Arungalai Anbarasu

Arungalai Anbarasu likes to describe herself as a mother first and foremost to her 6-year-old daughter - Ada, who aspires to become an engineer. She is also the Chief Technology and Strategy Officer at Waygate Technologies, where she drives the strategy and innovation of the business.  As well as pushing the boundaries for technology, strategy, and business models in industrial inspection solutions, she is leading the digital transformation of the company, and spearheading Waygate Technologies’ evolution into a digital inspection solutions provider. She is a contemporary leader who leads with confidence and resilience in the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world.

She first joined the company in 2005 when it was still part of the General Electric corporation, as part of its Edison Engineering Development Program. She's risen through the ranks over the years through multiple transformational and impactful roles in business divisions such as Global Research Centre, Oil & Gas, Power Conversion, Healthcare, Renewables and most recently as the Executive General Manager for Waygate Technologies’’ industrial X-ray and CT business, before being appointed to her current position. In 2020 she became a member of Forbes Technology Council.. 

Anbarasu says she got where she is today thanks to a combination of a solid support system (empathetic child, supportive husband, encouraging parents and collaborative colleagues), her urge to challenge the status quo to always drive transformational advancement, and taking up challenging jobs. "The bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity, proving you can create value for the stakeholders" she says.  

She describes her approach to leadership as authentic, resilient, inclusive, disruptive, and empathetic, which she applies to managing people. "The key is empathy and authenticity" she says. "This builds a trustful relationship which then breeds a fruitful partnership when we undertake challenges and fulfil transformational activities successfully." 

She encourages her team to expand their horizons beyond their current role description & think outside the box. "I do not encourage my team to build a kingdom within the walls but create a leap for humanity" she adds. "Give the team the freedom to create and develop within the boundaries of compliance, ethics and safety. People make a business, business does not make people, so a business will be successful only if we focus on the people." 

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