“Pioneering Technology Solutions with Vision, Innovation, and Leadership.”
As businesses around the world confront rapid technological advancements and shifting market dynamics, effective leadership has become more crucial than ever. At the helm of Cognizant’s thriving insurance practice, Sivakumar Deivacikamani, Vice President, Cognizant is an exemplary figure in strategic leadership and innovative thinking. His journey from the early days of his career to his current role highlights a relentless pursuit of growth, a deep understanding of diverse markets, and a passion for driving change.
A Career Built on Transformation and Adaptation
Sivakumar’s career trajectory is a testament to his resilience, adaptability, and ability to turn challenges into opportunities. Reflecting on his early years, Sivakumar recounts how the tech boom during the Y2K era presented a unique environment for tech enthusiasts. As a young professional, he was fortunate to work with clients at the forefront of technological advancements, particularly those serving the military. The first few years of his career were foundational, involving large-scale, multiyear transformation programs that solidified his understanding of the industry’s complexities.
Through his diverse roles in delivery, sales, presales, and innovation, Sivakumar has cultivated a broad skillset, with a particular focus on solution-based sales. His ability to drive growth through innovation was further honed when he was given the opportunity to run TCS global presales and solutions strategy, a move that allowed him to gain invaluable insights into markets across regions like Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Europe, and Asia Pacific. These early experiences set the stage for his future success, as they not only shaped his professional development but also ignited his passion for continuous learning.
The Global Perspective: A Leadership Approach Shaped by Diversity
Sivakumar’s extensive experience in diverse regions has played a pivotal role in shaping his leadership style. Having worked in India, North America, Europe, and Mexico, he emphasizes the importance of understanding the nuances of each market. He reflects, “Every soil has its fragrance. Each market presents a unique opportunity, and they complement each other in ways that broaden our thinking.” For Sivakumar, the experience of working in these regions has been transformative, offering valuable lessons about scale, customer experience, regulatory environments, and the relentless hustle required to succeed in diverse markets.
In India, he learned about the power of scale; in the US, he gained insights into customer experience and expectations; Europe offered him a deep understanding of business regulations, while his time in Mexico taught him the value of adaptability and ambition. Collectively, these experiences have broadened his thinking, enabling him to approach complex challenges from multiple perspectives. Sivakumar’s leadership approach has been shaped by this cross-cultural exposure, allowing him to create solutions that resonate with a wide range of clients and industries.
Leading with Empathy and Innovation in the Insurance Sector
As Vice President of Cognizant’s Insurance Practice, Sivakumar is responsible for driving a two-billion-dollar portfolio, overseeing a diverse range of clients and stakeholders. One of the key challenges he faces in this role is the intangible nature of insurance products. “Insurance is not something you can hold in your hand; it’s paper and systems,” he explains. Engaging clients with such an invisible product requires a deeper understanding of their needs and concerns, and Sivakumar has found that consultation and empathy are key to building strong client relationships.
The insurance industry is also facing significant challenges related to legacy IT systems, which often contain embedded business rules and tacit knowledge that are difficult to extract and modernize. Sivakumar’s approach to addressing these challenges is rooted in design thinking, a methodology that helps deliver solutions with empathy while balancing functional and non-functional requirements. For example, Cognizant’s Blink Assist, a solution developed for Long Term Care patients, enables immobile individuals to communicate with their caregivers using a brain-computer interface. This innovation is a direct result of applying design thinking principles to address the real-world challenges faced by insurance clients and their customers.
Leadership Style: A Blend of Visionary and Democratic Approaches
Sivakumar’s leadership style has evolved over the years, shaped by the lessons he has learned from working with a diverse array of teams and clients. He describes his approach as a blend of coaching, vision, and collaboration. “Everyone has a story, and their story is right in their own way,” he shares. Embracing this perspective has allowed him to create an inclusive and supportive environment where each team member feels valued and empowered to contribute their best work.
By fostering a shared vision and encouraging collaboration, Sivakumar has built high-performing teams that can tackle complex projects across industries and geographies. He believes in the power of multi-style leadership, adapting his approach based on the situation at hand. This flexibility has been key to his success in leading global teams and driving innovative solutions for clients.
