Remarkable Leadership: 10 questions with Sujay Nair, Senior Director, Enterprise Applications

The weather is starting to get warmer and as summer appears on the horizon, we couldn’t think of a sunnier person to speak to than Sujay Nair, Senior Director, Enterprise Applications.

Sujay joined HealthEquity in September 2022 and has already helped the company deliver on our promise of a remarkable experience with his positivity and passion. We’re thrilled to be able to feature him as May’s Remarkable Leader—and to get to know him a little better.

HealthEquity: Thank you for agreeing to this feature! How is life in the Bay Area?

Sujay Nair: We have the best weather in California—less snow, and a lot of sunlight.

HealthEquity: What are your plans for taking advantage of that as summer approaches?

Sujay Nair: My family just got back from Japan, which was a bucket list trip. This summer, we’ll visit relatives back in India. Our daughter will be able to visit her grandparents before starting high school next academic year.

HealthEquity: That sounds wonderful! Let’s dive into our 10 questions.

10 questions with Sujay Nair, Enterprise Applications

1. What was your first job and what is your role now?

My first job was as an Oracle Database Developer, where I aimed to design and develop high-performance database applications. During this time, I discovered a passion for creating scalable applications. This passion led me to explore other technology spaces, including Salesforce CRM, where I continued to develop my skills and gain valuable experience.

Over time, I honed my expertise in this field. Now, as a Senior Director, I am responsible for matters related to the health and stability of the Salesforce ecosystem. My role involves overseeing the performance and functionality of the system, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing solutions that ensure optimal performance. I also work closely with other departments to ensure the system meets the organization’s needs.

2. What is your guiding principle or North Star?

My core principles guide me to approach tasks with complete engagement and passion, strive for efficiency, and maintain a positive attitude. When we are truly passionate about something, we are more likely to be motivated, creative, and committed to achieving our goals.

Along with passion, I place a strong emphasis on efficiency. It’s important to work smartly and effectively to achieve the best results. By optimizing our processes and resources, we can accomplish more in less time while maintaining a high-quality level. Focusing on efficiency is essential in any professional context, whether working on large-scale projects or smaller, day-to-day tasks.

Finally, attitude plays a key role in shaping one’s success. Our mindset and approach to our work can profoundly impact our outcomes. A positive and proactive attitude can help us to overcome challenges, stay motivated, and achieve our goals.

3. HealthEquity has a strong commitment to deliver a remarkable experience—how are we continuing to improve in this area?

Yes, very much like our organization’s commitment to being remarkable, providing top-notch Purple service is not just one of our priorities—it is our utmost priority. We are committed to making the process of doing business on the Salesforce platform as smooth and effortless as possible for both our stakeholders. Our goal is to enhance the team member and member, client, and partner experience by continually striving to improve our services and offerings.

Through our focus on delivering Purple service, we can realize scale, efficiency, and financial benefits. We believe that by prioritizing our customers’ needs and continuously enhancing our services, we can drive growth and success for our organization and those we serve.

4. What advice do you have for people just starting out in their career?

If I were to reflect on my career and offer advice to someone starting out on their professional journey, it would be to focus on developing the right attitude. Attitude is crucial in shaping who we are and where we will go in our careers. It is important to strive to bring the best perspective to work and keep the working environment charged up to reflect the best vibes in others.

Laughter is contagious, and so is a good attitude, which can make a dramatic difference with your happiness and self-worth. So, if you focus on cultivating the right attitude, you will be on your way to achieving success and fulfillment in your career.

5. What would surprise people to know about you?

Some fun facts:

• I love to cook, mostly Asian food. My family’s favorite dishes are kebabs and curries. I occasionally challenge myself with other styles too, like barbecue.

• I train in a couple of martial arts forms: Shotokan and Kempo karate.

• I can speak five different languages fluently.

6. What is a defining moment in your life?

Life is full of moments, both happy and sad, that shape who we are as individuals. One of the recent moment that had a significant impact on me was when I lost a couple of my closest friends unexpectedly.

The loss has given me a new perspective on life and taught me to cherish every moment with the people I love, making me more empathetic and compassionate. While these events were undoubtedly tragic, they have also given me a sense of purpose and a renewed appreciation for the preciousness of life.

7. What book influenced you in your professional life?

I can’t pick just one book. Here are three of my favorite books:

• The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

• Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter by Liz Wiseman, Stephen Covey

• Inner engineering by Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev)

8. What cause is closest to your heart?

Coming from a humble background, I was transformed through the power of education, which opened up many opportunities for me. Therefore, child education is a cause that is particularly close to my heart as every child deserves to be educated.

Through education, children are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to succeed in life. In my earlier days in India, I had the privilege of volunteering in rural villages to teach kids. Nowadays, I contribute to the cause through donating books and resources to local libraries to ensure that children in my community have access to quality educational materials.

9. What’s your favorite part of helping clients and members reach their goals?

It’s an incredible feeling to know that our clients and members trust us to help them save for their healthcare expenses. It’s a responsibility that I take very seriously, and it fills me with a sense of purpose every day. It’s not just about achieving business goals but about fulfilling a mission to empower our members over their healthcare and financial future.

10. What absolutely excites you right now about HealthEquity?

As someone who is passionate about helping others and making a positive impact, the HealthEquity mission aligns with my values and aspirations. I am thoroughly excited to be a part of an organization that is making a profound difference in people’s lives.

The HealthEquity commitment to making HSAs more common than 401(k)s is an ambitious goal that could have a significant impact on the lives of millions of Americans, especially during the time they need us the most.