Pragash Pillai

Pillai won’t argue that the customer comes first. He’s literally put in thousands of miles traveling across the country helping Altice USA establish its consumer relations footprint. Along the way, he’s garnered insights from not only customers, but also from employees on ways the company can be its best. “The expectation that our customers are satisfied with our products, services and support is not enough,” Pillai says. “We need to ensure our customers are actively engaged, which in turn drives their loyalty.”

What’s a recent example of a step forward for diversity in the industry?
I have been encouraged to see our industry taking a bigger interest in ensuring we are employing a much more diverse workforce, and we are also seeing talent coming into our industry from other industries.

What’s your best advice to someone just entering the video content/distribution industry?
Be versatile. Make sure you truly have an understanding of the industry and how it is developing. Everyday video content is become more personalized and targeted for the end user. A clear understanding of the entire ecosystem will allow you to support the business more effectively and contribute significantly to the overall business model.

What’s been the most dramatic change in your sector of the business today vs. three years ago?
Personalization and engagement are becoming more critical now than ever. The expectation that our customers are satisfied with our products, services and support is not enough. We need to ensure our customers are actively engaged which in turn drives their loyalty and transforms them into great ambassadors for the business.

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