Be it in sports, life, or any professional endeavour, leadership is the key to a team’s success. Rarely are leaders born. Almost all the time, leaders are forged in the crucible of challenging situations that demand a unifying force amidst the chaotic disturbances.
Thus, when these leaders emerge, they not only lead their teams, organizations, and the people around them to tremendous success but also change the course of history. In today’s era, being a workplace leader, an event manager, merchandise expert, sports infrastructure executioner, public speaker, entrepreneur, and Chief Business Officer at FC Madras, Vijayaraghavan Parathasarathy has become synonymous with such exemplary leadership.
The Architect of Experience
Currently at FC Madras and formerly a Senior Director of Global Workplace, Vijayaraghavan is a dynamic, results-driven force with over two decades of multifaceted experience across entrepreneurship, global operations, and people strategy. Known for his strategic acumen and high-performance leadership, he has consistently delivered excellence in turnaround and high-growth environments—be it scaling startups, optimizing global workplace experiences, or leading cultural transformations in billion-dollar organizations.
From Startup Founder to Culture Champion
A successful entrepreneur at heart, Vijayaraghavan co-founded and scaled Volodyne Technologies into India’s largest Site CTMS provider. At his earlier organization, he played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s global workplace and people experience. He oversaw operations in the US, UK, Australia, and Europe while managing a $20M procurement portfolio. He championed initiatives around diversity, employee well-being, and operational efficiency, all while cultivating a workplace culture admired across the tech ecosystem.
A Leader Who Leads from the Frontlines
What sets Vijayaraghavan apart is his rare blend of analytical insight, people-first leadership, and a hands-on approach to solving complex business, operational, and human capital challenges. Whether it’s setting up global offices, managing large-scale events, or executing mission-critical policies, he brings clarity, empathy, and action to the table—consistently motivating teams to peak performance and delivering tangible business outcomes.
From the boardroom to the sports arena, Vijayaraghavan continues to inspire as a cultivator of trust, a steward of culture, and a visionary leader who builds with purpose and leads with heart.
“Leadership is Learned, Not Gifted”
Today, looking back at his leadership journey, Vijayaraghavan says that leadership does not come naturally to everyone. Very few people have it. “In my journey, it has come from my managers, leaders, co-workers, and family members in the past.” In his 24 years of work experience, he got good guidance, feedback, learning programs, performance reviews, and an understanding of organizational culture and goals. All these contributed to his journey, which led him into a leadership role.
The Sportsman’s Edge: Teamwork, Strategy & Execution
Vijayaraghavan’s approach is to connect with people, talent, and strength. He played different sports from his childhood, which also helped him to have a team approach. His mentor, Girish Mathrubootham, used to give a simple approach: Player, Captain, and Coach.
“First, you should be a player to understand the game, and then you become a captain to lead a team, and then you become a Coach to manage the team with a captain. I consider the same approach in leading others.”
Player. Captain. Coach. A Winning Formula.
Sharing his inspiration, Vijayaraghavan says he’s very fond of People Leaders. He always gets inspired when he sees a people leader who runs an organization with a People First culture. “My mentors Girish and Suman Gopalan inspired not just me but also many others during my journey.”
When asked how he prepared himself for the challenges different leadership roles entail, Vijayaraghavan says that preparation is nothing but following the organizational process, practices, policies, and goals. “When you understand and practice the organization’s expectations, the challenges are taken care of.”
Leadership is a Character, Not a Style
Furthermore, according to him, leadership is not a style; it’s a character in itself. “Take FC Madras as an example. While we focus on premier football development for youth, the other important factor is bringing our event experience to Leaders in multiple verticals. We take a sports-first approach to corporate events and then deliver leadership learning through football and other sports. We have designed events blended with sports which help leaders to build skills for their personal development.”
Leadership has evolved into a very different role today. In the late 90s, you needed to have qualifications and experience to get into the leadership role (Top Tier MBA or equivalent). However, now it’s all about talent, experience, knowledge, and, more importantly, how smart you are.
Core Values: The Compass Behind Every Decision
“Trust, Empathy, Execution, Customer Centric, and Continuous Investment in new ideas are the core values that guide me in my decision-making,” he adds.
