Leadership
My philosophy is simple: People first. Clarity next. Delivery always. Below are the principles 25 years have taught me — each one proven in a real programme — and the books that shaped them.
Architecture earns its place when it changes a business decision. The £40M convergence at Discover began as an evidence base for an Investment Council — not a diagram.
At Discover, stressed teams had stopped collaborating. Recognising the effort, owning the mistakes and removing blame turned them back into one team.
At Allianz UK, architecture workshops showed each project what was in it for them. Six adopted the shared platform, and the steering committee credited the approach.
At Ricoh I had no direct reports — just partners and internal experts. Clarity about what's needed, and clearing their blockers, kept six parallel workstreams moving.
From EY to McDonald's, I trained client teams until they could run the solution without us. A sale isn't finished until the client owns it.
A chatbot at Ricoh cut support-desk emails and calls by 27%; Agentic AI at Discover absorbed a 3,200% surge with the same team. Clear guardrails make good teams faster.
Four books I keep coming back to — and where each one shows up in my work.
Simon Sinek
Leaders create safety by taking the pressure themselves, so their teams don't have to.
In my workWhen work surged at Discover, I absorbed the pressure rather than passing it down — one of my architects described exactly that in their recommendation.
Read the recommendations →Simon Sinek
People commit to a purpose long before they commit to a plan.
In my workAt Allianz UK I opened with why a shared platform mattered to each team — and six projects chose to adopt it instead of building their own.
The Allianz story →Stephen R. Covey
Understand before you try to be understood, and start with the end in mind.
In my workDiscovery workshops before any solution design, and a North Star before any roadmap — from Pitney Bowes clients to Discover's convergence.
The Discover story →John C. Maxwell
Leadership is influence — it isn't a job title.
In my workAt Ricoh I had no direct reports. Progress came from influence: giving partners clarity and clearing their blockers.
The Ricoh story →
Currently reading
The Infinite GameSimon Sinek
And I keep learning: Simon Sinek's podcast, A Bit of Optimism, is a regular listen.
Contact
I'm based in London, UK. Whether it's a leadership role, an advisory engagement or a transformation that needs shaping — my inbox is open.
srini.vankee@gmail.com