Priya Senthilkumar
Vice President, Technology and Product Engineering
Pearson Vue
Priya Senthilkumar is the Vice President Technology and Product Engineering at Pearson. She is a seasoned IT executive leading global teams through digital transformation enabled by technology strategy. She is recognized for setting a vision and delivering solutions to meet the vision, leading product and process innovation, pivoting strategies for growth, building strong relational dynamics, negotiating for effective outcomes, networking, and serving the community.
As a fun fact, for the past 7 years, she has challenged herself to write personalized hand-written thank you notes to every employee on her team during the month of Thanksgiving (over 100 cards).
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Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I spent over 7 years in retail working for Supervalu when I decided to venture out into another domain. Starting as a Project Manager at Pearson, I gained extensive knowledge about the intricacies of assessments and certifications in the last 15 years. I had the privilege of working alongside exceptional leaders and colleagues, and I was promoted into roles that required blazing new paths or learning completely new skills. I currently lead a group of around 250 engineering team members with a high-performance culture that rewards learning over success.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
I believe in authenticity and showing vulnerability as leaders, particularly as we live in a complex environment where nobody can have answers to all the questions.
What is the greatest challenge CIOs face today, and how are you addressing it?
While there are many, I believe that it is important for C-level roles to keep up with the rapid pace of technological change happening around us and ensure that the technology strategy is closely aligned with the company's strategy.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?
The initial months in the role are crucial, even for high potential/performer leaders. Early wins and gaining credibility in a short timeframe will only come from active listening, supportive alliances and understanding culture. For simple frameworks to follow, I suggest reading “The First 90 days” by Michael Watkins.
What is the value of being a member of the Evanta community?
I have enjoyed and learned a lot through attending several Evanta events in the Twin cities over the last few years. What I find most valuable are professional development, networking with peers, learning from other leaders in how they solve similar problems and being a voice in the technology community.
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