Anand Sahay is the CEO & Government Director at Xebia, previous to becoming a member of Xebia, Sahay was a vp at Interglobe and a normal supervisor at HCL Applied sciences. He started his profession as a software program programmer at Tata Consultancy Companies.
Xebia is a pioneering and confirmed authority within the digital transformation enviornment, partnering with most of the world’s main corporations to assist them grow to be digital leaders and construct resilient organizations at any scale.
Whether or not it is harnessing the potential of information and AI, leveraging the flexibleness of cloud computing, trendy software program improvement, or embracing the effectivity of low code, Xebia gives complete providers that handle each side of the digital panorama.
Since its founding in 2001, Xebia has grown to greater than 5,000 folks throughout Europe, North America, the Center East, Africa, and Asia Pacific – together with over 3,000 staff in 5 supply facilities in India.
Xebia began within the Netherlands in 2001, and has since expanded internationally, and most not too long ago has opened its headquarters in Atlanta, GA. Might you talk about among the challenges of increasing to the USA, and why Atlanta was chosen?
As an IT consultancy and software program engineering firm with a longtime presence in EMEA and APAC, we’re navigating challenges that include scaling operations within the U.S. – from constructing and managing a fast-growing international group to honing our price proposition in a hyper-competitive market. Nevertheless, there may be important upside for our growth and we have now plans to develop income 4x and create 1,000+ jobs within the Americas over the subsequent a number of years.
Choosing Atlanta was a call that minimize throughout a number of strategic areas. It places us near a handful of our present clients, in addition to a big roster of prospects. The Atlanta metro space is a thriving hub for digital innovation and residential to startups, in addition to Fortune 500 manufacturers which might be reworking their companies and reshaping their industries with AI and clever automation.
Atlanta additionally allows us to proceed our legacy of business partnerships with a regional presence of Microsoft, Google, AWS, and Salesforce. Because the world is in a brand new part of digital transformation, fixing enterprise issues requires leveraging a companion ecosystem and a set of capabilities that allow the very best options and outcomes for purchasers.
Lastly, Atlanta is a good place for us to scale up our group. Town has a strong expertise pool primarily based on the proximity to top-tier universities like Georgia Tech, The College of Georgia, Moorhouse College, and Emory College.
How does Xebia entice and retain high expertise within the extremely aggressive subject of AI?
Demand for AI expertise, particularly software program engineers and knowledge scientists is barely growing. Continued layoffs in sure tech sectors solely inform a partial story. The truth is that corporations throughout banking, insurance coverage, retail, journey, pharma and different industries are all changing into digital-first and want tech expertise that makes a speciality of knowledge and AI.
There’s a long-standing fable of the lone wolf software program engineer or knowledge scientist however that couldn’t be farther from the reality. Whereas it’s true that everybody has their very own working fashion and preferences, at Xebia, we consider that the best way to draw and retain high tech expertise is to create an organization tradition that prioritizes neighborhood and steady studying.
We take excessive satisfaction in all 5,500+ Xebians. In a world the place AI is quickly changing into a commodity, it’s straightforward to additionally take into consideration the folks constructing AI options as a commodity. Our strategy is folks first and our high precedence is to help the eagerness of exceptionally sensible folks from the recruiting course of throughout to ongoing skilled improvement.
How does Xebia measure the success and effectiveness of its AI initiatives, each internally and for its purchasers?
At Xebia, we firmly consider that for AI, and particularly GenAI, to transcend the hype, there must be a real system and technique in place to operationalize the AI to make it scalable throughout the enterprise and have these initiatives be geared toward attaining some form of tangible enterprise aims.
For purchasers, Xebia measures the success of its AI initiatives via a multifaceted strategy that aligns intently with our purchasers’ strategic targets and operational benchmarks. KPIs embrace the acceleration of digital transformation, enhancement of buyer experiences, enchancment in operational effectivity, and the achievement of aggressive benefits out there. Finally, effectiveness is gauged by tangible outcomes corresponding to income development, price reductions, and enhanced decision-making processes, supported by data-driven insights.
