Sathish Kumar Shanmugam, Class 08
Current place of residence: Magden, Switzerland
Currently working as: Global Vice President Customer Advocate at Valgenesis Inc.
Where are you currently working and what is the biggest issue that you are facing at work or what is currently keeping you busy there?
I am presently working as a Global Vice President for Strategic Customer Advisory and Business Development for Valgenesis in Switzerland. Having worked in core software development, implemented the various software products in different Pharma/Life science customers in three different continents (Europe, Asia, America), I strongly believe in the benefits what Digitalization offers to mankind especially in regulated GMP/GxP industries. I really can't imagine that I am a German citizen, Swiss permanent residence and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI). Thanks to TUHH/NIT for the gateway of making me a global citizen.
Has there been a professional challenge since you were a student for which your studies or experiences at the NIT have prepared you for perfectly?
Being almost a native speaker of English, I picked up German language only at the age of 23 in TUHH/NIT. But the integration with the local German culture, especially my mentor Mr. Harald Merkel (with whom I am in regular touch even now) has been a perfect platform for me to be successful in my career path in the DACH region (Deutschland, Austria, Switzerland). Besides the mathematics, programming skills I acquired in my Bachelors in India and Masters at the TUHH, the MBA from the NIT showed how important it is to focus on communication skills, interpersonal skills, and soft skills which are of paramount importance in the professional world.
What has happened in your private life in the meantime?
Recently I celebrated my 14th anniversary with my beloved wife and my lovely son (12 years) in Sardinia, Italy. He was born in Lueneburg and he is a leap year kid. :)
What is your most precious / special / remarkable memory from your time studying at the NIT?
There are quite a lot of memories but the most fascinating memory was the class trip to Cuxhafen, Ratzeburger See and all the NIT parties after the tough exams. Strategy from Joachim Cock was a stunning lecture which I have attended till now. I will be happy if I can meet him once again.
How to keep in touch with me:
Via LinkedIn.
You can also visit Sathish's blog where he shares more memories from his NIT time (go back to the years 2006-2008): https://sathishcontradicts.blogspot.com/
Photo above: Sathish today
Photo below: The best part was when my mom came to the graduation ceremony. Unfortunately she is no more. But I still have this picture framed in my room.
