Upholding the Cognizant spirit, the Krishna way

How do you define spirit? It’s invisible, but you know the moment it’s missing, just like salt in food or humor in a story. 

At Cognizant, spirit is the gentle insistence that everyone matters, that kindness is not a strategy but a reflex and that a good idea can come from anyone. 

Spirit is the quiet courage to ask, “why not?” when others are thinking “why bother?”. It’s the pride in finding solutions to our clients’ needs and the sense of building partnerships that go beyond a project. It’s the thread in so many Cognizant stories, the reason people stay and the reason they come back. 

And every year at our Impact Awards, we recognize a champion of this spirit – someone who doesn’t just talk about it but lives it. This year, that person is Krishnamoorthy Subramanian. Let’s hear more on Krishna’s amazing journey and how he embodies the Cognizant ethos.

Finding my footing

I joined Cognizant in 2011 in the Banking and Financial Services domain. I was in the UK and my first project involved helping our clients modernize their services with programs like talking ATMs and Apple Pay integrations. It was a three-bank merger, an extremely challenging but equally rewarding project. 

Later on, I shifted to the Healthcare Consulting domain and moved to the US in 2017. This was pivotal in my career as it broadened my experience across domains. Today, after spending over 14 years across banking and healthcare, learning new things on my way – I’d say this isn’t just my workplace, it’s my home away from home.

Cognizant's entrepreneurial spirit

My approach has always been to anticipate problems before they arise and look for ways to add value to our clients. When I’m solving unique problems, there are times when I feel exhausted, but stepping back and staying calm has always helped me. Besides, the trust shown by leaders at Cognizant gave me the freedom to learn and explore. 

One moment that stands out is when I personally identified inefficiencies in a client’s business processes that helped them streamline operations and reduce the cost. In another project, I redesigned workflows that led to faster delivery and better quality, earning the client’s appreciation. That’s the entrepreneurial mindset we’ve all built.

Lifting others as I climb 

Leadership was something that grew naturally as I took on more responsibilities and started mentoring others. My philosophy is simple: be present, be supportive and create an environment where everyone feels safe and valued. I strongly believe that teamwork turns dreams into reality, and I try to lead that way every day.

We follow a two-stage approach to problem solving in our team - first fix the problem at hand, and second, dig deep to identify the root cause to prevent it in the future. I believe in empowering others, and I have seen firsthand how encouragement helps others step up and shine. I am truly grateful to have such a committed team.

My source of happiness

My wife Vanitha and our daughter Suraksha are my biggest source of joy. We live in Dallas, Texas, and bond over cooking. My daughter loves baking and I’m exceptional at burning cakes. The laughter we share alleviates my stress, allowing me to remain calm and composed. They keep me grounded and I'm blessed to have them by my side.  

Looking back, I see that my journey has been shaped by the spirit of curiosity, care and continuous improvement. Winning the Spirit Award is an honor made possible by my team, my mentors, my family and Cognizant's entrepreneurial culture that gives me the freedom to grow, the trust to lead and the opportunities to make a difference.