A Journey of Office Boy to Senior Vice President

Gowthaman Sounderraj

Born in Tamil Nadu and brought up in Nagpur (though for a brief period he was in TN), Gowthaman went through a lot of hardship and struggled to make ends meet. His journey started when his father, who was about to introduce him to the corporate world, passed away in March, 1987.

Gowthaman says, "I wanted to work with my father. He was a reputed Civil Engineer. Before I could understand what was happening in my life, everything was gone. When I was a young boy, my father asked me to assist him in his civil & structural engineer firm as he was undergoing cancer treatment. I assisted him for about twelve months in that firm before I lost him, forever"

Gowthaman is now a corporate veteran who has worked with the renowned firms for over three decades across facets entailing managing various business operations across the world. He is known for breaking new avenues, driving sales growth/project development activities and customer relationship management to surpass achievement of delivery and service quality norms.

Gowthaman says as he remembers his childhood days. "After losing my father, I didn't want to stop dreaming. I didn't want to feel abandoned and give up on life. My schooling was halted. I could not go to school because I didn't have money or any support. After my father's demise, the next seven to eight years were challenging and depressing. It was the toughest phase of my life with loads of humiliation and insults both at professional and personal level."

"I started working at an early age. I would work during the day time and study four to five hours at night. This continued for a good number of years. I somehow completed my schooling and then graduation this way. The fact that a boy with no support was going places raised a lot of eyebrows, but that didn't deter him." He adds Soon after finishing college, Gowthaman got involved with multiple organizations for their marketing, branding and sales growth. He worked as a consultant with corporate giants, travelling to different areas of the country, meeting people across domains and helping them earn a sustainable livelihood.

After seeing so much in life, he never gave up. He is currently associated with a top company as Senior Vice-President & Regional Manager in Bangalore, India. He also helps and guides young people find the purpose of life through his inspiring stories and motivational talks.

"I want to help those who might be trapped in similar situations like me. Life is unpredictable, but your hard work, passion and determination is what keeps you going. Be grateful for this life and spread happiness", he says with a smile on his face