10 October 2023
Himanshu Agarwal regional director, Asia Pacific region Hughes Network Systems
Who was your hero when you were growing up?
My dad has always been my hero – he instilled the values in me that continue to influence how I live my life. He taught me to work hard to fulfill my ambitions, be truthful and trustworthy, and show respect to everyone you meet.
Growing up in India, I was always fascinated by the major industrialists who developed large companies from the ground up. In particular, I looked up to Ratan Tata for his leadership qualities displayed while growing the Tata group into an international powerhouse. He was a fair and ethical leader who made strategic business decisions while also maintaining very generous philanthropic pursuits.
What was your big career break?
I can’t believe I’ve been working for nearly 25 years now, but there are two main turning points in my career that stand out.
Prior to joining Hughes in 2017, I worked at Oracle for five years. That role allowed me to spread my wings beyond India and break into the vast Asia Pacific market. I had to wear many hats in this job and work with a variety of teams across the company and the world, including R&D, sales, product and more. I was able to hone my skills managing a team and learned how to match customers with the right set of solutions from a wide variety of options.
It really helped broaden my scope of work and ultimately prepared me for my current role at Hughes, where I interface daily with customers and develop new channel partners across the world to provide them with customised connectivity solutions. At Hughes, I’ve had the opportunity to learn new industry verticals and explore different areas within the satellite industry and that has been a major highlight of my career so far.
“The best piece of advice I’ve received came from my current manager at Hughes, Vaibhav Magow. He always stresses how important it is to keep up with market trends in the satellite industry – read articles, listen to podcasts, subscribe to industry publications, follow the discussion on social media, etc.”
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I never dreamed of being an engineer or having a sales role, but now I can’t imagine doing anything else! I am lucky to be able to do something that I love every single day. But when I was younger, I always thought I would go into administrative service or qualify for the prestigious Indian Foreign Service and become an ambassador of the country.
What would you do with £1 million?
I absolutely love traveling so first I would take a fabulous trip around the world. Then I would build a palatial home so I would have somewhere comfortable to come back to after my trip. I’d give back by adopting a village to empower the people who live there with resources to help them build a better life. Whatever is left over, I’d invest to ensure I have enough money to take care of my family in the future.
“I’d love to have the opportunity to sit with Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, for a meal. I think it would be so interesting to understand firsthand what his life is like as the leader of such a large and diverse country”
If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would you choose?
I’d love to have the opportunity to sit with Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, for a meal. I think it would be so interesting to understand firsthand what his life is like as the leader of such a large and diverse country.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
The best piece of advice I’ve received came from my current manager at Hughes, Vaibhav Magow. He always stresses how important it is to keep up with market trends in the satellite industry – read articles, listen to podcasts, subscribe to industry publications, follow the discussion on social media, etc. Strive to learn everything you can about your competitors, which comes in handy when you are trying to negotiate and ultimately win a deal. You must understand how to position your offer and product in comparison to the competition.
If you had to work in a different industry, which would you choose?
I love the satellite and telecommunications industry, but if I had to choose, I’d probably pick another part of the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. I like working with businesses to solve their problems using the latest advancements in technology, so I think I could apply this across many different industries. Anything that keeps me at the forefront of technology trends and innovations!
The Rolling Stones or the Beatles?
I don’t know that I can pick just one – both The Rolling Stones and the Beatles are incredibly influential and important bands in the history of popular music. They both made a huge impact on the world when they emerged onto the music scene. It really just comes down to personal preference!
What’s the greatest technological advancement in your lifetime?
With the pace of technological advancements, it is difficult to select just one, but the video call stands out to me. Back in my early career at Alcatel, we were doing some testing and I can still remember the first time I saw someone else’s picture in real time on the other side of a call – I was completely thrilled to talk to a person in another location. These days, especially in the last few years, we can’t imagine life without the ability to video chat with colleagues and friends around the world, but that wasn’t always the case.
