Kay sukumar

Commercial film director and cinematographer working with brands such as Esteé Lauder, ASOS, Bvlgari, MANGO to name a few

Commercial film Director

Kay Sukumar Photography 

As a fashion photographer and director I shoot editorials regularly for global magazines such as  Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Elle, Schön and work closely with International clients such as ASOS, Debenhams, KOOVS, Steven Khalil to name a few......

Photographer

Verve Portraits

Full time photographer at Verve Portraits.

Kay Sukumar is an Australian-Indian Creative Director / Commercial Film Director and Cinematographer who first began making fashion and model videos for modelling agencies in Sydney, Australia in 2008. Since then, he has worked extensively in London, New York, LA, Paris, Milan and very recently Mumbai, directing and shooting for large brands such as Esteé Lauder, Bulgari, Jo Malone London, Forever New, MANGO, Nautica, Clinique, Olay, SmashBox to name a few. 

Artistic Philosophy

At the core of Kay's philosophy lies a deep-seated passion for storytelling. He believes in crafting content that not only engages but resonates deeply with viewers. His commitment to the principle that form should accentuate content is evident in his use of metaphors and similes, adding layers of interest and interactivity to his narratives. This meticulous attention to detail extends to his pre-planning and rehearsal processes, ensuring each film is executed with unrivalled precision and accuracy.

Kay Sukumar

Behind the scenes = Behind the thinking On the surface , these three shoots might look completely different:

a skincare film where every detail hand to feel soft, human, and intimate.
a wellness supplement brand spot that needed energy, optimisim, and momentum. a hotel film that had to balance aspiration with approachability.

But here's the constant: clarity of intent before the camera rolls.

its not just thinking about lighting,lenses,or locations. i'm asking myself:

What's the feeling this brand wants the viewer to leave with?

Where's the human truth we can anchor the story to ?

What do we need to remove so the core message isn't lost in noise?

Every shot is just an answer to those questions.

That's why BTS isn't just about seeing gear or sets, it's about seeing the thought process that makes a brand film actually work. Because beautiful images are easy. 
Clarity is rare.

#kaysukumar

Creative Direction | Commercial Film Director

Directing actors isn't about control it's about trust.

here's how i do it..


#kaysukmar

What if in the next 90 seconds ill show you how to rebuild your creative confidence in next 90 days....

#kaysukumar

if youare a brand or planning a brand film start with what you want the viewers to feel after watching the film and shape the story around that feeling.

#kaysukumar

Weir Minerals

In my role as Operations Coordinator, I support both global and local teams through three main areas:

Global Training Coordinator – Organize and manage global training programs, making sure sessions are well planned and run smoothly.

Office Coordinator (Malmö) – Handle daily office operations, administration, and support to keep the Malmö office running effectively.

Internal Communication – Share company updates and manage internal communication to keep teams connected and informed.

This role allows me to combine coordination, communication, and organization to support Weir’s people and operations.

Operations Coordinator

SentianAI

I joined Sentian AI through the Jobbsprånget program, where I supported operations, training, and office management. During my 4-month internship, I:

Coordinated 2 global online trainings and planned 2 upcoming in-person global trainings, ensuring smooth scheduling and participant experience.

Created the first SOP for online trainings, building a standard process that improved efficiency and consistency for future sessions.

Supported operations and administration, including invoice management, onboarding of new employees, laptop ordering, and facility assistance.

Through this internship, I gained hands-on experience in global coordination, process improvement, and operational support while contributing to both local and global teams.

Office and Operations Coordinator

Øresund Startup News

Startup Ambassador

Self Employed

- I help people start or get better at project management jobs.
- I give advice on how to make a good plan for your career.
- I teach important skills you need for managing projects.
- I help you practice for job interviews.
- I connect you with other professionals in project management.