To inspire and motivate his team to achieve both individual and organizational goals, Vijayaraghavan always connects sports with daily work. It makes everyone feel easy, happy, and focused. He encourages, articulates and inspires every action with sports related to his team. “This helps my team to achieve individual and team goals.”
The most significant challenge that he faced in leadership was adapting to new rules of the game. “Rules of the games are bound to change, but it takes time to adjust. At the same time, the challenge brings out the best in us. The only way to overcome is by learning by doing.”
Vision Meets Execution: The Balancing Act
It is also essential to balance the demands of strategic vision with the day-to-day responsibilities of leadership. When you take any leadership role, the most important responsibility is to work towards the vision of the organization. It’s like practising every day, like your breathing exercise. The more you do, the better you become and also healthier. The moment you practice work and process with your vision in mind, the balance will come on time, he adds.
Creativity with Courage: The Heart of Innovation
Innovation and creativity are also important prerequisites of effective leadership. Innovation is the most important and hardest thing in the current times. You can ask AI anything and everything, and you can develop from there. There are very few unique things that differentiate from the competition. If you don’t innovate, you will still exist, but you may not be extraordinary. When you innovate and execute, that’s when you see the difference. Fostering innovation and creativity lies with empowerment, allowing team members to make decisions and back them up. It’s like football at FC Madras.
Advice to Aspiring Leaders: Build Inner Muscle
With this unique mentorship approach, Vijayaraghavan’s advice to aspiring leaders is simple. “There are two important qualities I request of most of my friends and team members: resilience and perseverance. I have seen many young, talented, and smart folks trying to do many things and not getting great results. You don’t become a leader just because you are working with someone or you are talented. You need to build resilience and perseverance, which will benefit in the long term basis.”
Diversity Without Labels: Talent Above All Else
Vijayaraghavan also ensures inclusivity and diversity within his team and organization, as he believes that Talent does not choose whether you are male or female. “If there is a good talent and experience, we should bring them up regardless of which gender they are. I have worked with one of the best women leaders, and she is my mentor, too.” The Workplace team (Housekeeping, security, and technical staff) had more women than men because they were able to execute things better.
The Power of Acknowledgement in Leadership
Moreover, to maintain resilience and adaptability in a constantly changing environment, Vijayaraghavan used a simple strategy. When someone comes up with a problem (small or big), the first step is to acknowledge it. You need to solve the problem; some problems you may not even solve. If you acknowledge, they will feel that you have heard them. This means 50% of the problem is solved. “This is something that I would request everyone to practice, and I can assure you it will bring a lot of good results.”
Measuring Success: It’s About People, Not Just Profit
When asked how he measures success as a leader beyond financial or business outcomes, Vijayaraghavan answers, “Honestly, I don’t know how success is measured. Building relationships and building credibility. These are two mantras that I would propose beyond finance and business.”
Lessons That Shape a Leader
Sharing practices that have been instrumental in his personal and professional growth as a leader, he says, “My mentor Girish Mathrubootham used to say, Happiness is like your TV remote, never give it to anyone to change it. Happiness is the key to anything, be it family, friends, professional space, or more. At my earlier organization, we practised a very important culture called “Happy Work Environment.” Another friend of mine, Ramesh Ravishankar, taught me to live in reality. They always supported me to make decisions when I needed it the most. Practice staying in reality.”
Rooted in Heritage: A Joint Family Legacy
To Vijayaraghavan, coming from a joint family is the defining moment in his life. He grew up in a large joint family in Chennai. They were taught how to be dynamic, disciplined, accommodating, diverse, inclusive, and, most importantly, learning how to be responsible decision makers. “To whatever I am today, all credit goes to my family members and my upbringing.”
A Legacy of Quiet Impact
Finally, when asked what legacy he hopes to leave as a leader and how he wants to be remembered, Vijayaraghavan replies, “Legacy is too big a word. I have done nothing. I had the best opportunity to work with good leaders, which has helped me.”
“I want to be remembered like my uncle, Late Mr. K.V. Anantharaghavan. He is my best and most inspirational hero for our family and generation. He taught us how to prioritize professional and personal life while still maintaining high standards of credibility and relationship.”
