Dipika Ponnana

Wildcard
DISC Type : sic

Executive (CAL- Chapter Area Lead)- Autonomous Network and Domain Engineering at Telstra

Greater Melbourne Area, Australia

Overview

Dipika Ponnana leads Autonomous Network and Domain Engineering at Telstra, drawing on over 15 years of telecommunications experience. A Monash University alumna with dual Masters degrees, colleagues describe her as a driven, delivery-focused, and relentless leader who has progressed through IoT and cybersecurity roles.

She is passionate about fostering the next generation of talent, frequently engaging with universities for mentoring, guest lectures, and judging student awards. Dipika actively promotes building strong partnerships between industry and academia to create a future-ready workforce and champions opportunities for new graduates.

She has served as a judge for the University of Melbournes Endeavour Awards, recognizing top engineering and IT talent.

Personality Overview

Friendly But Slow

Requires Proof

ROI Driven

They are often friendly and nice, but can sometimes suprise you with their piercing questions  They are unlikely to ever become strong champions even when the conversations are going well; you should focus on cultivating other champions They typically tend to be late adopters even when they seem friendly and excited about what you have to sell

Topics They Care About

Nurturing Talent
Her posts consistently highlight a passion for investing in new graduates, mentoring, and judging university awards like the Endeavour Awards at the University of Melbourne.
Autonomous Networks
This is her current area of executive leadership at Telstra, focusing on network automation, cloud infrastructure, and orchestration.
Future of AI
She recently hosted a session with physicist Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki at Telstra to explore the broader, human-centric side of artificial intelligence.

Media Appearances

Dipika has no verified media appearances

Work History

6-2024
Executive (CAL- Chapter Area Lead)- Autonomous Network and Domain Engineering at Telstra
5-2022 - 5-2024
Group Owner- Managed Services and Cyber Security at Telstra at Telstra
7-2021 - 5-2022
Chapter Lead Principal- Enterprise and Security at Telstra
5-2020 - 6-2021
Chapter Lead- Mobility and IoT | Senior IoT Project Manager at Telstra
8-2018 - 5-2020
IoT Project Manager at Telstra

Education

2008 - 2009
Masters of Business Information Systems from Monash University
2007 - 2008
Masters of Telecommunication Engineering from Monash University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 16 Location : Greater Melbourne Area, Australia Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Executive (CAL- Chapter Area Lead)- Autonomous Network and Domain Engineering at Telstra
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Insights For Selling To Dipika

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Use phrases like ‘clear proof that’, ‘data shows’ etc.
  • Build rapport, it will come handy to handle hard questions later
  • Help them understand the risk aspect fully while inspiring confidence

DONT's

  • Do not sound overly eager, modulate your energy levels especially if you are generally enthusiastic
  • Avoid winging it with them particularly, answer a question only if you know the answer well
  • Don’t overhype the product/pitch, keep it measured

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Dipika is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Dipika

  • They are likely to give you a clear answer without taking you around in circles. However, if you share a good relationship, they might not be so forthcoming.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Dipika move?

  • They like to perform full analysis and can take time to make any decision.
  • Can Dipika take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Dipika

Personality Compatibility


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