From Values to Vision: A Conversation with Amitabh Misra, CTO of Sprinklr

Diane Adams, Chief Culture and Talent Officer, welcomes Amitabh Misra, Sprinklr’s new Chief Technology Officer, for a fireside chat. Together, they explore the formative experiences and core values that drive his approach to leadership. From life-saving moments to lessons from his mother’s entrepreneurial spirit, Amitabh explores the influences that have crafted his vision for technology and leadership. 

Diane: Amitabh, thank you for joining me. I’m excited for our employees, customers and partners to get to know you.  

Our Sprinklr culture is all about high performers who are kind, caring, and customer obsessed. In that context, will you start by sharing a bit about what's important to you personally? 

Amitabh: Let me start with an incident 30 years back. I used to do some training in Mumbai, traveling by train every day. One of those days I was sleepy and walking, not looking towards the platform or mindful of where the train was. Just then, a hand came from behind me and grabbed my shoulder. I paused for a second, and within just a few feet, the train went whizzing by. I remember it vividly. That incident taught me that every day is a blessing, and we should be grateful, kind and caring to everybody.  

My number one inspiration comes from my mother. She was always central to our household. I have three brothers and she was a homemaker and took care of all of us. After we went off to college and into our careers, she started a business with no experience in finance or marketing or any of that. She was very successful, and, for probably a decade, she earned more than all of us. That gave me a belief that nothing is impossible. No matter how big an ambition you have or what you're aiming for - even if you've not done anything in that field - if you are determined and you work hard, you will get what you want.  

An additional inspiration of mine is Ramnath Goenka, founding member of The Indian Express. The reason that I relate to him so much is The Indian Express is a seminal paper. A very values-driven organization, it has done wonders for liberty in India. Goenka was a businessman who took up the mission of serving society and created an institution and legacy that is unparalleled. All the while, he never compromised on his values, no matter how bad the situation. I try to aim for this as well.  

In a nutshell, these stories and people describe the things that I value and care for most. 

Diane: In just a few minutes we learned so much about the people in your life, what shaped you, and your values. Thank you. At Sprinklr, we’re trying to go deep with people. It’s part of our culture of authenticity, asking “What’s your story?” so thank you for providing this insight into who you are.  

Now, I know everyone would love to hear about your career path. What is the journey that brought you to Sprinklr? 

Amitabh: I've been very passionate about tech and its power to change the world.  

Sprinklr is that special place where I think we truly have had a phenomenal trajectory and the possibilities ahead of us are transformational.  Like our Co CEO, Ragy Thomas, describes, we are in a transformational age and we can own the edge. Gen AI is creating experiences people never imagined and at a mind-boggling speed. We at Sprinklr are in a very good position to take the company from where it is to unbelievable heights. So that inspired me to join the company.  

In my life and in the work that I've done, I've always followed my heart to find places and people who dream big, take risks and drive hard to achieve it. Sprinklr is that kind of place. It has phenomenal leaders who have these qualities that I love to partner with and learn from. And it is wonderful to be in the company of people who are high performers who have gained so much success while keeping the company values. That is actually very difficult. 

Keeping your values and achieving success at the same time is a phenomenally difficult thing, but very, very gratifying and meaningful to life. So that's why I feel that I have found my home at Sprinklr. 

Diane: Thank you, Amitabh. It's great to hear about your career and what's important to you—the 'what' being achieving incredible success and the 'how' being the values you uphold. Thank you for sharing that. As we wrap up for now, I’d love for everyone to hear about your immediate focus. Could you share your two or three top priorities? 

Amitabh: My initial focus will be on supporting our Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy. I am eager to work alongside Scott Harvey, Chief Customer Officer, and other leaders to enhance our approach here. A major priority is to develop technologies that simplify how our products are sold and adopted, ensuring our customers can derive value faster from them. Meeting with our customer-facing teams and salespeople in the field is crucial for me. I want to understand their challenges firsthand so I can tailor our technology and processes to better meet their needs. 

And scaling our company is a significant focus. I’m excited to be a part of the team that is taking Sprinklr to the next level. This includes refining our technologies, processes, and structure to support our growth. These are the areas I hope to address, setting a solid foundation for our continued success. 

Diane: Amitabh, on behalf of the entire Sprinklr team, we are thrilled that you're here and look forward to the amazing things you and your team are going to do as well as getting to know you better.