Collaboration and Ecosystem Thinking: Partnering with Startups and Venture Capitalists
Sivakumar’s involvement with venture capitalists and startups in Silicon Valley has further enhanced his approach to innovation and technology. He credits a mentor from the early part of his career with introducing him to the global innovation ecosystem, which opened the door for him to collaborate with startups and academic institutions across the globe. One of his most memorable experiences was taking senior executives from an insurance firm to Silicon Valley, where they met with VCs and startups to explore new ways of assessing risks in the insurance sector. This collaboration led to the selection of a startup that developed a solution for assessing the risk of remote gas lines, a project that continues to be in action today.
Sivakumar firmly believes in the power of the ecosystem to drive innovation. “While we can do a lot on our own, the ecosystem play elevates the degree of innovation and solutions we can offer to our clients,” he explains. This belief in collaboration extends to his approach to technology, where he emphasizes the importance of partnerships and ecosystem thinking in solving complex business challenges.
Enhancing Service Delivery and Building Strong Client Relationships
In his role as Insurance Business Unit Head, Sivakumar has taken several strategic steps to enhance service delivery for insurers in the Americas region. Recognizing the need to cater to both large and mid-sized carriers, he segmented the portfolio to address the unique needs of each group. For large carriers, the focus was on scaling operations, while for mid-sized carriers, the emphasis was on building capabilities. To ensure transparency and align teams with the business objectives, Sivakumar introduced data-backed visuals of insurance carrier performance, enabling employees to track progress and set meaningful goals.
By consistently prioritizing client goals and aligning the team’s efforts with those objectives, Sivakumar has built strong relationships with Fortune 200 insurers. His approach centers on deepening engagement by understanding clients’ business, their performance, and their strategic priorities. By leveraging Cognizant’s industry expertise, Sivakumar ensures that clients receive the support they need to achieve their goals, which in turn elevates satisfaction and strengthens client loyalty.
Digital Transformation: The Future of the Insurance Industry
Looking ahead, Sivakumar sees digital transformation as a major force reshaping the insurance landscape. “Technology advancements, climate change, and rapidly changing client needs are introducing new risks that need to be understood and underwritten accurately,” he explains. As insurers grapple with these challenges, Cognizant is well-positioned to capitalize on its investments in AI and GenAI to help clients address these evolving needs. By leveraging its deep industry knowledge and technological capabilities, Cognizant aims to provide solutions that not only meet current demands but also anticipate future trends in the insurance sector.
Reflecting on His Journey: The Rewards of Leadership
When asked about the most fulfilling aspect of his work, Sivakumar reflects on the sense of purpose that drives him. He draws inspiration from his background as a district hockey player, where resilience and determination were essential to overcoming obstacles. “The most rewarding thing for me is achieving outcomes that benefit our clients and employees in the right way,” he shares. This commitment to making a positive impact on others fuels his passion for leadership and innovation.
Sivakumar is also deeply motivated by the goal of building the largest insurance practice in the Americas, delivering the best possible service to clients while fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence. With a strong foundation in both technology and business, Sivakumar’s leadership continues to shape the future of the insurance industry.
Advice for Aspiring Leaders
As a seasoned leader in technology and consulting, Sivakumar offers valuable advice to aspiring leaders: “Do your best in whatever you do and make the place around you livelier and engaging.” He believes that true success lies in balancing professional ambition with purpose, staying honest, and maintaining a hunger for growth and improvement. His journey stands as a testament to the power of continuous learning, collaboration, and the pursuit of meaningful impact.
Sivakumar’s story is one of transformation, innovation, and leadership. From his humble beginnings to his current role as a driving force behind Cognizant’s success in the technology sector, his career exemplifies the power of strategic leadership and the importance of adapting to an ever-changing world. As the technology industry continues to evolve, Sivakumar’s leadership will undoubtedly continue to shape its future, empowering organizations to navigate new challenges and achieve lasting success.