Internally, we assess the influence of our AI initiatives on bettering our methodologies, innovation charges, and worker talent developments.
With growing issues about moral AI and knowledge governance, how does Xebia make sure the accountable use of AI in its tasks and options?
AI has been an integral a part of Xebia’s choices for years, so Accountable AI (RAI) is deeply ingrained in our tradition and requirements. Our dedication to utilizing AI and GenAI responsibly manifests via our rules of equity, consistency, explainability, knowledge privateness, robustness, and accountability of our coaching knowledge and algorithms.
Now we have discovered success in upskilling our groups via organizational initiatives on the potential influence that AI can have each positively and negatively. Coupled with an information governance mannequin that emphasizes knowledge privateness, safety, and integrity, we have now discovered that on a person degree, our group takes a conscientious strategy to follow Xebia’s dedication to moral AI adoption.
Xebia is understood for its concentrate on Cloud Companies, AI, and Machine Studying. Are you able to elaborate on how Xebia is integrating these applied sciences into its consulting providers and the influence that is having in your purchasers?
It is a nice query. A lot of what was thought of “digital transformation” two or three years in the past is now desk stakes. As we speak we’re at an inflection level of Business Digitalization, which is a end result of the digital transformation journey. Organizations in the present day have to harness the collective energy of cloud providers, AI/ML (in addition to low code, agile and devops) to basically reshape their corporations and industries.
Integrating these core applied sciences into our consulting providers will not be one-size-fits-all. We glance to construct a customizable basis with various tasks and buyer wants. By specializing in 4 areas of digital convergence – clever automation, utilized and GenAI, cloud & knowledge modernization, and digital merchandise/platforms, we assist organizations chart a course for long-term success. By advising and supporting our clients on technique, we’ve helped clients throughout industries drive important effectivity features and aggressive benefit.
Xebia locations a robust emphasis on information sharing and innovation. How does this focus contribute to Xebia’s success and its capability to remain on the forefront of technological development?
Our concentrate on information sharing is a key pillar of Xebia’s success. Initiatives like information exchanges, Innovation Days, and tech rallies be certain that our present and potential group members have the sources and surroundings to discover and obtain their full potential and drive innovation and experience in AI and different applied sciences. We additionally help ongoing studying with our Xebia Academy which gives our group members with coaching programs and upskilling alternatives to make sure they continue to be as aggressive as attainable.
Given Xebia’s experience in AI, how do you envision AI reworking enterprise operations and consumer providers within the subsequent 5 years?
For the reason that early 2000s, Xebia has been on the forefront of information and AI and this has supplied us with an ongoing aggressive edge. We’ve watched the assorted AI tendencies emerge and have repeatedly stayed forward of the curve. Whereas utilized AI (utilizing ML and different AI strategies to unravel particular enterprise issues) will proceed to rework companies and consumer providers, GenAI will quickly speed up the creation of solely new options. Over the subsequent 5 years, the convergence of AI capabilities will empower corporations to garner new insights, innovate at scale globally and ship clients unprecedented personalised experiences.
Generative AI is taking the world by storm, what are your views on it and the way is Xebia staying on the forefront of this groundbreaking know-how?
The alternatives and benefits offered by GenAI are multifaceted and completely actual. On the identical time, so are the challenges. We see three particularly: companies have to seize the worth of AI, handle AI responsibly and in a cost-efficient method, and grasp the abilities essential to thrive within the new Hybrid Workforce.
Training will stay a key a part of how Xebia stays on the forefront of GenAI. We’re dedicated to serving to information and help clients via their journey with a full vary of AI Workshops and Coaching Packages, together with GenAI Use Case Discovery, GenAI “How To”, and AI-Assisted Software program Improvement Enablement. As well as, Xebia gives Licensed Pods/Consultants for implementation, and we will help arrange an AI Middle of Excellence for companies to drive the adoption of AI throughout the group.
Thanks for the nice interview, readers who want to be taught extra ought to go to Xebia.
