I have sometimes been told that I empathise too much for a strong leader. But I believe this trait has helped me motivate multiple teams, earn their respect, and support over the years. As the first employee to move into Satyam after its acquisition by Tech Mahindra, empathy had always been at the centre stage for me. Tasked with leading the post-acquisition programs, I believe it was this ability to connect with people that enabled me to work with teams across functions and locations in order to complete my tasks successfully.

It was with a mix of trepidation and excitement that I moved from Marketing to the KC Mahindra Education Trust in 2002. Whether it was the immense responsibility of transforming the lives of the less privileged and disadvantaged communities, empowering girls, up-skilling youth, or contributing towards the betterment of the planet; the journey has been more than fulfilling. To witness the impact of social transformation even in a single person’s life has in fact, been an absolutely humbling and euphoric experience at the same time. This keeps me motivated to exponentially scale up the efforts of driving positive change in our communities, enabling them to Rise.