Hello, I’m Pankaj Singhal, a seasoned engineering leader with over 18 years of experience driving innovative solutions and building high-performing global teams.

Currently, I serve as a Senior Director of Engineering at Salesforce, where I lead the development of a next-generation messaging platform that integrates seamlessly with industry giants like Apple, Meta, and SMS channels. My focus is on delivering complex engineering solutions, fostering top talent, and ensuring exceptional customer success while staying attuned to emerging technologies.

Prior to Salesforce, I was at Uber, where I led the Core Fare platform as an Engineering Manager II. I aligned the team’s charter with business goals, implemented robust solutions, and nurtured engineering talent by coaching and promoting staff engineers.

Before Uber, I spent six impactful years at Amazon as a Software Development Manager. In my role, I oversaw the Chargebacks systems in Buyer Risk Prevention, modernizing legacy services with AWS micro-services and enhancing onboarding processes. As a Senior Software Engineer in India, I optimized the seller registration experience, ensuring a secure marketplace for customers.

My journey began with hands-on engineering roles at Snapdeal, Microsoft, Adobe, and Aricent, where I gained invaluable expertise in platforms, supply chain, and software tools. I’m passionate about scaling teams, delivering impactful technology, and driving innovation.

As Senior Director of Engineering at Salesforce, I lead the development of a next-generation messaging platform that integrates with industry leaders like Apple, Meta, and SMS channels. I manage large, distributed teams across multiple global hubs, driving innovation and delivering scalable, seamless communication solutions.

My role involves overseeing complex development processes, aligning cross-functional teams, and ensuring that our platform consistently meets customer needs. I focus on creating impactful, customer-centric solutions while fostering a culture of collaboration, learning, and growth within my teams.

My goal is to enhance business communications and drive customer success through cutting-edge technology and strategic vision.

Salesforce Service Cloud is a powerful platform that helps businesses deliver exceptional customer service across channels like email, chat, phone, and social media. It streamlines case management, automates workflows, and routes issues to the right agents for faster resolution.

With AI-powered features like Einstein AI, agents receive predictive recommendations and sentiment analysis to enhance customer satisfaction. Service Cloud integrates with Salesforce Customer 360, offering a unified view of customer data for personalized support.

It also enables self-service through knowledge bases and chatbots, reducing operational workload. Scalable and customizable, Service Cloud is ideal for businesses seeking efficient, omni-channel customer engagement.

Salesforce operates in the customer relationship management (CRM) software industry, specializing in cloud-based solutions that help businesses manage interactions with customers, streamline sales, and enhance customer service. The industry focuses on integrating data from various channels to provide businesses with actionable insights that drive personalized customer experiences.

Key characteristics include automation, AI-driven analytics, scalability, and customization. As a leader in this space, Salesforce delivers tools for sales, marketing, customer support, and analytics, empowering businesses to engage customers more effectively and make data-driven decisions. The industry emphasizes innovation, user-friendly interfaces, and seamless integration with diverse business platforms.

Receiving this distinction is a moment of immense pride and recognition for both myself and my team. It affirms the hard work, dedication, and innovative thinking that we put into developing solutions that truly make a difference. This achievement reflects the collective efforts of a talented and passionate team that constantly strives for excellence.

It reinforces the importance of collaboration, creativity, and a shared vision in achieving meaningful impact. For me, it motivates continued growth and pushes me to keep challenging the status quo. For the team, it's a testament to their commitment to driving customer success and innovation.

Winning an international award has significantly boosted our organization's visibility and credibility, showcasing our innovation and leadership in the industry. It highlights our commitment to delivering impactful solutions, attracting potential customers and partners, and reinforcing our reputation as a trusted, forward-thinking company dedicated to excellence and customer success.

Developing and marketing our winning entry presented several challenges. Technically, we faced complexities in integrating multiple platforms, ensuring scalability, and maintaining seamless user experiences across global teams.

Meeting diverse customer needs while staying innovative required constant iteration and feedback. From a marketing perspective, positioning the product in a competitive space demanded clear differentiation and compelling storytelling to highlight its unique value. Educating the market on its benefits, overcoming initial skepticism, and demonstrating tangible results were key hurdles.

Ultimately, overcoming these challenges reinforced the importance of customer-centric development, effective collaboration, and strategic communication to drive adoption and success.

My ideation process starts with identifying core problems or gaps in the market. I engage closely with customers, stakeholders, and my team to gather diverse perspectives. I believe in data-driven insights, using analytics and feedback to inform decisions. Once a clear opportunity is identified, I encourage brainstorming and creative thinking, exploring various solutions and evaluating their feasibility.

