All about Autodesk. Autodesk CIO Prakash Kota attends Autodesk University in style.
The 38-year-old native of Madras, India, shows up at Autodesk University in a very modern patterned jacket, expected more for a nicely-dressed American rocker than for a chief information officer (CIO).
A CIO’s Progression
Prakash started at Autodesk with a consulting gig. After a succession of promotions, he now heads all things IT at Autodesk, responsible for Autodesk’s technology infrastructure, including providing a highly available, resilient environment for customers, as well as computers, mobile devices, and at-work digital tools for more than 9,000 employees.
While some CIOs may reminisce about the days when mainframes filled the room, in Prakash’s world, mainframe power fills pockets and supercomputers live on the cloud.
Prakash moved to the Bay Area for love to be with his then fiancée, now wife, after getting an advanced electrical engineering degree from Oklahoma State and working in Texas and Florida.
Hired on the strength of his Java certification, Autodesk was quick to recognize his talent, and his career shot upward. The consulting gig turned into a permanent job, and then it was one promotion after another, all in IT-related operations, eventually leading Prakash to the top of the IT ladder.
So, why can’t you hold down a job?
A joke is always a risk at any interview, but Prakash cracks up.
A software company could use the cobblers-children-go-barefoot excuse for having less than optimal software for its own use. That’s not happening at Autodesk under Prakash’s watch.
Autodesk Accomplishments
“We help automate the design process for our customers, and automate technology for employees much in the same way,” said Prakash. Autodesk IT is transforming, and embracing a value-mindset to enhance the employee experience. Prakash’s digital transformation strategy introduced frictionless, mobile self-service tools for employees.
After inheriting a help system that issued tickets for employees’ IT and HR requests, Autodesk modernized it to integrate with Slack, the popular corporate chat app. Employees can simply ask Slack a question—forgot my password, need an app installed, how many vacation days do I have left, etc.—and an artificial intelligence-based chatbot, called HelpBot, returns an answer in less than one minute.
Autodesk IT also built a productivity portal, Help Hub, for employees. Both tools were rolled out to employees worldwide.
“Help Hub lets employees learn about and use any enterprise IT service,” said Prakash. “The idea is a seamless, intuitive experience. Automating interactions and putting workers at the center of process simplifies how things get done.”
I caught up with Prakash at AU Las Vegas during the CIO Exchange Breakfast he put on for Autodesk customer CIOs. An article about him was featured in CIO magazine just six months into his CIO position at Autodesk, and he’s boldly and freely sharing what he has done with other Fortune 500s at Autodesk events and beyond.
Prakash’s objective? Help drive Autodesk’s transformation as a digital innovator and customer-centric company.
“We will continue to work to provide value first, and a simplified experience for employees and customers that is available anytime, anywhere,” said Prakash.