Career Coach

Dell Technologies

Engineering Functional Plans, Engineering Schedule, PRD responses, Core Team slides , Email communication to the Extended Team distribution list ,  Newsletter communications,  Phase Exit readiness Checklists/Deliverables

- Coordinate & manage the requirements, dependencies & deliverables, ensuring the scope change is aligned with the different stakeholder’s schedules & plans.
- Own & manage the end to end Project schedule
- Weekly progress review meetings to report the progress identify & mitigate the risks, issue resolutions.
- Weekly presentations to the different stakeholders of the project at the Core Teams.
- Create & manage the document repository (SharePoint) to ensure they contain relevant and applicable documentation for the applicable readers 
- Part Lifecycle Management (PLCM) – Creation, End of Life, Maintenance. [AGILE Tool]
- Block Core Team schedule/process/other updates communications to the Engineering teams 
- Project updates, representation of Engineering in the Block Core Team Meetings

Project Manager

SP Software Private Ltd

*Deployed to Dell Technologies as Project Manager*

Information Technology Project Coordinator

Muraai Information Technologies Pvt Ltd

- Prepare weekly status report summarizing the tasks done along with effort utilization
- Getting the requirements from the client for Payments Module - Advance Payment, Domestic Payment, SEZ Payment, Statutory Payment, Foreign Payment.
- Communicate to internal project teams regarding the requirements of clients
- Conducting daily standup calls and taking the task updating.
- Coordinate project schedule and ensure timely updates of all key milestone and partner with PM on related calls.
- Work with PMO team on resource planning and allocation according to projects pipeline
- Communicate to Project Managers issues or concerns related to project schedule and tasks
- Create and maintain project documentations like Project charter, BRD/FSD, TDD, Project Proposal, Project Closure.
- Ensure customer satisfaction through post project brief with clients.
- Coordinate and support onboarding of new Key Project Team Members and system access.
- Prepare correspondence, including meeting minutes, for project team and/or customer.
- Sprint and Scrum management in JIRA

Project Assistant

EatLocal

-Participated in the development and grooming of Project Backlog Stories (Requirements) with business and technology partners.
- Project management - Project planning , project coordination , project estimation, project documentation and project team management.
- Assisted in entering and updating Issues (Epics, Stories, and Tasks) onto JIRA Agile application.
- Participated in Daily Scrum Stand Up
- Created Epics and User stories
- Business and Data Analysis
- Data management & Quality Assurance 
- Social media marketing - Customer engagement, content development, community engagement, community management, content strategy.
- Market Research

Executive , Project Management Office

Consulting , Content creation , manual testing

Project Management Trainee

IBS Software

- Found out the project profitability from the data given.
- Analyzed the project proﬁtability and did a historical analysis through which the projects which lay under 50% gross margin were found out.
- Recommended ways to improve the proﬁtability by reading the contracts of corresponding project clients and stating clauses from the same.
- Learnt about contract management and key cost center of an IT service company.
- G suite exploration - Gmail , Google Analytics

Summer Intern

UST Global

- Involved in manual testing for Insurance Domain.
- Continuous interaction with Business Users and the client to test according to their requirements.
- Created, Updated and Reviewed of Test cases and Test Scenarios as per the Business Requirement Document.
- Manipulated database for testing using SQL Server.
- Done functional and regression testing. 
- Cross Browser Testing and Mobile App testing
- Used Quality Center to store all testing results, created Test Cases, and Reporting.
- Defect tracked and bugs reported using Bugzilla and JIRA.

Software Developer

Project Manager | Project Management Career Coach | Helping early-career professionals (0-5 years) transition into project management roles in the IT industry.

I never planned to work in mining.
I never planned to shift from project management to communications either.
But careers aren’t always linear and mine is proof.

After years in IT and project management, I made the leap into a completely new industry and role, handling internal communications, global training, and office operations.

Now, I document this journey to help professionals see what it really looks like to:
🌍 Transition industries & roles without starting from scratch
🧠 Build adaptability and communication skills that stand out
💡 Reimagine success when you’re starting over in your 30s

On my profile you’ll find:
🔹 Stories & lessons from inside a global mining company
🔹 Corporate career and life lessons
🔹 Honest reflections on career transitions and identity shifts

If you’ve ever thought about starting fresh, moving industries, or re-entering the workforce in a new role, my content is built for you.

