Skills and Growth Mindset Matter More Than Degrees
If I tell you that a global CEO and founder of a multi-continent company took seven years to complete his engineering degree, would you believe me? This is the story of CEO Sidd Ahmed of the VDart group and his perseverance and will to learn and keep growing.
It wasn’t his degree but his growth mindset that made him build an empire that spans over 14 countries and has employed over 4,500 across the globe.
Sidd was the youngest of six siblings and faced significant financial challenges, growing up in a thatched hut in Trichy. He took seven years to complete his engineering degree due to academic backlogs, but remained persistent.
Although he started his career as a door-to-door salesman of computer training courses, earning just ₹1,200 per month, because of his will to learn new skills and grow continuously, he quickly advanced into working as a business development executive and later in technology staffing and recruitment roles for US-based companies. After moving to the US for work in 1997, Sidd noticed that talent from his hometown, especially Trichy, was not being tapped by large tech companies, which focused on bigger cities. In 2007, he launched VDart in Atlanta with just $500, selling his house and car for funds. The Trichy office started with a five-member team from the terrace of his family’s house.
Sidd has always promoted that learning and rigorous training is something which can help everyone to grow to unimaginable heights, and by implementing this principle in not only himself but also building a growth mindset culture in his company, VDart has now grown into a company with a global workforce of 4,500 across 14 countries, with a strong base in Trichy. Sidd has always encouraged employees to adapt, question, and remain curious and thus created a company culture where growth is part of everyday work.
Today, VDart counts major global corporations such as Accenture, Capgemini, Infosys, Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola, Toyota, and General Electric among its clients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, VDart did not lay off any employees and continued to pay salaries despite heavy business losses, enhancing employee loyalty. The company also contributed community support, like offering transportation for hospital patients in Trichy.
A forever growth mindset and building an inspiring culture have made it possible for a company with its base in Trichy to be ranked among the largest and fastest-growing staffing firms in the US. Sidd’s commitment to promoting a growth mindset is constant, and through his brand Sidd Ahmed Inc., he is continuously creating content to make the youth aware of the importance of skill-building and investing in oneself.