Queen of Dax

JOB PROFILE: Working with Dax Networks for more than 17 years now,

Subhashini Prabhakar, is one of the successful women players in the

industry today. The lady is responsible for performing a number of tasks,

including marketing, product evaluation, vendor negotiation, and vendor

relationship management. She is also involved in a bit of sales.

Today, Dax is India'Â’s foremost value-added services and solution

provider of networking products. All Dax products are positioned well

and work in synergy with Cisco, Nortel and Juniper. Customers highly

value Dax ‘1-payment guarantees 3-years performance’ maxim and

‘Specify Dax’ as their preferred networking product choice.

Apparently it is Prabhakar'Â’s first job wherein she joined as a service

engineer, and now she holds the position of a CTM at Dax. She made

a straight entry from college and claims that it has been an enjoyable

journey so far. “Dax is an equal opportunity employer. The challenges and

the ladder for growth are always thrown at you. It is up to the individual

to take or leave it. I took the ladder and managed to climb it,” says

Prabhakar.

CHALLENGES: “I always wanted to be an independent working women

and I did electronics and telecommunication engineering. I am fortunate

to have an employer who does not follow gender discrimination. There

were many challenges that came my way by virtue of being a woman.

It is a question of how one manages and overcomes it. As part of my

job, I was required to do a lot of traveling, but I never hesitated,” says

Prabhakar.

When it comes to handling external customers, Prabhakar says that

she has never had any issues with it. According to her, as a country, India

has come a long way, and women are now being respected and accepted

as professionals. She always believed that her performance will speak

for herself and she will earn respect for her work. “The ambiance in our

office helps to a great extent, and respect for people is part of our office

culture. There is no bureaucracy and we always encourage employees at

all level, to speak out their mind; and any personnel issues are quickly

addressed. This kind of environment helps in bridging communication

gaps. I donÂ’t hesitate to take the first step in reaching out to male

colleagues who are peers or work at lower posts,” adds Prabhakar.

STRENGTHS: Prabhakar has been optimistic throughout her career.

Even when she fails to get a deal, she makes sure to follow-up with

the client and continues to take feedback and suggestions. She

always believes in putting an honest effort into her work and she

does not miss a chance to learn something new, even from her

subordinates.

ROLE MODEL: Prabhakar is inspired by her father in her life. “He

always believed that work is God. I have grown up with that belief.

He encouraged me to be independent right from my school

days. He did not put any restriction when I had to work till late

hours or travel alone to other cities. About 17 years back, the

infrastructure was not so good, as it is now. As a father he played

a dual role of being protective, concerned, yet encouraging me

to move forward and take on challenges,” says Prabhakar.

She also takes pride in appreciating him more now, as she

is a mother of a 9-year-old daughter. “I know how protective

I am when it comes to my daughter. I love my work and I

am passionate about it. I have enjoyed my work throughout.

The challenges of professional life have strengthened me

more as an individual. My family has been a great strength

for me,” says Prabhakar.

HOBBIES: As far as hobbies are concerned, Prabhakar says that she doesn’t have much time for pursuing a hobby. Apart from work, she dedicates all her time to her daughter. “If at all I get some free time, I like watching cricket. I have followed cricket right from my school days. Also, I don’t miss an opportunity to watch a good movie in theater with my family,” adds Prabhakar.

SUCCESS MANTRA: “I love my work and I am passionate about it,” says Prabhakar proudly. The success mantra in her life is ‘Think big and Do big’.