Karan Khatri is a proclaimed problem solver, adventurer and people person. He is a true outdoorsman and spends his time outside, exploring the nature and wildlife surrounding his home in Amersfoort. You can also find him on his mountain bike taking on any obstacle on the trail. Let’s hear more from him.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am from a town called Surat in India. Fun fact: Surat is the city that cuts 90% of the world’s diamonds. But I never envisioned myself as a businessman. I did my bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s in computer applications. I moved to the Netherlands in 2019 - after not being anywhere else in the world - and loved it right away.
What did you do, prior to this?
I worked at Accenture as a Techno-Functional Architect. At Accenture I started as a Junior Developer, but my path led me to an architectural role. In this position I helped clients with Salesforce Sales Cloud, Salesforce CPQ and Conga Quote to-Cash Suite implementations.
What will you be doing at Appsolutely joins Valtech?
I will be working as a Senior Salesforce Developer. As a developer it’s important to understand the customer and the end-user. I will be thinking of new ideas and ways to automate or simplify processes. I like to be creative and determine the root cause of a problem. That way I can not only help our clients solve their problems, but I can anticipate on their pain points as well.
Why did you choose Appsolutely joins Valtech?
I heard about Appsolutely joins Valtech for the first time through networking. When looking into it further, I was really impressed on how much they’ve achieved, being in the game relatively short. For me it’s a place where a lot of skilled people work, and I am already looking forward to connecting with them.
What challenges and goals do you see for yourself?
The biggest goal for me is to expand my knowledge in other domains. I have specialized in a few areas, but my field of expertise lies in the Sales and Service Cloud area. I want to dive deeper into this subject, explore it and ultimately make a bridge to existing functionalities within Salesforce. Furthermore, I’m aiming to get 20 plus certifications - I already have 10 - from the program at Appsolutely joins Valtech. Not sure if that’s too ambitious haha.
On a personal level I want to learn Dutch. I believe that if you want to connect with people, it only helps to speak the same language. I did a few online courses where I learned some numbers and colors. There is one word that stood out to me, which was ‘nagel’. For those of you who don’t know, it means nail. In Hindi we have a similar word for it, which is ‘nakhun’. It was the first time I saw a connection between the two languages. My tip for everyone who is learning Dutch: test your skills at the local coffee bar. If they look at you funny, you didn’t do it right. If they speak back to you in Dutch, it definitely feels like a win.
What are your interests, outside of work?
I really like nature and animals. I like to be outside more than being inside. I used to live in the center of Utrecht but now I live in Amersfoort. I love being here, walking around and checking out the neighborhood. Sometimes I’m exploring the outdoors with my mountain bike, meandering trails and muddy paths. To me that’s a unique way to get to know the surrounding area on my own.
I also love to travel, and I am looking forward to doing that a bit more next year. I have been to Prague with my fiancée recently and we were both charmed by the city. It’s just magical, almost like walking onto a movie set. Which was coincidental as she noticed that one of the castles was used as a backdrop for a Bollywood movie.
What are your expectations from this job?
I want to grow within my role. My ambition is to be in a consulting or an architectural role again. I trust in a good learning curve, which is why I chose to be a developer first.
I believe in tactual experiences. We experience the world through senses and for me the interaction counts. To help clients with their daily challenges, unlock some of the complexity that comes with the territory and make their life simpler. I really like coaching and teaching, which is something I did in my former role. I get my energy from being around people, sharing our knowledge and inspiring one another.
Are you curious to see if we have a perfect opportunity for you too? Check our vacancy page for open positions and have a look at the latest developments at Appsolutely.
