Vijit Sharma shared this recommendation for Rajiv on May 11, 2020 via LinkedIn:

The most successful technology leaders don’t get to where they are because they are highly technical, but because they understand how technology by itself can achieve very little if not combined with the culture. Rajiv is a shining example of just that. Rajiv is a true leader who driven by culture. He builds teams and relationships centered on wanting others to succeed, knowing well that when people succeed, organizations succeed. If one were to distill it down, his view of culture is to treat everyone like equals, promote camaraderie, respect everyone’s point of views, empower people to make decisions, take risks and have their back if they falter. Through all this, he never loses sight of the end goal which organizational success.

Rajiv interviewed me for my job and from the moment he walked in, he set the tone that the interview was a conversation between equals, of two people who may have come to be from different experiences but who must come to understand each other’s vision and motivations and use that as the foundation of building a lasting working relationship. And work together we did, and I can say without a doubt how fortunate I am to have had the opportunity to do so. We worked on some really interesting initiatives. Our conversations were always refreshing as they were peppered with his anecdotes and experiences. Always helping us look at things differently or do them better. And the fact that he is highly technical and analytical easily made his voice the one everyone wanted to hear. He came at everything with a thirty thousand feet, wholistic view, a view that was not just about the tech, but about how everything comes together, the people, the strategy, the capabilities, the solutions. And that is a rare trait not many possess.

Some of the greatest companies in the world get to where they are because of great leaders. Leaders who do not make their day job their sole mission. Leaders who rise above the emails and meetings and consider their job to build a culture of success, a culture where people thrive, without fear of failure. That takes a different kind of leader. You cannot read books to become that leader, it has to be in the very fabric of who you are. And Rajiv is that leader.

Vijit worked with Rajiv at News Corp, where Rajiv interviewed and hired him, and later at Hearst, where Rajiv hired him again. He is now Director, Automation, AI, EUCs & Non-Models G&C at TD Securities, one of the world’s major investment banks.