Being recognized as a trusted advisor to the world’s largest technology firms and an executive analyst for Fortune 500 organizations is a commendable milestone that isn’t easy to achieve. Making it possible with a vast experience of 25 plus years, Ritu Jyoti is setting incredible standards. Currently, she serves as the Group VP for AI & Automation Research and Market Advisory Services at International Data Corporation tasked with serving as Global AI Research Lead, and driving AI thought leadership. She is a tenacious leader who thrives in ambiguous situations and environments.
IDC is a premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and investment communities make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategies. Ritu is justifying her role by providing strategic insights to help its clients achieve their key business objectives. She is skilled in developing creative solutions and leading teams through periods of change and uncertainty, making her a seasoned and dependable leader.
Elite Education, Elite Learnings, Elite Leadership
Ritu Jyoti is the Group Vice President, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation Research with IDC’s software market research and advisory practice. Ms. Jyoti is responsible for developing IDC’s thought leadership for AI Research and management of the Worldwide AI and Automation Software research team.
Before joining IDC, Ritu held various executive-level positions in Product Management, Marketing, Solutions, technology alliances, and Consulting at Kaminario, EMC, IBM Global Services, and PwC Consulting. Ritu has over two decades of experience in high-tech, covering Business applications (ERP, CRM), Databases, Big Data Analytics, and Enterprise Infrastructure Services, driving big picture corporate growth and strategic direction by identifying a high potential new business, market, and partnership opportunities. She is a proven innovative thought leader adept at leveraging her strong technical background to uncover and align business/customer needs with on-the-ground solutions engineering. Most recently, she was the Chief Product Officer at Kaminario.
She completed her executive education in Corporate Strategy & Strategic Marketing from MIT Sloan School of Management, USA. She also holds a B.Sc. engineering degree in Electronics and Communication from Ranchi University, India. Ritu is a frequent speaker, presenter, and moderator at IDC, industry, and customer events and provides analysis for multiple media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Wired, CIO Techie, and CIO. Ritu is often quoted in leading business and technology publications.
Accomplishing More with Fewer Resources
Ritu Jyoti is a trusted advisor to some of the world’s largest technology firms and end-users. Her research focuses on the state of enterprise AI efforts and global market trends for the rapidly evolving AI and Machine Learning (ML) innovations and ecosystem. Ms. Jyoti also leads insightful research that addresses the AI technology vendors’ needs and provides actionable guidance to them on how to crisply articulate their value proposition, differentiate, and thrive in the digital era. She has delivered ground-breaking research for the technology suppliers and buyers to drive their business transformation, re-enforcing IDC’s position as the go-to thought leader in the industry.
In addition, from raising market awareness to advancing revenue growth goals, growing tech disruptors have a lot on their plates. Especially in a turbulent market, organizations are tasked with accomplishing more with fewer resources and often compete with more mature organizations. The right partner can help build trust in the brand’s expertise, expand reach, and drive awareness, lead generation, and revenue. She has also led IDC Emerging Vendor and Accelerator Program for AI and Automation: to better support these disruptive organizations and supercharge their growth in hyper-competitive markets.
Speaking about her challenges, Ritu says, “While everyone’s journey is unique in some ways, I remember that in the initial phase, blending-in in into a male-dominated industry was not easy. I was the only female student in my undergraduate (BTech), which I thought had prepared me for the future, but then being the only female Graduate Engineering Trainee was quite different. Sometimes, I experienced a lack of inclusion based on ethnicity and gender. In addition, it was not easy to get mentors who could provide guidance or social support. While it is a bit strange, I recall in one exceptionally large consulting engagement – where I was the lead, and some women doubted my leadership more. It took me time to win everyone’s confidence and succeed.”
Disruptive Technologies, Flexible Working
With over 1,200 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC’s analysis and insight help IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based technology decisions and achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG, Inc.), the world’s leading tech media, data and marketing services company.
International Data Corporation (IDC) is at the forefront of providing flexibility in the workplace. This includes telecommuting, remote working, customized working hours, condensed workweeks (e.g., early release on Fridays during summer), flexible vacation time, unplugging days etc. Ritu shares, “My work mantra has always been to empower the team members to put in their best, and work flexibility plays an integral role.”
Disruptive technologies (AI, Automation, Cloud, Big Data, etc.) impact every aspect of the business, from corporate strategy to business operations and job functions. These innovations can directly influence both the production and the characteristics of a wide range of products and services, with important implications for productivity, employment, and competition. But, as important as these effects are likely to be, AI also has the potential to change the innovation process itself, with consequences that may be equally profound and which may, over time, come to dominate the direct effect. For e.g., developing a novel technology for identifying potential drug candidates by using neural networks to predict the bioactivity of candidate molecules. The learning algorithms that are being developed suggest that artificial intelligence may have applications across a very wide range of use cases. Ritu states, “These technologies are not just used in my day-to-day personal life but also in my business setting from market research to interactions with customers and partners.”
Insightful and Confident Decision Maker
IDC is changing the way the world thinks about the impact of technology on business and society. Ritu envisions the incorporation of AI in market research data collection methods. Areas for data collection will become more seamless and automated, including analysis of open-ended text responses. These capabilities will enhance researchers’ time efficiency, create more value for clients, and break down the ‘why’ when purchasing behaviors. Another example of this is in “Sentiment Analysis,” where researchers will be able to decipher positive or negative responses better. In addition, market researchers will focus on insights that can carry over into clear and confident decision-making. Research has shown that customers value and appreciate it more when brand experiences are more curated or customized.
Ritu shares, “I am a big proponent of continuous learning. Keeping that in context, I would like to strengthen my skills as a visionary leader, explore digital disruption from strategy, organization and leadership perspectives, generate new value propositions for my coverage area, and create sustainable growth.”
She concludes with encouraging words, “I would advise the aspiring business leaders to focus on communication, integrity, accountability, resilience, and vision. Effective communication entails relentless, simple, and direct communication, affirmed with actions. As C.S. Lewis said: “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Having a good conscience is important, and integrity is the cornerstone of all leadership qualities. We rarely see this personified, but it is truly magical when it is. Next is accountability. An effective leader needs to give credit when the credit is due and take responsibility for blame when necessary. I have met very few leaders who truly embody this in the 25+ years of my career. Next would be resilience. In today’s disruptive and unpredictable world, the true grit of a leader is not how they perform during good times but how they react to challenging situations.”
