One should be able to order anything online at Walmart.com, pick-up at any nearby Wal-Mart and return for full cash back if not satisfied. That is the charter of Walmart.com, the five year old subsidiary of ma’ Wal-Mart, to create a seamless multi-channel consumer experience. Leading the IT charter toward the goal is Ashwin Rangan, CIO of Walmart.com.

To work for one of the worlds largest companies, would be every CIO’s dream, one would think, but not for Rangan. After 20 years of being in the grid, Rangan hung-up his boots as a CIO last year. It took Rangan nine months into retirement, playing Mr. Mom with his twin daughters and a very tough homework while on an African Safari to get here.

Rangan’s hiatus from work lasted just until the ‘familiar itch’ came back, but he was unsure what he wanted to do next, the need to succeed was no more the stimulator, he needed something more. Rangan went to his mentors who he identifies as people ‘been there and done that’. His mentors assigned him to define the ideal job he would like to have. As Rangan took his homework home, he did not know this exercise would lead to a road of self-discovery.

Rangan lugged his homework across Africa on a safari and diligently worked at it. He would define his ideal job every night only to change it the next day. It took him 20 days for his description to stop changing, and he finally arrived at those five qualities in a job that would recharge him every morning. The five attributes are the need to work in a scale, complex environment, supply chain management, managing and leading companies through change and finally looking at IT as an enabler. And he says these are the qualities learned and acquired.

Rangan began his career back in 1984 when he was sent to the U.S. by Tata Consultancy Services to work for Yamaha’s music division. Soon Rangan moved to a startup AST Research, an aerospace company, in Irvine, CA. The next seven years was a fantastic learning period for Rangan, since the company was growing there was no limitation on what they could and could not accomplish. In pursuit of establishing subsidiaries for AST by 1991 Rangan had traveled to over half a million miles across 18 countries. He learnt the business, developed skills in seeing through deals and mergers. By 1992 Rangan was heading acquisitions and mergers for AST.

It was in 1994 Dwight W. Decker, then CEO Rockwell International persuaded Rangan to join the Rockwell digital communications division as head of business processing. Rangan’s work was related to IT integration, mergers and acquisition. Rockwell International with operations in 97 locations around the world decided to create a family of independent companies to better manage the divisions. In the next one and half years six new companies were created and many went public. When Rockwell spun off its semiconductor division to form Conexant Systems, Inc., Rangan went with Decker to steer Conexant, rising to senior vice president and chief information officer in 1998. Six years later, Rangan was completed his 37th merger and was very burned out.
After 20 years of non-stop chugging, his engine needed a break and Rangan retired in 2004. Nine months in the bench, a long awaited vacation and some reflection allowed Rangan to re-charge and soon he took over as the CIO of Walmart.com, a role that met all of his five attributes he needed at work.

Rising from a mechanical engineer, to a consultant, head of business process and to a CIO Ashwin Rangan’s career is a journey of lessons, opportunities and reflection.