This is Shankar. Creating transformational journeys to the cloud.

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Welcome to episode 8 in our interview series, This is my IBM. 

This week, I chat to Shankar Jalota, IBM Cloud specialist and ambassador for the charity, Changing Faces. Shankar shares an insight into his career with IBM so far, what he has learnt about himself along the way and what led him to became an author of a children’s book during COVID lockdown.

Hi Shankar, lovely to meet you today. Can you tell me more about your role at IBM?

I’m an IBM Cloud specialist and essentially my role is to help select dedicated and strategic clients with their journey to the cloud.  What makes Cloud exciting for me is the shear acceleration there is towards Cloud adoption. The industry year by year growth demonstrates this alone. Clients want to reduce risk, accelerate quickly and effectively, bring more workloads to the cloud, and transform rapidly with true innovation like with our IBM Cloud for financial services platform.

And when did you join IBM and what led you to work here?

I joined IBM back in 2017 as an intern within Security Services and after an exhilarating year, I really wanted to come back as a graduate. So in 2019, I was given the chance to start my career as a Security Services seller. Then, at the start of this year, I joined the Cloud team.

Wow – from intern through to now. Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re working on at the moment?

I’m working with both public sector and financial services clients, helping them to discover what they can do to accelerate their progress with technology and more specifically, with IBM Cloud.

And is there a particular project that you would consider the most exciting you’ve worked on so far?

When I worked in security, I worked on a project for a distribution sector client who had fallen foul of a phishing attack – an employee had clicked on a link on an email and it had ultimately shut down a production line, costing this client many days and £s to get it back up and running again. It was a terrible situation for them; our X-Force team were brought in to support immediately and I worked on proposing the future solution for them with email filtering and a managed security service.

I can imagine that was exciting and challenging all at the same time. In your time as an IBMer, has there been a personal challenge that you’ve overcome?

A career in technology means the landscape changes rapidly. One of the challenges I have faced and overcome is developing the resiliency needed under pressure and with pace of change. Resiliency is key to our clients too and I believe makes IBM stand out.

Imagination and creativity are important to us as IBMers too. Can you think of a time when you used creativity to inspire change?

Alongside my technology role at IBM, I’m an ambassador for Changing Faces. I see the brilliant work the charity does to support people with a visible difference, mark or scar and the significant impact that people like me and others can make on people’s lives. I saw an opportunity for IBM to work in partnership with Changing Faces; one of the best things about IBM and other companies as well, is our diversity, our culture and the way that make sure that everyone feels included no matter who they are.

And alongside your role as ambassador for Changing Faces, I know you also authored a children’s book aiming to inspire others?

Yes, I wrote a children’s book called The Adventures of the Vitiligo Man during COVID lockdown. I suffer from the skin condition vitiligo. When I was younger, I found there wasn’t really anyone to inspire me to be my best self. I realise that when you’re a child, the things you learn at a young age are carried with you for the rest of your life. So I wrote a book – it’s been really well received, I’m really happy with it, and I’m hoping there’ll be another one coming soon!

Is there anything that’s been the most surprising aspect to you since being at IBM?

I’m a big believer that at IBM people are our biggest asset; when working within teams you’re never left behind, you’re always empowered. What surprised me was the impact that moving our headquarters in London from Southbank to York Road had – and how it really brought everyone together. For me, there’s no better feeling than having a purpose and progressing in life in a team where you know you’re developing.

Is there anything you like doing outside of work?

I’m not a runner or a jogger but I was asked by the charity Changing Faces to run the London Marathon. I’m not going to lie – I didn’t say yes straight away – but with this mindset of challenging myself and being resilient, I agreed to it. Having the opportunity to help others and raise money is 90% of why I am doing it – the other 10% is to prove something to myself.

And is marathon running the most exciting thing happening in your life right now?

Workwise, I love my job and I’m doing some fantastic things with clients across multiple industries, pushing innovation to the next level. Outside of work, I am doing more in the media for my Changing Faces ambassador role. From appearances on BBC News and BBC radio stations, I find it exhilarating to give back and help people in ways that I would have never thought of initially. Who knew that opening up and sharing a story could help other people in the way it does? It’s inspiring.

Learn more about IBM Cloud here > https://www.ibm.com/cloud

Read more about Shankar’s story as an ambassador for Changing Faces here > https://www.changingfaces.org.uk/story/shankars-story-became-real-me-again/

And finally, join us again to hear from the next IBMer who goes under the spotlight and discover how they turn ideas into action. What inspires them. What has surprised them. And what they mean when they say This is my IBM.