  • ~30CTO award recipients worldwide
  • 575connects
  • 2,975touchpoints

~EUR 2.1M savings. +18% candidate NPS.

What mattered most

  1. 01

    Moved into a managerial role leading software excellence transformation projects

    From March 2021, as Software Competency Specialist II in a managerial capacity, I led software excellence transformation projects for Philips businesses from scoping to final report. I directed small rotating teams of architects and specialists and reported results to business leaders.

  2. 02

    CTO Outstanding Technical Achievement Award, one of about 30 worldwide

    At the 2021 CTO Annual Address I was one of about 30 people across Philips' global technology organization named for an Outstanding Technical Achievement Award, cited for teaching coding to non-technical compliance officers and for a data-driven hiring framework.

  3. 03

    Ran 575 connects with 2,975 colleague touchpoints in 2021

    In 2021 I ran 575 program connects over 448 hours, with 2,975 colleague touchpoints across Bengaluru, Eindhoven and other sites. I also conducted 24 interviews for the team.

  4. 04

    Led the senior-hiring redesign: candidate NPS up 18%, manager NPS up 15%

    Sponsored by the India site leader, I led a cross-functional team that redesigned senior hiring, from program planning and risk management to adoption and growth of the bar-raiser community. Candidate NPS rose 18% and hiring-manager NPS 15%.

  5. 05

    Lead coach for a technical-debt program that saved about EUR 2.1M

    I was lead coach for the Software Center of Excellence program on technical debt reduction and resource optimization. It realized about EUR 2.1M in savings in 2021 and identified about EUR 3.45M more.

“Exceptional results, demonstrating role model behaviour”

Award citation, CTO Annual AddressPhilips, 24 February 2021Read the capsule

By month

Also in 2021

  1. 2 September 2021Reverse-mentored a senior business leader on DevOps, observability and BizDevOpsProgram
  2. 24 June 2021Recommended by the Head of Competencies to a senior US leader for a US Software Center of Excellence roleRole
  3. 17 June 2021Co-ran an observability workshop for 22 at the global Software Excellence ConferenceTalk
  4. 8 June 2021Spoke for Philips at a major developer conference in BrazilTalk
  5. 11 March 2021Campus annual award for organizational capabilityRecognition
  6. 9 March 2021Finalist in the Philips Excellence Competition with the software capability teamProgram
  7. February 2021Set up observation-based productivity coaching for developers: 36 sessions in 2021Program