Padma Ravichander, CEO of Tecnotree
Today we're meeting Padma Ravichander, CEO at Tecnotree. They specialise in providing digital business support systems (BSS) with over 40 years of deep domain knowledge, proven delivery and transformation capability.
Over to you Padma - my questions are in bold:
Who are you and what's your background?
I am Padma Ravichander, CEO of Tecnotree. I have spent more than three decades in the IT and telecoms industry, holding senior leadership roles with HP, Oracle, Dell-Perot, and now Tecnotree. I am a Canadian citizen and have lived and worked globally. My career has always been in technology, primarily focused on telecoms and financial services, where I have led large product engineering organisations and managed global customer engagements.
What is your job title, and what are your general responsibilities?
As CEO of Tecnotree, I lead the company's global operations and strategy. My responsibilities include overseeing business performance, customer engagement, product innovation, and ensuring that we deliver value to our stakeholders. I also work closely with our leadership team across different regions to align on growth priorities and digital transformation initiatives.
Can you give us an overview of your business and what drew you to lead the organisation?
Tecnotree is a global digital platform and services company headquartered in Finland, serving over 90 service providers across 70+ countries. We provide a cloud-enabled digital BSS stack for telecom operators and digital service providers, enabling them to transform, monetise, and deliver innovative services to their customers. We also offer Tecnotree Moments, a digital platform that goes beyond connectivity to provide services in fintech, sports, entertainment, healthcare, and education.
I was drawn to lead Tecnotree during a critical phase when the company was undergoing debt restructuring. It was an opportunity to turn the business around, stabilise operations, and set a new course for growth. Today, Tecnotree is financially stable, growing, and recognised as one of the most inclusive companies in the world, something of which I am enormously proud.
Who are your target customers? What's your revenue model?
Our primary customers are telecom operators, communication service providers (CSPs), and digital service providers. Through our Moments platform, we also collaborate with partners across various industries, including sports, entertainment, healthcare, and education. Our revenue model is based on software licensing, subscription services, and long-term customer partnerships.
What's the most challenging problem your team has solved recently?
The most significant challenge we have faced was the turnaround of Tecnotree itself, from debt restructuring in 2016 to becoming a profitable, high-growth organisation today. This required simplifying complex internal operations, re-engineering our product portfolio, and rebuilding customer trust. More recently, we have focused on enabling operators to accelerate digital transformation by bridging legacy systems with our open-source "Surge" product and cloud-native BSS stack.
If you had a magic wand, what one thing would you change in the mobile industry?
I would accelerate the pace of true digital inclusion. While mobile technology has advanced rapidly, access is still uneven across regions. I recently saw research from the UK-based Digital Poverty Alliance and RM Technology, which stated that even in the UK - one of the world's most advanced digital markets - some low-income families' children are facing a 'digital blackout', which affects their school work and future prospects. If that's the case in the UK, think about the impact in other, less affluent and digitally connected areas of the world. Making digital services affordable and accessible to all communities would unlock enormous social and economic value.
What is your message for the larger players in the mobile industry marketplace?
The future of the mobile industry depends on collaboration and openness. Standards, interoperability, and shared ecosystems will be essential to delivering meaningful innovation at scale. Large players should embrace partnership models that allow smaller innovators and digital service providers to contribute to the value chain.
What are your go-to mobile apps for both work and personal use?
For work, I regularly use collaboration tools and productivity apps to stay connected across global teams. For personal use, I enjoy apps that keep me connected with family and friends and help me manage my time.
Finally, let's talk predictions. What trends do you think are going to define the next few years in the mobile industry?
5G adoption, AI-driven automation, and digital ecosystems that extend beyond connectivity will define the next phase of the mobile industry. Mobile networks are becoming the backbone for digital services in fintech, healthcare, and education, and we will see CSPs increasingly evolve into digital service providers.
Thank you very much, Padma!
Read more about Padma Ravichander on LinkedIn and find out more about Tecnotree at tecnotree.com.