The Wild World of Technology
Navin Johri returned to the MSIT program to talk with current students about his experiences in the field since graduating in 2007.
Navin Johri (MSIT ‘07) has a message he likes to share with those launching their careers in information technology (IT): Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride.
Today, Johri is a senior enterprise data architect at Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management, and consulting firm. Seventeen years ago, he was nearing his graduation from Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program when a frenzy of technological advancements reshaped our world.
That one year was an indication of exactly how wild a career in information technology can be, Johri said.
“Technology moves faster than we function,” said Johri, who returned to campus this quarter to speak with current MSIT students. “In this field, you have to be on top of things. You have to re-skill yourself every three to four years.”
Johri has been doing just that since his MSIT graduation. He worked in IT architecture at a variety of major companies — including financial services organization HSBC, IT consulting firm Infosys, and building materials manufacturer USG — before joining Gallagher in April.
There, his responsibilities include staying on top of emerging technology to analyze which innovations to recommend to Gallagher’s leadership to bring into their tech landscape.
It’s an ever-evolving field that brings constant change and excitement, he said.
“You're always solving a new problem, so that keeps you going,” he said. “Every time a new challenge comes, you need to solve that. You need to advise your management, advise your data engineers. That's always fun.”
The success Johri achieved since his MSIT graduation can be tied directly back to the program, he said. He chose MSIT because of its blend of technical instruction and business education.
Johri never desired to move into management himself. Rather, he wanted to learn how executive leaders think so he could become a key asset to their strategic plans. He said the MSIT program offered a window into that management perspective.
“That was a pretty compelling reason for me to choose MSIT,” he said. “Communication is key.”
While working his way through the MSIT program, Johri learned how to change the way he explained his recommendations to match his audience. As a self-described technocrat, Johri could easily talk tech with programmers and developers. But the language needed to explain the benefits of new innovations to executive leadership is often far different, he said.
The MSIT program provided him with the nuanced communication skills he needed to be successful.
Because of his own MSIT experience, Johri has remained a champion of the program since his graduation. He said he enjoys opportunities to return and speak with current students.
He also strongly recommends the program to those looking for a boost in their career trajectory.
“Whether you want to go into the management side or the technical technology path, MSIT would help either way,” he said. “It's a combination of both, so it offers tremendous flexibility.”
