Rajlingam Sokalingam
Summary
Accomplished sales and leadership professional with 30 years of experience in the Asia Pacific region, specializing in strategic initiatives, partnership cultivation, and team management. Proven track record includes excellence in P&L management, solution selling, and fostering collaborations with key industry players. Known for navigating complex business challenges with innovative strategies, consistently exceeds performance targets and drives significant business transformations. Combines pragmatic leadership with a strong focus on financial acumen and stakeholder relations, committed to empowering teams towards collective success.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Regional VP – South-East Asia
UiPath Singapore Ltd
07.2022 - Current
- GTM Team Head for Enterprise clients for 5 countries
- Grew business 22% YoY in first year despite team size reduction.
- Managed financial performance by setting budgets, monitoring expenses, and identifying areas for improvement.
- Expanded company's presence in Public Sector business in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, establishing valuable partnerships and increasing market penetration.
Senior Director – Head Global Accounts & Global SIs APAC
NetApp Ltd
07.2018 - 06.2022
- Cultivated culture of innovation by promoting creative thinking and encouraging employees to take calculated risks in pursuit of solutions.
- Led Global Accounts Team, managing over 70 personnel and target of US$350M+ annually.
- Strategized for 3-year plan, transitioning core products to cloud solutions and achieving 10% YoY core business growth and 200% increase in cloud products.
- Increase managed services, ELA, data privacy & compliance and consumption & utility based commercial offerings
Regional Sales Director – APAC
Dimension Data Asia Pacific Ltd
07.2013 - 05.2018
- Oversaw US$600M vertical portfolio annually, enhancing total contract value (TCV) and client satisfaction.
- Crafted and executed comprehensive 3-year strategy targeting key verticals: Manufacturing, Travel, Transport, and Hospitality.
- Achieved average 15% YoY growth, outperforming industry benchmarks.
- Secured high-profile clients including FedEx, Ocean Network Express, and Airbus, expanding our global footprint
- Spearheaded IoT GTM strategy, collaborating with key partners including Bosch Software and Johnson Controls to diversify our solution portfolio.
- Created a Power BI dashboard to enhance management of Client Directors by tracking SFDC pipeline, SAP YTD achievement, and conducting target & GAP analysis.
Regional Director – ASEAN
Check Point Software
07.2012 - 07.2013
- Led sales and marketing strategies across 5 countries, collaborating with partners, teams, and distributors to drive regional growth.
- Oversaw Check Point Holdings, Singapore, a US$1 billion asset company, leading significant M&A initiatives.
- Drove impressive 18% YoY growth by optimizing sales strategies and market penetration.
- Collaborated with regulators and financial institutions to bolster security awareness, setting new collaboration benchmarks in FSI industry.
Regional Vice President – Network Services (ASEAN)
Fujitsu Asia Ltd
05.2010 - 06.2012
- Led the Network Services business unit with strategic oversight and full P&L responsibility.
- Drove unit to achieve 42% increase in orders, a 35% rise in revenue, and 76% boost in gross margin in the first year through market expansion and strengthened partnerships.
- Spearheaded development and launch of innovative solutions, including the 3D Smart Building Tracker and integrated mobile UC application using AutoDesk BIM technology, enhancing unit's product offering and market competitiveness.
Regional Sales Director – Global Strategic Accounts (APAC)
Datacraft Asia Ltd
05.2004 - 04.2010
- Provided strategic leadership for IT solutions across Asia Pacific, addressing complex needs of top 50 MNCs with focus on strategic expansion and high-value client acquisition.
- Managed diverse sales team, including 2 Regional Business Development Managers and matrix-managed Regional Client Directors in 13 countries, to spearhead Datacraft’s Hunting Strategy and lead Global Account Program.
- Collaborated closely with senior executives to tailor IT solutions, focusing on contact center innovations, utility-based pricing models, and significant discussions on IT's ROI, risk mitigation, compliance, and resilience.
- Served as executive sponsor and key escalation point for major accounts, ensuring client satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, orchestrated annual advisory board to foster executive networking and idea exchange.
Director- Global Strategic Accounts
EQUANT Pte Ltd
01.2004 - 05.2004
- Spearheaded development of communications outsourcing opportunities, targeting Fortune 500 companies based in Singapore.
- Led collaboration with regional and global teams to strategize and capture key accounts, enhancing company's market presence and service reach.
Sales Manager
EQUANT Pte Ltd
10.2000 - 12.2003
- Led Singapore Account Management team, serving as SWIFT Account Director for ASEAN and Regional Account Director for CSFB, driving strategic sales and client relationships.
- Played a pivotal leadership role in EQUANT's SWIFTnet sales strategy across ASEAN, capturing over 45% of all SWIFTnet orders and outperforming AT&T and Infonet.
- Achieved 100% adoption rate with top 16 banks in Sri Lanka for SWIFTnet Link project, overcoming significant pricing challenges and competitive lobbying.
Business Development Manager
EQUANT Integration Services Pte Ltd
06.1996 - 07.2000
- Recognized with EQUANT Global Top Salesperson Award in 2000 for outstanding achievements: exceeding order targets by 400%, revenue targets by 300%, and margin targets by 200%.
- Consistently ranked as top local Account Manager over five years, significantly surpassing annual quotas through strategic sales approaches.
Sales Engineer
Teledata Singapore
02.1995 - 05.1996
- Surpassed first-year sales quota by 20%
- Successfully managed and expanded key accounts including SIA, Mindef, Singapore Pools, and Bloomberg, reinforcing significant customer trust and business growth.
Business Representative
United Software Solutions
03.1993 - 02.1995
- Pioneered development of new accounts for Great Plains Software, introducing ERP solutions to manufacturing and service sectors and facilitating sale of first Windows/NT-based ERP systems in Asia.
- Contributed to establishing strong market presence that preceded acquisition of Great Plains Software by Microsoft, rebranding it as Dynamics.
Education
Bachelor in Information Technology -
University of Western Sydney
AustraliaSkills
- Staff Leadership
- Operational planning
- Operations Management
- Revenue Growth & Profit Maximization
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Market Analysis & Insights
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Mandarin (Written & Fluent)
Intermediate (B1)
Malay/Bahasa
Intermediate (B1)
Hokkien (Conversational)
Intermediate (B1)
Total Years Worked
30 Years
Interest
- Gym
- Yoga
- Triathlons
- Fishing
- Golf
References
- Former Chief Commercial Officer of NetApp
- Former CEO of Dimension Data Asia Pacific
- CIOs, CFOs and CEOs of various key clients
- IT Partners
Timeline
Regional VP – South-East Asia
UiPath Singapore Ltd
07.2022 - Current
Senior Director – Head Global Accounts & Global SIs APAC
NetApp Ltd
07.2018 - 06.2022
Regional Sales Director – APAC
Dimension Data Asia Pacific Ltd
07.2013 - 05.2018
Regional Director – ASEAN
Check Point Software
07.2012 - 07.2013
Regional Vice President – Network Services (ASEAN)
Fujitsu Asia Ltd
05.2010 - 06.2012
Regional Sales Director – Global Strategic Accounts (APAC)
Datacraft Asia Ltd
05.2004 - 04.2010
Director- Global Strategic Accounts
EQUANT Pte Ltd
01.2004 - 05.2004
Sales Manager
EQUANT Pte Ltd
10.2000 - 12.2003
Business Development Manager
EQUANT Integration Services Pte Ltd
06.1996 - 07.2000
Sales Engineer
Teledata Singapore
02.1995 - 05.1996
Business Representative
United Software Solutions
03.1993 - 02.1995
Bachelor in Information Technology -
University of Western Sydney
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