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Ravindra Simhambhatla

Executive Vice President and Chief Digital & Innovation Officer, Avis Budget

Search every verified Ravindra Simhambhatla interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a September 2024 podcast appearance, Ravindra Simhambhatla discussed his career journey, including his roles at Virgin America, Tesla, and Avis Budget Group. He described Elon Musk as "the most determined human being I have ever encountered" and said Musk "never asked people to do what he was not ready to do himself." Simhambhatla also characterized Richard Branson as "a very astute business person" who licenses his brand. He reflected on his early struggles as a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he said he was "physically sick and mentally despondent" before transferring to Richmond College in London, where he graduated with the best performance medal in computer science. Simhambhatla emphasized the importance of mentoring, stating that "people in positions of power should" mentor the next generation and that mentoring allows one to "pay forward" knowledge. He said he mentors both within his corporate roles and informally, adding that "if you don't bring new people into the fold mentoring them, then you also can never rise up." He advised that people should "work hard, listen to understand not to respond, be humble," and "have fun in life," adding that if an activity does not make one smile "once or twice a day," one should "probably do something else."

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