“The last 15 years at Sabre made me better, both professionally and personally”, says Chandrasekar Sakaray
In our next interview (2nd in the series) on the completion of 15 years with Sabre, we interviewed Chandrasekar Sakaray. In a written interview, Chandrasekar shared his passion, career milestones and more with us to give us a glimpse into his life@Sabre. Read on to know more.
Share some moments from your Sabre journey that you are particularly fond of.
I’ve had many great moments in my journey with Sabre. The one that I’d specifically like to mention would be my customer trip to Germany. As this trip was my first trip outside India, it was particularly special for the experience. But the fact that this trip resulted in customer retention of two of our customers for a very long period added to the joy.
I take pride in the fact that with this assignment, I was able to iron out all the issues our customers had been worrying about (then) and bring back their confidence in Sabre’s technology prowess.
What was your 1st job role like? Has it evolved a lot over time?
Yes, it has evolved a lot over the years. I joined Sabre as a product developer and now I am a team leader. While working on different projects, technologies and applications, I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience that allows me to mentor other members in my team. I have also learnt to collaborate well, listen better and give and receive feedback more effectively over these years. The last 15 years here have therefore made me better, both professionally and personally.
What motivates you to come to work each day?
My awesome team and the chance to solve various customer challenges at work motivates me. Each project we work on is different based on the customization it needs. To be able to give the best possible solution to our customer’s by tapping into the talent of my team offers satisfaction that is unparalleled.
15 years is a big milestone. Do you have any tips and tricks for youngsters/starters like us to help us adapt and evolve better in our respective roles?
I have seen Sabre transforming from product company to technology provider which is very good for the employees as they get a chance to work on latest technologies. This allows youngsters to be adept at product and technology both. I’d advise them to constantly update their skills and to focus on exposure to both the technology and product domains. Also, I personally believe that honest efforts never fail to give results, so keep trying and innovating!
What made you continue to stay at Sabre?
The people, culture and team at Sabre are among the top 3 reasons why I stayed in Sabre for such a long time. I love the work we do here. Here. we are constantly challenging ourselves to find more better and effective ways of doing things.
Also, the leadership team at Sabre is always forthcoming to new ideas. We can trust them enough to bounce off any ideas we might have on change we’d like to see in the organization or technology. Besides, the flexible work hours that we can avail at Sabre has helped me a lot in managing my work-life balance.
If you have to redo your tenure at Sabre how will you go about that? Would you like to change anything?
Looking back, I feel happy and satisfied with my tenure at Sabre and I don’t think I’d like to change anything.
What positive impact Sabre had on your family? Would you like to share it with us voluntarily?
By taking advantage of the flexi- hours at Sabre, I was able to effectively balance my work and life, especially during my initial days. I was able to ensure I was around my family when they needed me the most during a personal crisis period.
Which destination is top on your travel list when normal travelling resumes worldwide? Why?
My 6 years old son wishes to visit Goa by flight once the pandemic is over. So, Goa it is!
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to listen to old Telugu (regional) songs and watch/read travel and food videos/blogs.
In your 15 years of service, you may have done a couple of team building activities. Talk about the ones that were both fun and insightful.
One of my most prominent memories is from one of the Employee Development Day celebrations. Our team had setup a stall and we were able to share knowledge about our product in a fun and engaging way. Another occasion that I can recollect now is during the team birthday celebrations in 2018-2019. I was invited to give an impromptu speech which was appreciated a lot.
Which Sabre value you think brings out the best in you?
I feel the value Accountability resonates the best in my case as I believe in taking ownership of the work done by me and my team and giving our best.
If you could change something in the world, what would it be?
I would like to support agriculture and empower the farmers in ways that ensures lesser number of people die of hunger!