Ajay Bhatia is the Managing Director, Consumer Group, at Carsales.com and has been an ACS member for four years. Here he discusses why he supports ACS updating its governance structure.
I joined ACS as a member in December 2015.
I have to admit that prior to that time, I didn’t consider ACS as being particularly relevant.
But then I was exposed to the vision that ACS was putting in place.
After attending a few ACS events, it became clear to me that ACS was focused on building thought leadership and the entrepreneurial ecosystem, while focusing on social and equity issues such as women’s representation in technology and leadership.
Carsales has a big tech team, so professional development in emerging technology and contemporary methodologies is part of our DNA, and I didn’t necessarily see ACS as being at the leading edge.
I did an interview for the ACS CXO Challenge on navigating disruption.
I later spoke at the ACS Reimagination Thought Leaders’ Summit, and I could see the genuine intent of ACS looking to transform itself to become more relevant.
This new vision and belief from the ACS leaders convinced me to become a member and start actively contributing to the ACS agenda.
Prior to joining Carsales.com, I worked with Fairfax at a time when we were no longer competing with traditional print media but the likes of RealEstate.com.au and Seek.
We were focused on defending our $5b rather than trying to lead in the new digital paradigm.
That’s why I’m so impressed by the strides ACS is making in remaining relevant.
By updating its governance structure, ACS will increase its agility in a changing digital landscape while remaining member centric.
