Ramesh Jayaraman loves to journal. The practice provides go-to reflection, especially around his latest career high point, when he officially took over as president and CEO of Daktronics in February.
The move married two parties with distinctly different backgrounds. On one side, a world-traveling leader, assuming his first CEO role. On the other, a company rooted in the Midwest, with many employees who have worked entire careers there.
But when Jayaraman spent a couple of days around Daktronics’ headquarters in Brookings, S.D., he found himself scribbling a short phrase at the end of his visit. “The spirit felt good,” Jayaraman said. “That’s the best way I can explain it.”
Jayaraman has been the type of leader Daktronics needed for now and the future, according to those who work with him, honoring an existing strong culture while pushing the company toward new offerings and sustained growth.
And he does that, first and foremost, by valuing the people around him.
An early lesson that stuck
Tell Jayaraman 25 years ago that he would be a CEO someday, and he would have met the idea with equal parts surprise and gratitude.
After a childhood in Thailand, he graduated from the Delhi College of Engineering (now called Delhi Technological University). Then Jayaraman moved to the U.S. for an MBA at the University of Illinois Chicago. “I came to this country with about 60 bucks in my pocket — just had a big dream of going and studying,” Jayaraman said. “I just had a good scholarship.”
Three questions with ... Daktronics’ Ramesh Jayaraman
What’s your favorite meal and why? “Thai food. I grew up as a child in Thailand and have early memories of being with the local community and learning that meals bring people and cultures together.”
What book and/or television series are you currently enjoying? “A book called ‘CEO Excellence.’ As a new CEO, I have lots to learn, and I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of business, people alignment, serving and uplifting our teams, and purpose in life.”
What’s your favorite part of being a new truck owner? “It reminds me constantly about the importance of family. My kids designed it; my youngest wants to put a tent on the bed and watch the stars with me. Priceless!”
That move spawned a career that sent him all around the world, working with large-scale tech providers such as Tyco and Bosch. Jayaraman lived in the United Kingdom, Singapore, India and China before eventually making his way back to the U.S. in 2021.
Throughout that time, he’s carried a foundational lesson in leadership given to him by his father. He often said that a person planting a tree likely only wants a couple of fruits to eat. But that tree will bear 60 to 70 fruits that can, in turn, let you enjoy sharing that success with others.
“When you start doing that in the field, you’re just going to start giving it out to people,” Jayaraman said. “And that gives you joy.”
Emerging as the right leader
There is no more important task for a company board than hiring a CEO. And finding Daktronics’ next leader came at an even more crucial time.
The company — builder of such technological marvels as the Intuit Dome’s Halo Board — has been in transformation since a 2022 liquidity crisis.
Daktronics saw its first breakthrough sporting event at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid — the company designed the scoreboard — and found major success in the industry as it grew into a publicly traded entity that, as of its most recent fiscal year filings, registered a company record of $838.7 million in net sales.
According to Andrew Siegel, Daktronics board chairman, Jayaraman stood out for many reasons, but perhaps his best trait was a fearlessness to try something new.
“What distinguished Ramesh to the search committee, and ultimately the entire board, was this mix of intellectual curiosity, global experience and excitement to build things,” Siegel said. “We knew he would take some swings and he’d permit the team to take some swings to try to explore opportunities that Daktronics hadn’t previously put its shoulder against.”
Embedding in the culture ... and buying a new truck
Take a moment to flutter through Jayaraman’s LinkedIn posts and something becomes immediately clear: The man appreciates a selfie.
But he’s never by himself. He’s often tucked into the corner of the shot, huddled with a group of employees. This extends far beyond his growing tenure at Daktronics through his days with Bosch, where he rose through the company’s hierarchy to become senior vice president/Americas integration leader for Bosch Home Comfort.
Charlie Ackerman helped to hire, and eventually befriended, Jayaraman as senior vice president of human resources for Bosch North America. Jayaraman’s impact at Bosch was quick and significant. “Within the first 15 to 18 months, he was already generating revenue and reducing operating costs like we’ve never seen in Bosch — particularly in North America — in years,” said Ackerman, who retired in 2024.
Ackerman echoed Siegel’s point about Jayaraman’s curiosity. His fearlessness in asking questions often leads Jayaraman to conversations with employees in which their expertise and perspective feel immediately valued by the leader of the company.
Jayaraman wants those employees to feel like he’s in it with them. So that’s why he takes the selfies. It’s why he’s bought a home around Brookings, as well as a truck, to fit in with his colleagues. He’s joined a valuable community, Jayaraman said, and he wants everyone to know how much he appreciates that.
“I’m still learning. I’m still a curious person. I want to learn. I don’t know everything,” Jayaraman said. “And part of this is having this amazing leadership team and the team at Daktronics around in building toward where we need to go.”
Well, so far, so good. The spirit, especially so.
