Meet Mukesh Bhanji Gala, Manager IT Software Engineering at Progress
We shine a spotlight on Mukesh Bhanji Gala, who has been recognized for his commitment to “Progress Collaboratively,” one of the core values of ProgressPROUD that we strive to embody.
For 14 years, Mukesh Bhanji Gala has been an invaluable member of our IT team, living by his personal motto: "Always be a part of the solution in any situation." While he admits that singing isn't his strongest talent, he often hums to himself while dealing with challenges. His journey from team member to manager is a testament to his commitment to growth and problem-solving. Learn more about Mukesh's career path and gain valuable perspectives from his remarkable tenure.
How did you get into the tech field?
I did reasonably well in Mathematics and Science in school, which naturally led me to pursue computer science. However, the four years of college were tough for me and struggled with self-doubt. After graduation, I started teaching programming languages at a local education institute where I cultivated a passion for tech. Later, I got a job as a Software Engineer in a company where I worked as an OpenEdge and Webspeed Developer. Four years after that, I got an opportunity to join Progress where I’ve been for the last 14 years.
Why do you think cross-team collaboration is crucial in our company?
With the strategy to grow through acquisition, cross-team collaboration becomes more important than ever before. I think cross-team collaboration is essential to solve complex problems, drive innovation and increase efficiency. As the company grows, there is always a chance for business systems to become more complex. Therefore, smooth functioning of the business and its ability to support production and operations is highly dependent on cross-team functions.
Being a part of the business applications/integrations development team, my team and I support and work with multiple departments on a daily basis. In my experience of working with different teams and departments in Progress, I’ve seen the amazing collaboration firsthand. Progress teams care about ensuring that all resources are made available to each other and target expectations are set early. Recently, I worked on a project related to process development in which multiple teams like HR, Legal, IT and PMO were involved. Even though the process seemed complex at the outset, it was handled very well because of the close collaboration between teams and led to successful implementation.
What do you enjoy the most in your daily work life?
Working with so many talented, experienced and approachable people at Progress is one of the best parts of my job. The support from my team and others across the company is amazing. Daily interactions with different teams not only help me to do my job well but they also provide valuable learning and motivation. I have witnessed some of the most complex projects being completed successfully thanks to this great collaboration that exists in this company.
What do you think makes Progress a great company?
Progress is a great company because it genuinely cares for its employees and customers. It has maintained a great working culture for the employees and keeps up with the changing needs of the employees and provides great flexibility to keep the work-life balance. One of the reasons why I feel the work-life balance is maintained so well in Progress is because of the trust that exists within team members and the care taken to keep up that trust. During my 14 years at this company, I don’t recall any instance when I had to cancel my vacation or if there was a personal emergency and I could not attend due to work commitments.
There are always opportunities within the company for employees’ growth and development. A lot of importance is given towards meeting aspirational goals of employees along with the encouragement and support to pursue those goals. Additionally, there are other learning opportunities available, one of which is the LEAD Management Development program. The Human Resources team conducted several in-person workshops and offered well-curated content as part of this program which helped me understand many of the leadership aspects of management.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do?
I’m passionate about volunteering. It has taught me so many new things and helped me realize that there’s always more that I can do. I like to be a volunteer wherever possible. I support causes related to the environment and I try to participate in environmental volunteering campaigns when they’re organized within Progress or externally.
I also like traveling and exploring new places.
What are you most excited about for the future of Progress?
We’re being led by great leadership and the company is poised for continued growth in the coming years. We’re also expanding in terms of revenue and employees. The work within IT applications and integrations requires a new way of looking at it and the systems/platforms are constantly evolving. There’s more demand to automate as much as possible, make systems more efficient and reduce the cycle time of the processes and cost of operation. This brings new challenges, offering lots of learning opportunities. It’s an exciting time to be part of this company!
To get to know other Progressers like Mukesh, read more of our employee interviews here.
Verina Lefterova
As a recruitment marketing lead, Verina has a passion for connecting with people and sharing their stories. She is enthusiastic about helping people find meaningful work and believes that everyone deserves to be part of a company where they can grow and thrive. In her free time, Verina can often be found hiking in the mountains with her two dogs or spending some quiet time at home reading a good book.