Collaboration is key—bringing together cross-functional teams ensures a wide range of expertise is leveraged. I refine ideas through prototyping, testing, and iteration, always keeping customer needs at the forefront to ensure the solution is impactful and scalable.

A successful team, organization, or business is one that fosters collaboration, innovation, and accountability. It adapts to challenges, prioritizes customer success, and continuously evolves. Success is measured not just by profitability, but by the ability to create value, build strong relationships, and empower people to reach their full potential.

Our success within the CRM and cloud solutions industry stems from a relentless focus on innovation, customer-centricity, and scalability. We consistently listen to our customers’ evolving needs, ensuring our products remain flexible and impactful.

By integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI and automation, we’ve been able to provide businesses with actionable insights that drive efficiency and enhance customer experiences. Our collaborative culture, which encourages creativity and continuous learning, empowers our teams to tackle complex challenges.

Additionally, our commitment to delivering seamless, scalable solutions has built trust with clients, positioning us as a leader in the industry. This approach fuels ongoing success.

Being based in the U.S. has provided access to a vibrant tech ecosystem, fostering innovation and investment. A strong culture of entrepreneurship, world-class research institutions, and a diverse talent pool have accelerated industry advancements. Supportive regulatory frameworks and a competitive market environment have also driven the growth of cloud-based solutions.

During the pandemic, one major hindering factor was the sudden shift to remote work, which disrupted team collaboration and communication. While technology enabled us to stay connected, it was challenging to maintain the same level of innovation and speed in decision-making.

To overcome this, we invested in advanced collaboration tools, streamlined communication channels, and focused on maintaining a strong team culture through regular virtual check-ins and transparent leadership.

Additionally, we adapted our products to meet the growing demand for digital transformation, enhancing our cloud solutions to support businesses navigating remote work challenges. This agility helped us maintain momentum and customer satisfaction.

I’m excited about several current trends in the business industry, particularly the rise of AI and automation in customer service and operations. AI-driven personalization, predictive analytics, and machine learning are transforming customer experiences and operational efficiency.

Additionally, the shift toward hybrid and remote work models is driving demand for scalable, cloud-based solutions. The growth of low-code/no-code platforms is enabling faster innovation and empowering non-technical teams. Sustainability and ethical tech are also gaining momentum, as businesses prioritize eco-friendly practices and responsible data use.

These trends are reshaping industries, creating new opportunities, and pushing organizations to be more agile and customer-focused.

I recommend resources like "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries for innovative business strategies, "Good to Great" by Jim Collins for leadership and organizational success, and online platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning for continuous skill development. Networking events, mentorship, and industry podcasts also provide valuable insights and guidance.

In the next 5-10 years, the business industry will continue to be shaped by advancements in AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making. Companies will increasingly rely on AI for personalized customer experiences, predictive analytics, and optimized operations.

Remote work and hybrid models will remain prevalent, driving demand for digital tools that enhance collaboration and productivity. Sustainability will be a core focus, with businesses adopting eco-friendly practices and ethical technology solutions. The rise of blockchain, decentralized finance, and data privacy regulations will also transform industries.

Additionally, businesses will place greater emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering innovation and growth.

I’ve been deeply inspired by several mentors and leaders throughout my career, but one figure who stands out is Steve Jobs.

His vision for creating products that not only addressed consumer needs but also elevated experiences and pushed the boundaries of design and functionality has profoundly influenced my approach to innovation. Jobs’ relentless pursuit of excellence, focus on simplicity, and ability to inspire teams to do their best work has shaped my leadership style.

I’ve also been inspired by my parents, who instilled in me the value of hard work, resilience, and the importance of continuous learning. Their unwavering belief in the power of education and personal growth motivated me to constantly seek improvement.

Finally, my colleagues and teams, whose diverse perspectives and commitment to excellence have pushed me to grow both professionally and personally, continue to inspire me. Their collaboration fuels my passion for creating impactful, customer-first solutions.

My key to success is a combination of continuous learning, resilience, and collaboration. Staying curious and adaptable in a rapidly evolving world allows me to innovate and solve complex problems. Embracing failure as a learning opportunity and remaining focused on long-term goals helps me overcome obstacles. Surrounding myself with a talented, diverse team fosters creativity and drives success.

The ability to listen, empathize, and prioritize customer needs is critical for creating impactful solutions. My parting words of wisdom are: never stop learning, take calculated risks, embrace challenges, and always stay true to your vision while empowering those around you.