👉 Follow me here on LinkedIn for my weekly posts & livestreams, and join the community I’m building for professionals navigating change together.

Mary Tresa Gabriel

Building relationships at work means talking only to people higher in the hierarchy.
Trying to impress “two levels up” or chasing relationships only based on titles.

Build human relationships with anyone. Any level. Any team. Any background.

What I realised after joining Weir Minerals :

It’s not about hierarchy.
It’s not about the “right” department.
It’s not even about years of experience.

It’s about people.
About genuine connection.
About trust.

You might think:

“But shouldn’t I network only with seniors?”
“Isn’t relationship-building about climbing the ladder?”

Nope.

In this non-linear career era, you never know who will be the next person to help you, guide you, or open a door.

Every time I tried to think traditionally “connect upward, connect selectively” work proved me wrong.

The most meaningful support came from unexpected places.

Lesson: 
Genuine relationships > hierarchical relationships.
Always.

P.S. Who at your workplace has supported you in a way you didn’t expect?

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Operations Coordinator at Weir | Documenting my career transition | Project Management Professional (PMP) | Work Abroad, Culture, Corporate life & Career Coach

A VERY important reminder for anyone restarting their career in a new country:

Taking a lower role is not failure.
Switching industries is not the end of your career.

But if you refuse to adapt, you’ll actually limit your opportunities 
or end up waiting months for a job that fits your old title.

I get it, some of you might land the exact same role abroad.
You’re the minority, and that’s amazing.

For everyone else:

Don’t be ashamed.
Don’t compare.

Remember:
You didn’t downgrade your worth, you upgraded your resilience.
You took the first step that most people are too scared to take.
And trust me, your skills didn’t vanish just because your title changed.

Your new beginning just needs time to reveal who you’re becoming. 😊

Make sure to follow me for more lessons on career transitions, non-tech roles, and restarting your career abroad.

PS. Do you really think career growth still happens in one neat ladder?
📷 This was what I wrote after graduating my PGDM in 2019 and 6 years later I’m proudly living a non-linear career.

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I’m a proud corporate softie.
There, I said it 🤭 hehe

People often say that to be successful, you need to be a badass at work
serious, tough, loud with boundaries, and a little intimidating.

Here’s what people forget about softies:

“Soft people can’t hold teams together.”
▶️ we create warmth and psychological safety so teams don’t fall apart.

“Soft people can’t be taken seriously.”
▶️ we just don’t need to intimidate anyone to earn respect.

“Soft people don’t know boundaries.”
▶️ we set them gently, consistently, and without drama.

“Soft people aren’t leaders.”
▶️ we lead through connection, not fear.

“Soft people get walked over.”
▶️ we just prioritize humanity over hierarchy.

We'll be the one who remembers your birthday, checks in when you look stressed, and smiles at everyone in the hallway, while still delivering every task on time 🫰 

Share this with the corporate softie in your life, they deserve a little love today 🫶

Unpopular opinion: I actually like working from the office 😌

For me, work isn’t just about deadlines or meetings, it’s about people. The random chats, the small laughs, the “hey, need help?” moments. That’s what makes it feel alive. And honestly, that’s what I’ve loved the most in every office I’ve worked at those real, human connections.

When you have that, showing up doesn’t feel like just another workday, it feels like being part of something that matters.

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I’ve single-handedly delivered multiple million-dollar IT projects on time without compromising quality.
But the moment I switched from SDLC to the mining process, even simple tasks started making me feel like a complete beginner.

This explains why our confidence can drop overnight, even when our skills haven’t gone anywhere.
But because our environment changes faster than our identity, something unexpected happens:

We start doubting ourselves for tasks that have nothing to do with our actual capability.

You can excel at complex systems and still freeze at unfamiliar ones, not because you’re inexperienced, but because the game is different.

