Roger Gurnani is the executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Verizon. He has worked with Verizon communications and Verizon Wireless for almost ten years. He has achieved more in his lifetime than can be summarized in a one-page article; yet the man standing in front of the Stevens community to speak about technology and Verizon had no aura of superiority or arrogance. Gurnani came to Stevens on Wednesday, October 29 in order to demonstrate how technology has become vital in businesses, industries, and our daily lives.
Standing in a blue Verizon shirt, Gurnani exerted humility and charisma as he engaged with his audience. He immediately recognized faces in the audience as students who graduated from a Masters program partnered with Verizon. Walking from one end of the room to the other, Gurnani kept his audience entertained and interested in the growth of technology and its applications to Verizon.
Gurnani gave his audience a quick glance at how technology has progressed exponentially in the past thirty years. Using personal anecdotes, he was able to bring humor and realism to his stories as he expressed how past programs needed to be punched in, and how there was only one computer per college during his youth. Gurnani portrayed the advancement of technology in a positive light as he claimed “that students today can learn twenty times more than students could just a few years ago.”
He then related the phenomena of technology to Verizon. He gave glimpses of how Verizon has used technology to give customers a more personalized experience. From more portable interactions with customers in Verizon stores, to empowering customers to shop online; Gurnani gave several examples of how Verizon attempts to improve customer experience. “I really enjoyed the examples he gave on how Verizon tries to improve customer satisfaction” says junior Genevieve Kraidman. “The videos he showed the audience really demonstrated how Verizon works to keep customers like me happy.”
After giving his talk, Gurnani opened the floor for discussion. Students asked what the next big thing is for Verizon and why the 4G LTE network is inaccessible in certain countries. Gurnani answered each question with humor and poise. Careful not to let go of any Verizon secrets, he still attempted to give satisfactory answers to every student and staff.
The relationship between Verizon and Stevens has been one of mutual admiration and friendship. Nothing can demonstrate that more than the warmth and sincerity that filled the room as Gurnani interacted with the Deans and staff of Stevens. As Dean Prastacos said, Roger Gurnani “gave an inspiring talk about the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Now our challenge is to keep up with this so we can provide them with our services.”
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