Devesh Raj
Employee Spotlight

Devesh Raj: Leading Through Growth and Transformation

As Chief Operating Officer at Sky, Devesh Raj leads Sky’s Customer Service Group, Change, Supply Chain and Operations team, NOW Operations and Sky Business. Learn more about Raj and what excites him about the work in the interview below.

You’ve been a part of Comcast for nearly a decade. Can you tell us a bit about your career to date?

A consistent theme across my career has been growth and transformation. I was a physicist at Yale before pivoting and becoming a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group, where I led the tech, media and telecom practice, and tackled a range of business challenges for leading companies in the industry.

After joining Comcast as Head of Corporate Strategy, I had the privilege of working with our management team on new growth opportunities, including the acquisition of Sky. I then joined Sky to lead Sky DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) as CEO and drive business transformation. Now, as COO at Sky UK, I am excited to help our business grow and develop in the UK market.

What has influenced and shaped your journey with the company?

There are four areas that I believe have shaped my career with Comcast and Sky:

  1. Ownership Mentality: There is a phrase used across Comcast that I like, “think of the business like an owner, not a renter.” To me, what this means is to think long-term – and this mindset encourages business decisions that deliver sustained success.
  2. Breadth of Experience: I’ve enjoyed the range of challenges that my roles at Sky and Comcast have presented me. As CEO of Sky Deutschland, I loved setting the vision for the company, operating day to day with a highly motivated team to deliver financial results and helping to transform the culture. I also found it fun to learn German! In my current COO role, it is about being close to customer touchpoints and making sure the company is showing up in the best way possible for our customers. These diverse experiences have taught me a lot and helped me become a better leader.
  3. Collaboration: I’m grateful for the active collaboration and learning across the company that I’ve experienced. I was lucky to work extensively across Comcast and NBCUniversal and build lasting relationships. I’ve found it incredibly valuable over the last five years in Europe and the UK to be able to call up a colleague in the U.S. to discuss a business challenge with them. Comcast, along with NBCUniversal and Sky, is unique in having a deep presence in both media and tech in the U.S. and Europe. The opportunity to share knowledge, experience and solutions across our businesses is something I treasure.
  4. Family: While I’ve absolutely loved my professional journey, what has made it even better are the opportunities it has afforded for my family to live in Philadelphia, Munich and now London. Our children have grown up across three cultures and we have shared some wonderful experiences together.

You’ve just passed your first anniversary as COO. Can you tell us about your first year?

Sky is a unique business. It’s a brand that connects with so many consumers in the UK and Europe. We are known for our amazing sports and entertainment content and our leading broadband and mobile proposition. One of our core assets is also a strong reputation for customer experience.

My first year as COO has been brilliant and energizing getting to know our people. Our teams, who work directly with our customers and behind the scenes, are full of passionate and talented people. My role allows me to get out and spend time with our sales and service advisers, engineers, in our retail stores, and with our teams in change, compliance, billing and supply chain. Our people are the heartbeat of the business, and I love being close to them and the action.

I’m also excited to join at a time when digital and Gen AI solutions are starting to take the customer experience to the next level with new technology.

Sky’s ethos is “believe in better.” What does that mean to you?

Believe in better runs through everything we do, and it has been the ethos of Sky for a long time. To me, it is about constantly challenging the status quo – a desire to improve, get better, and seek new solutions – and with optimism.

As COO, it’s about putting customers at the heart of everything and delivering the joy of a better experience – one that is simple, easy and a step ahead.

Why is diversity, equity and inclusion important to you?

I’ve lived as an immigrant in three countries – U.S., Germany and the UK. I understand what it feels like to come in with a different point of view, and I also appreciate what folks with different backgrounds bring to the table.

Diversity also comes in many shapes and forms. I came to the business world as a PhD scientist and went through a “square peg in a round hole” phase, where many others mentored, supported and helped me integrate and add value to the roles I took on.

Through my lived experience, I believe different types of thinking can improve problem solving in business. It’s important for businesses to recruit, onboard, train, support and retain a diverse workforce as it’s crucial to success.

An environment which fosters a diversity of thought and experiences not only creates a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment, but allows a business to thrive in the long term.

Beyond the work you lead, are there other aspects of Sky that you’re passionate about?

We have a Sky Cares initiative that I love called Time to Care, where Sky customer service volunteers connect with elderly customers and help them address loneliness and isolation.

I’m also excited by Sky’s work in bridging the digital divide in our most underserved communities across the UK, Ireland and Italy through Sky Up Hubs. This program tackles inequality by providing access to reliable Internet connections, tech equipment, volunteer support and bespoke events such as digital skills sessions and employability training. I had the opportunity to open one of our flagship Hubs in East London, created in partnership with the charity BADU Sports, and I’m truly inspired by the huge difference our 70 Sky Up Hubs partners are making in people’s lives.

Lastly, I’m energized about Sky Zero – our company-wide effort to contribute a low carbon economy and inspire positive change for the planet. As a tech and media company, we’re significantly reducing carbon in our operations and supply chain, and we have a responsibility to inform the public on policies, research and practices to tackle climate change. We have a unique opportunity to do that as a leading provider of news, sports and entertainment and to reach audiences through their passion points.