Uma Balasingam ─ Dynamic sales leader leading partner business and executing go-to-market plans…
March 16, 2022 • 3 Minute Read
Uma Balasingam
Vice President,
Ecosystem & Commercial Organization, Asia Pacific & Japan
VMware
Are you looking for a dynamic sales leader with a proven record for leading partner business and executing go-to-market plans? We know the person—Uma Balasingam!
Uma Thana Balasingam is VMware’s Vice President of Partner and Commercial Organization for Asia Pacific & Japan. She is responsible for leading the partner business across VMware’s ecosystem in 48 markets, driving the commercial segment strategic plan and revenue attainment. She has a proven record for enabling organic growth, expanding into new channels, reversing lackluster markets, and reinvigorating existing teams. She is known as a connector with a special gift for bringing people and the world together, and is a strong advocate for progressing women in the workplace. In her free time, Uma enjoys learning, traveling, cooking, and experiencing food and wine with others.
Please meet this IT wondrous Woman™, Uma Balasingam!
Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.
Fun Facts
1. What’s the one thing about you that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
In 2011, I trained for 4 months to get into the boxing ring to raise money for charity. My stage name was Uma the Puma.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
In 2019, I did 34 trips, 197 days, 47 cities, 16 countries for 524,270km.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
Duck blood in a hotpot restaurant in Beijing.
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
- In one of my most low energy moments in my career where I was bordering on depression and almost left the job I had then, I discovered what my source of energy was. For me it was people, and I knew then I would always need to be leading teams. It’s where I gain my energy from to fuel what I do.
- Starting a movement in Singapore to progress women in the workplace in 2016. I learnt a really big lesson in the power of 1 and the ripple effect we all have the power to create. This movement is now a non-profit company with over 4000 men, women, others that have impacted individuals who continue to impact others.
5. Did you have a mentor in the early part of your career and, if so, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your mentor or influencer?
Yes, when you’re deciding if you’d like to purse an opportunity, ask yourself if you’re running from something or running to something. The latter is where you’d want to be when making the next move.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
That the people who make the best impressions aren’t aiming to impress others.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
By making sure people are aware that I’m accessible. This could happen through social media platforms, a direct email/message to me, or through referrals from others. I never turn down a request for students and early career who want my time. I do make it clear that they must come prepared for the discussion so that it’s a meaningful use of our time.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
Redefining and re-energizing partnerships and ecosystem across 48 matured, emerging and developing markets, to go after our biggest opportunity in helping our partners capture the multi-cloud opportunity and accelerating their transition to cloud/SaaS business models.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
Having mental flexibility and thinking like a scientist where the goal is not to be right or wrong, but to get closer to the truth, discover knowledge and have lifelong learning where I’m guided by curiosity vs conviction.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
Talent and Skills. Both within my organization and within our partner community. The combination of breadth and depth of skills required depending on the roles we have internally looks very different today and in the future. I stay awake thinking about how we help our people go through this journey by providing them the soft and hard skills they need to be successful so that they can become the best trusted advisors in the industry to help our partners pivot faster in a cloud smart ecosystem.
