There are very few instances when one can state that an organisation is really a team. However all are associates have worked together on Primera Networks assignments or in previous organisations together as a Team. Our team has the shared experience of finding solutions to the most challenging business problems and issues and derives satisfaction and comfort from the fact that our collective knowledge and expertise has solved some such problems in the past. Or even know of a workable solution. The team knows each other’s strengths - and weaknesses - and combine harmoniously in both real and virtual environments to offer cohesive value to our clients.
Thumbnail profiles of some of our core team members are provided here.
Abu is a Principal Consultant in the Team and has over 32 years of wide ranging experience in the global industry. In the telecommunications sector he has worked for AT&T, Telstra, Philips, FLAG, SingTel at major locations around the world. He brings to Primera Networks an in-depth knowledge of various aspects of the global business. He has been primarily responsible for initiating start-up businesses completely with regulatory clearances, organisational development, sales and marketing processes, financial controls and systems. He has developed several successful commercial operations for clients wishing to avail of his rich experience and knowledge of market entry strategies. His innovative contributions to several of our clients businesses have been amply recognized by the clients. He has served as a director on boards of several companies with overall fiduciary responsibilities and has been recognised as contributing significantly to shareholder values of those companies. He was a co-founder of the Global VSAT Forum in 1997 in London and served as an elected Director on its Board for 2 years. He is and has been an empanelled consultant and advisor to several governmental organisations in various countries. He has worked in practically all the continents of the world and is very familiar with the local, regional and diverse business environments as well as cultures. During the course of his work he has established several key relationships in various parts of the world with leading figures in both government and private industry. He is a leading market analyst for media, telecom and internet markets. Abu is currently based in the UK.
Hugh Dickens was Managing Director and Chief Executive of Defence Data Limited from 1996 to 2006. He is with the Primera team as a defence industries consultant. A former Royal Armoured Corps soldier, his military career included command of his Regiment, and Staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence, UK, which included battlefield concept work in the Military Operations branch, military deputy to the Director of Public Relations [Army], and a senior post on the Directing Staff of the Joint Service Defence College. He later developed close ties with the Defence industry during his time at UK MOD's Defence Export Services Organisation when he was the project officer for the prestigious Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition in 1995. Since founding Defence Data in 1996 he has continued to maintain close and regular contact with decision-makers and commentators across the Defence spectrum. He launched Defence Data's daily online publication Defence Systems Daily in January 1997. DSD provides the latest news on all aspects of the international Defence & Aerospace industry. Hugh Dickens is an experienced consultant in management communications, crisis management and the conduct of media relations. His military background and knowledge of current Defence issues makes him well suited to staffing discreet enquiries on behalf of principal clients. Hugh lives in Gloucestershire, UK.
Richard Raynsford is strategic advisor to Primera Networks and lives in England and France. For the last twenty years he has travelled widely throughout the Arabian Gulf, India and Asia as an independent consultant. Called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1974, he was pupil to the Senior Crown Prosecutor and marshal to the Recorder of the City of London. From 1979 he spent seven years working in both the Political Risk & Kidnap & Ransom divisions of the Hogg Robinson Group. In 1986 he joined the board of Shapland & Petter Ltd, the leading manufacturer of custom built doors whose sale in 1993 he successfully negotiated. He is currently a director of Lake District Estates Ltd. Richard was educated at Eton College, the Sorbonne, Paris & the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. In 1968 he was commissioned into the British army where he served five years with the Life Guards. Richard divides his time between several locations, primarily at Milton Manor in the United Kingdom and Val d'Isere in France.
Anu is the specialist in marketing and sales at head quarters and India and has proven success with leading marketing and public affairs initiatives at Microsoft, Lucent, AT&T amongst others. In the course of her illustrious career spanning over 18 years, Anu has planned and executed several marketing campaigns for major telecom and IT companies both through direct as well as indirect channels. She headed marketing for AT&T and Lucent Technologies and has been primarily responsible for the resounding success of the first-ever launch of AT&T “Namaskar Seva” in India directly coordinating the simultaneous launch in Asia, Europe and USA. She launched Lucent technology in India after the AT&T trivestiture and was responsible for marketing and all employee communication initiatives. She headed Marketing for Microsoft Inc. for eight countries and has successfully launched the Microsoft brand in the Indian subcontinent including single-handedly leading team for 1st ever visit by Bill Gates to India.
Anu introduced a lively and focused emphasis on localised content in all her marketing successes with information technology companies. After her stint with Microsoft, Anu has consulted several premium brands for communications and marketing campaigns such as Air Sahara, Anderson Consulting, Telstra, GE, Singapore Telecom, Sesami and Shougang Steel. Furthermore, she has launched brands like BEA systems, Cushman and Wakefield, Epson. Launched Benetton, NCR and Airbus Industrie, in India. Anu has also been actively involved in several public and regulatory affairs initiatives and demonstrates her complete ability to achieve remarkable success in this challenging area. Anu brings an invigorating dynamism to the team and challenges her associates to think beyond the ordinary in finding solutions for our clients. Anu is currently based in Delhi and despite challenges, takes her favourite dog out for a walk each morning.
Narendra Sarawgi – or Niru as he is popularly known – has over 27 years experience of General Management, Strategy, Consultancy, Sales, Business Development and Entrepreneurship. He has had professional and business relationships with several multi-national corporations such as Philips, Telstra. He has represented companies such as Tatas, Reliance, Rolta, Wipro, Best & Crompton Engineering and Electrosteel among others. He has had several years of dealing with senior executive management of corporations as well as decision-makers in government. Niru has leveraged business strategy skills and long term relationships with consultants, corporations and government in marketing and selling complex, high value infrastructure, engineering, IT, telecom and business solutions. He has been involved with companies in manufacturing government, oil, gas and water utilities, defence and educational institutes. Niru has also founded several companies from scratch as an entrepreneur and successfully built them up. He specialises in and relishes challenging assignments.
Niru is a member of several professional IT, management and entrepreneurship development organisations and has developed excellent relationships at a senior level. He is one of the Founding Directors in an Indian engineering design services company, serving clients in Europe and Asia. He is also on the Board of a renowned plastics industry in India catering to global companies in food processing, pharmaceuticals and confectionery.
Niru holds a Post Graduate Degree in Management and Commerce, a Degree in Law and a Professional Management Certificate in Corporate Strategy, Core Competence and Capability from IIM, Ahmedabad, India. He has attended graduate study programmes at the United Nations Organisation in Geneva and at International Institute of Human Rights, Strasbourg. Niru is presently based in Bangalore, India.
Paul has 39 years of engineering and overall technical experience and guides the Team as the Chief Technology Officer. He has a significant record of achievement in a variety of techno-commercial roles and assignments. Paul is a specialist in network planning, project management and business development of submarine and terrestrial networks. He has developed and implemented entire networks for submarine cable carriers and telcos including design and deployment of city PoPs, network operations centres and switching centres. Paul has worked with FLAG Telecom, RSL, Espirit Telecom and BT. Paul is a 'Green Belt' in 6 Sigma quality systems. Paul spends his time between his beloved Wales and the Spanish coast.
Our team also comprises of a number of specialists and experts in the business management development and operations sectors, financial audit and review, technical services for telecoms, internet and general data and IP products along with regulatory and commercial business advisors. In each of the domains these members work closely with the above core team members and deliver a coordinated and focused solution for the clients.