In today's ever evolving corporate climate businesses are constantly on the lookout for safe working environments that can easily adapt and expand. Delivering on these needs by rendering customized and technology-enabled workspaces that increase productivity is Smartworks. The Noida headquartered company creates an ergonomically designed operational environment with specialized top-of-the-line facilities aimed at increasing your productivity both technically and conceptually.

Functioning as the Area Director for Smartworks is Vasumathi Krishnan. A judicious business leader with over 13 years of experience across varied industries such as hospitality and tourism, she excels at creating value for the organization and customers alike. Counting skills such as Integrity, Influence, Ethics/Values, and delivering customer success stories as the underlying foundation to her professional success at Smartworks, Vasumathi has played a key role in expanding Smartwork's footprint in the Hyderabad region.

Vasumathi discusses her insights on leadership and professional experience in an in-depth conversation with the Women Entrepreneur Magazine team.

Give us an overview of Smartworks. Also, throw some light on the role that you play within the organization currently.

Smartworks is India's largest provider of flexible workspaces, with over 5.4 million sqft in 10 cities & 32 centres (Delhi-NCR, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune). More than 400 organisations, including Fortune 500 firms, major enterprises, SMEs, and established unicorns/start-ups, are served by the company. Smartworks' 'Workspace as a Service' platform, launched in 2016, provides tailor-made, digitally equipped office spaces in less than 30 days (vs. customary 6- 9 months) for $0 CAPEX while giving significant flexibility, standardisation, cost savings, and space efficiency. Smartworks has established itself as an industry-leading flex space provider for corporations in just five years, and was recently selected to the HURUN INDIA Future Unicorn List 2021.

I've been Regional Head for the past five years. My primary goal at Smartworks is to expand the company while also satisfying our clients by providing a world-class experience. According to pre and post covid company growth statistics, I am managing a portfolio of 23,000+ seats and 1 million in SFT, which is five times the size of my previous portfolio.

Take us through your educational journey and prior industry experience that you bring to the table. How does your prior industry experience aid you in your current role at Smartworks?

I hold a bachelor's degree in hotel management and tourism. Following my studies, I worked in a variety of industries, including airline and hospitality, before settling in the infrastructure sector. Despite working in the hotel business, my skills have always been networking and people management, which has led me to a career in sales and marketing.

My diverse work experience in the airline, hotel, small-scale business, and other industries has sharpened my capacity to influence and lead. This experience has benefited me in constructing a career centred on creating value for businesses and facilitating human resources in firms. Networking is vital for smooth business transactions and is the foundation of any company. I also stay up to date on industry developments and advancements.

Tell us about your expertise as a business leader. What are some key leadership mantras that you follow?

Entrepreneurial leadership entails organising and inspiring a group of people to work toward a common goal through strong principles, innovation, risk management, capitalising on opportunities, and managing a dynamic organisational environment. As a company leader with more than 13 years of experience in several industries, I believe that skills like Integrity, Influence, Ethics/Values, and delivering customer success stories have actually proven to be my strengths during my journey at Smartworks.

Every client experience must be pleasurable and result in repeat business, which is a mantra I live by every day. To assure such a value, however, I must stay current on numerous industry trends, changing client needs, and establishing a team that can successfully respond to these shifting nuances and give outstanding customer satisfaction every time.

“I believe that skills like integrity, influence, ethics/values, and delivering customer success stories have actually proven to be my strengths during my journey at Smartworks”

What have been some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved as a business leader at Smartworks?

My most notable professional achievement was turning around the success of my previous employer's expansion in the Hyderabad market. We started with just 19000 sft and 400 seats when I joined them, and in two years we grew to 5.4 m100 percent sqft in 10 cities & 32 centres.  in Hyderabad and 100 percent occupancy in all of them. The efforts were recognised, and I rose through the ranks from centre head to Vice President for the Hyderabad region in less than 2.5 years.

In your opinion how big of a market opportunity does co-working industry hold in India? How has the industry dealt with the challenges brought about by the global pandemic?

I believe the co-working business is here to stay and will continue to grow rapidly. COVID has only assisted organisations in realising the possibilities of co-working spaces, and significant enterprises have expressed a strong desire to extend their footprint. The whole market will increase at a rate of 15-20 percent per year until 2025, with some ups and downs.

The pandemic had the greatest impact on coworking spaces that cater to smaller teams, start-ups, and freelancers. Early on, we shifted our focus and began catering to Enterprises and MNCs rather than freelancers and start-ups. The space requirements of enterprises differ from those of startups. They do not change offices frequently, so their consistency gives your company an advantage in long-term planning. This is what allowed us to profitably navigate the pandemic.

As a successful business leader what advice would you present to young women and girls who aspire to become business leaders & entrepreneurs too?

I would admentor;ring women leaders to find a dynamic mentor; this will help channel your approach in any hard situation that requires a third eye or interventions.

There is no one-size-fits-all notion of leadership. Everyone is unique, and leaders can be either introverts or extroverts; it makes no difference. What matters is that you remain true to yourself and strive to become a better version of yourself with each passing day. Motivate yourself and those around you. Bring principles into the lives of those who work with you!