Beyond the Badge: An Interview with Yashas Agnihotri

For our latest edition of the Beyond the Badge series, we got a chance to chat with Yashas Agnihotri, Account Manager — Global @ fielddrive, about his career journey, his hobbies, his likes and dislikes, and his experiences that shaped his life and journey. 

So sit back and enjoy this deep dive into the mind of a dynamic and charismatic Account Manager!

From Army Aspirant to Account Manager

Sawan: Thank you so much for doing this, Yashas, I really appreciate it.

Yashas: My pleasure!

Sawan: Alright, so let’s start with a straightforward question: What can you tell us about yourself?

Yashas: Let’s see… I’m a huge sports enthusiast. I’ve played various sports like badminton, skating, karate, mixed martial arts, and football at different levels. I even reached university nationals in basketball. My life revolved around sports, and I was an army aspirant for most of my life. But in the end, things didn’t work out so I changed lanes and that’s how I decided to start my journey in Sales. By education, I’m an engineer, and I worked as a hardware and firmware developer for a while before deciding to prepare for the army. I also worked with organizations like Decathlon. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies and traveling.

A Day in the Life of an Account Manager

Sawan: What exactly does your job entail? What does a typical day look like for you?

Yashas: I’m an account manager at fielddrive; I manage global accounts. This means I handle the majority of our clients outside Belgium, as well as some named accounts. Once an account is signed, it’s handed over to me. My primary role is to ensure clients are happy with our services so we can build long-term relationships. I also look for expansion opportunities, like seeing if other regions might benefit from our services. I love my job because I get to talk to people from different cultures around the world, which is exciting for me as a talkative person.

Sawan: And what’s your favorite part of the job?

Yashas: My favorite part is talking to people. I love interacting with people from different localities and cultures globally. That’s what makes my job fun for me—the conversations and the connections.

Memorable Moments and Travel Experiences

‍Sawan: What’s your favorite fielddrive memory?

Yashas: My favorite fielddrive memory would be our Goa convention earlier this year. Besides learning from Danny himself that fries are not French—they’re Belgian—I remember when we gathered on the beach. We were working on solving a puzzle as a team, and at the end, we realized that some parts of the puzzle were with other teams. We all had to collaborate to get the final answer. That teamwork and collaboration made it a memorable experience for me.

Sawan: That’s awesome. So, I know you travel for work. So what’s your favorite place you’ve been to with fielddrive, and just your favorite place in general?

Yashas: I haven’t traveled much with fielddrive, just to Bangkok and London. London was my favorite because it was my first trade show, and I spent some quality time there. After the work trip, I visited Bath, which is near London—it’s the most beautiful and peaceful place I’ve ever been to. I highly recommend it.

Passion Beyond Work: Biking, Watches, and More

Sawan: What are some of your hobbies?

Yashas: Besides sports, I love traveling, though I haven’t been able to do as much as I’d like recently. I’m also into biking—I have three bikes and love riding whenever I get the chance. For our Goa convention, I actually rode 1200 kilometers on my bike to get there. I also enjoy collecting watches and I have a thing for good suits and sunglasses.

Quickfire Round: Getting to Know Yashas

Sawan: Alright, next up, I have a quick rapid-fire round! Are you ready?

Yashas: Let’s do this!

Sawan: Alright. Are you a book person or a movie person?

Yashas: Definitely a movie person.

Sawan: What’s your favorite movie and why?

Yashas: My favorite movie is Kingsman. It combines a few things I love—being an army aspirant, the idea of being a spy, plus the love for watches, suits, and that gentlemanly vibe.

Sawan: Who’s your idol?

Yashas: My idol is my father. I try to live up to the steps he’s put forward, but those are big shoes to fill.

Sawan: What’s your favorite sport?

Yashas: Mixed martial arts.

Sawan: And your favorite sports personality?

Yashas: Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s the epitome of hard work. People say Messi is God-gifted, but Ronaldo is the most hardworking person I’ve ever seen. There was a recent stat I came across: in the Euro Cup 2024, there were 368 players, and only one of them—Ronaldo—is still playing. That’s pure dedication.

Sawan: Are you into comic books or comic book movies?

Yashas: Yes, I’m a fan of comic book movies.

Sawan: Marvel or DC?

Yashas: From a movie perspective, Marvel is a little better. So, Marvel.

Sawan: And who’s your favorite superhero?

Yashas: It’s Iron Man, hands down, mostly because of Robert Downey Jr. But Iron Man for sure.

Yashas’s Message to the World

Sawan: If you could put one message out into the world, what would it be?

Yashas: Life is too short to have regrets. If you want to do something, give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out, you can always go back to what you were doing before. But at least you won’t regret not trying.

Sawan: Those are some uplifting words! Well, that’s it. You’re free of me now! Thank you so much for taking the time out and doing this!

Yashas: No, please, the pleasure was all mine.