Aspen’s head of IT for SA Commercial has built a career on systems thinking – and a second life on the pages of a novel a decade in the making. Priyen Naidu reflects on risk, reinvention and finding purpose at work and at home.
Priyen Naidu has spent a career doing two things most people assume don’t mix: engineering systems and writing fiction. He believes each one sharpens the other.
“I enjoy creating things, solving problems and continuously improving systems, whether that’s at work, at home or even while writing my novel,” he says.
Priyen trained as a mechanical engineer before completing a master’s in mechatronics and robotics – a discipline that blends mechanical, electrical and software engineering. He says it shaped more than his technical ability.
“Looking back, I don’t think engineering simply taught me technical skills – it taught me how to think. It developed a systems mindset, where you understand that every component is connected and if one part fails, it affects the whole system.”
That mindset carried him from engineering into IT and it’s the same instinct he now applies to leading people rather than machines.
Two career leaps that looked reckless at the time
Priyen has made two moves in his career that appeared, from the outside, to be a massive gamble.
The first was leaving a decade in engineering to join a bank’s IT division. “That was a huge risk because I did not know what I did not know – it was a steep learning curve,” he says. “But because I had the software understanding from my MSc, I came into the bank’s robotic process automation programme.”
He describes the period candidly: “It felt like a huge risk where my career could be decimated.” It paid off. “It proved essential because I discovered I had a flair for IT.”
The second leap was leaving banking for pharmaceuticals. “I joined an organisation with an exceptional culture, strong leadership and a genuine commitment to its people,” he says. “Looking back, it was absolutely the right decision.”
Neither transition was purely technical. Priyen says his early career was marked by a rigid, academic approach to problem-solving. “Early on, I approached projects almost academically. I wanted everything to be perfect before moving forward and I wasn’t always as adaptable as I should have been.” Rebuilding that instinct became a turning point. “Developing my emotional intelligence changed the trajectory of my career. It made me a better communicator, a better leader and ultimately allowed me to move into management much earlier than I expected.”
A novel a decade in the making
Away from systems and spreadsheets, Priyen is a novelist. He’s spent 10 years writing and refining a 500-page work called Watcher Chronicles and is now preparing to republish it.
“It is a labour of love that I return to whenever I can.”
The long gestation, he says, has become part of the story’s value. “It has been a 10-year journey and because you change so much over a decade, I am enjoying refining the characters and plotlines.”
That same interest in people shows up in what he reads off the page too. He points to The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni as a lasting influence, alongside Hidden Potential by Adam Grant and Atomic Habits by James Clear. On podcasts, he follows Diary of a CEO for leadership perspectives and No Priors to track where AI is heading.
Karate, community and a small AI side project
Priyen’s father spent decades as a Goju Ryu karate teacher and Priyen now teaches self-defence in his own neighbourhood through a class called Waterfall Combat, open to anyone over 13.
“I grew up witnessing how my father’s students grew in skill and confidence over time. Interestingly, it’s very similar to leadership – it’s about helping people believe in themselves, giving them the tools to succeed and watching them develop. That’s something I find incredibly rewarding.”
Even here, his instinct for practical technology shows up. He’s built a small AI agent to handle invoicing for the self-defence classes. “It’s a small use case, but I think that’s where the real value of AI starts – identifying everyday problems that technology can simplify.”
Priyen's mornings start at 5:15am with reading, gym, and more recently, 10 minutes of meditation and breathing. Then it's time for the morning rush with his wife and two daughters.
He describes his outlook on work and life as integration rather than balance. “Outside of work, my family is my biggest source of motivation. My wife and two daughters keep me grounded and remind me to stop and smell the flowers every now and then.”
As a child, Priyen grew up watching both of his parents find real fulfilment in their careers, and it shaped how he thinks about work today. “I hope my daughters grow up seeing that work isn’t simply something you do to earn a living – it can also be a source of purpose, growth and contribution when you’re fortunate enough to do something you enjoy.”
For now, his personal goals stay close to home: finishing the novel, improving the house and making great memories with his family.
“Apart from republishing my novel, I would like to continue improving our home and most importantly, create meaningful experiences with my wife and our two daughters. Whether that’s travelling together or simply spending quality time, those moments are really important to me,” he concludes.