So, how do we rebuild confidence when we suddenly become beginners in a new industry or new country?

By separating our skills from our environment.

Here are 4 steps to help you get started:

1. Learn one new word, tool, or concept from your new industry every day.
(eg: I always get confused between comminution and communication, two completely different things.)

2. Map something from your past experience to your new industry so you don’t feel lost.
(eg: I compare mining processes to SDLC so my brain has something familiar to hold on to.)

3. Keep a career journal and write one daily sentence about what you learned or felt.
(eg: Today I realised I tried to learn the whole pump system without knowing the basics.)

4. Ask one clarifying question a day instead of overthinking things alone.
(eg: ‘Can you show me an example?’ instead of stressing for hours.)

Take the next 30 days to practice this identity shift, and you’ll rebuild the confidence you thought you lost,  this time, with even deeper self-awareness.

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I didn’t spend 20 years climbing the ladder, collecting direct reports like Pokémon, and writing books about “leadership in the digital age”

I just watched a 17-minute video (by full disclosure) on whether middle managers will exist next year and honestly, it perfectly captured where a lot of teams quietly are right now.

Now we’re closing out 2025 and Gartner is saying that by 2026, 20% of organisations will use AI to cut more than half of their middle management roles. Big Tech is already there: Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Intel, Meta all trimming layers, raising spans of control, and asking why they need three people in the middle to move information from A to B.

And here’s the uncomfortable part the video calls out:
Most middle managers haven’t been “replaced by AI”- they’ve been exposed by it. The repetitive admin work that used to quietly fill their week (status updates, reporting, email ping‑pong, meeting orchestration) is exactly what AI tools now do faster, cheaper, and with fewer errors. 

If your calendar is 80% coordination and 20% actual leadership… the Great Flattening hits hard.

The video frames the survivor profile as an “insight architect”:

Not the person who forwards dashboards, but the one who can read them, question them, and turn them into decisions the team actually understands and executes. High EQ plus real data literacy; less status-collector, more change agent.

If this hit a nerve, don’t just save the post. 
Audit your calendar, kill one low‑value task, and replace it with one strategic or coaching conversation this week.

Not sure if your job actually counts as ‘non‑tech’?
I’ve built my whole career in non‑tech roles, working alongside engineers without ever writing production code.

A “non‑tech” career is not about avoiding software or tools. You’ll still live in tools like email, CRMs, spreadsheets, Notion, or Slack

It’s about where your main value comes from: your judgment, communication, organisation, relationships, creativity, or strategy – not from writing code or designing complex systems.

You’re usually in a non‑tech role if:

⚫ You are hired to move people, projects, money, or messaging forward, not to ship code.
⚫ Your performance is judged on things like revenue, campaigns, hiring, retention, delivery, satisfaction, margins, or internal alignment.

Here are some classic non‑tech career buckets (even inside tech companies):

▶️ Growth & sales: sales, business development, customer success, partnerships.
▶️ People & HR: HR, recruiting, L&D, people ops, internal comms.
▶️ Ops & strategy: operations, project management, program management, strategy, chief‑of‑staff‑style roles.
▶️ Product‑adjacent: product management, UX research, technical writing, support, implementation.
▶️ Finance & business: finance, rev ops, biz ops, procurement, analytics‑heavy biz roles.

Then there are hybrid roles:
Product managers, data‑savvy marketers, or ops people who use SQL, BI tools, or automation. ➡️  They often look “techy”, but they’re still usually hired and evaluated as non‑technical: can they coordinate, prioritise, communicate, and ship outcomes with the team.

So, a simple gut‑check you can use 👇 
If someone took away all your tools tomorrow, could you still add value with your decisions, communication, and way of organising people and work? If yes, you’re very likely in a non‑tech career.

Let me know in comments if your current role “counts” as non‑tech?

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The Battle

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Mary Tresa Gabriel

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The Battle

Kay Sukumar

Mary Tresa Gabriel

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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