Stakes and ladders

Imagine a life where you have to manage the finances of an entire nation. Contrary to popular perception, banking is an exciting job that involves more creativity than you would think. Four women, CEO, ABN Amro, Meera Sanyal; MD, Kotak Investments, Falguni Nayar; COO, JM Financial, Dipti Neelakantan; and CEO, UBS Bank, Manisha Girotra, talk about being at the helm of affairs on the economic front. They have challenged themselves at every stage.

These women have given strategising a new definition and proved to the world that management comes naturally to them. But if you think playing with numbers is easy, think again. These are women who have battled long standing social constructs and paved an easier way in the industry for the future generation of women bankers.

Meera Sanyal, 49, runs one of the largest commercial banks in the country. After returning to India post her MBA at INSEAD, France, she had several career opportunities to choose from. There was consultancy, marketing and even pharmaceuticals. When banking came to her she knew that was her calling. It has been a 26-year-long journey to the top. She comes from a batch of women who broke into the so-called "male bastion" and proved the phrase wrong.

Though she does not like to generalise, she does believe that women tend to bring with them a higher emotional quotient, better balance in stressful situations and are certainly superior at managing crises. "Personally, I have found that being a mother has made me a better manager, not just in multi-tasking but because children challenge one's management skills on a daily basis, forcing one to think out of the box and be more understanding and flexible," she says.

Where women in banks are still struggling to create a work-life balance for the lack of facilities provided to them, they usually give up just when they're stepping up the ladder. Sanyal not only understands this, but also does everything in her capacity to preserve this talent pool. Providing transfers to women whose partners have moved to other cities, enabling flexi-timings for pregnant women and sabbaticals for family emergencies, are just a few of her initiatives. She makes sure the women in her organisation never reach a stage where their family becomes excess baggage.
Manisha Girotra, 41, believes that the support system provided by Indian families is something that is hard to find in the west. A post-graduate from the London School of Economics, her banker father was her greatest inspiration. She watched him at work at a time when equity funds were not big in the market and banks were the primary institutions providing capital. She feels that banking is one of the few industries that has begun appreciating gender diversity.

Even though she found it hard to be accepted in her initial years, it never stopped her from achieving what she wanted to. Far from being a drawback, she believes there is a lot that she has learnt from her sevenyear-old daughter, "Children bring balance into your life. The meaning of concepts like teamwork and patience changes after you have children."

Though she believes that banking in India is a friendly industry for women, she thinks that a few concepts like sabbaticals and longer maternity leaves have to be included to make it easier for careeroriented women. For women who are struggling to cope with their jobs and family, she says that it is essential to understand that they do not work only to supplement their family income. They should treat their jobs as careers.

Dipti Neelakantan, 51, is of a rare breed. She comes from the gruelling world of investment banking. She started her career in this field when it was unheard of for women to do so. But for her, it was the thrill of working in an environment which was so full of energy. She never thought about the hours she had to put in. It was always about the kind of projects she got to do and her constant quest for knowing more about finance. Clearly, for her, banking has been a passion throughout. As for the pressures she had to put up with, she says, "No matter what the profession, women have to face more challenges. But every woman has a way to deal with it."

Personally, her biggest challenge was not being able to spend time with her two sons, 22 and 19-years-old. The travelling that her job involved left her with little time to spare for them. "Luckily for me, I was working when my children were born. So they never knew what a stayat-home mother was. My career was always a normal thing for them. That way, my children have also been a great support. They always understood if I couldn't make it for a school function or something," she exclaims proudly. At the same time, she made sure she never left her children alone. Her mother has been her biggest support. At times when she had to travel, her husband was always glad to fill in for her.

Being an investment banker almost translates into no social life. She thinks this might be a reason why women don't opt for this particular sector, "Work-life balance is tougher in fields such as broking, fund management and investment. I suppose women realise this earlier in their lives than men do. Maybe that's a reason, considering it is tougher for women to give their work that kind of priority."

All she says to women who find it hard is, "Don't create unnecessary pressure for yourself. Do what you have to and the rest will follow. We women have a 48-hours-a-day clock. But that's ok. Take it as a natural skill that you have and the men can never have."
Falguni Nayar, 47, also had it tough in the initial stages of her career. Like most other investment bankers, she began with working 16 hours a day. But like everyone else, she strongly believes that family support is most essential for a career as rough as this one.

Her husband, who is also in the same field, understands and respects her professionally. An IIM Ahmadabad graduate, she started with management consulting. Though she thought it was a very exciting field, soon she found herself wanting to move to finance. She joined Kotak in acquisition and since then she has never looked back. For people who get intimidated by this career, she says, "A 100 per cent cannot be done all the time. It is important to know what you want to achieve. That is when you start prioritising according to your goals. Focus on what is important and give all your energy to that."

Motherhood need not be a barrier. Like most other women in her field she believes that being a mother strengthens your management abilities. It wasn't easy for her to answer her 19-year-old twins' Advaita and Anchit's questions. "My daughter Advaita used to ask me why I couldn't be a teacher. But now, she tells me that I am a role model for her. My children are so proud of me now."

In a field which demands spending most of your time at work when you start, it can get very trying. Nayar was no exception. But she never shied away from taking help. "It is easy to justify quitting your job but the real challenge is when you commit yourself to your career and don't get bogged down by the demands. You have to learn with patience," she says.

Working women have never had it easy in this country. Having had the experience of working in London during the middle of her career, she found it a lot easier with the child care facilities and summer camps that kept her children busy. "The Indian support system is also quite good. Parental support is very important as it proves to be the best child care in the Indian context. With parents, you also know that your children are in safe hands."

For years, men have handed over their paychecks to the women in the house to manage their finances. Now the entire nation is banking on these women to keep their money safe and growing.

5 Tips for a successful life Dream big and work towards an education that supports it. Support other women and empower your daughters to live up to their full potential. It pays to hear your inner calling on what you want to do or where you want to invest your hard-earned money. Keep learning, more importantly learn to manage your own finances early on. Do your best and leave the rest to God. 5 Tips for work-life balance Play a sport or do some form of exercise. It's absolutely essential to have a healthy body for a healthy mind. Spend some time with your friends, at least on weekends. Take an hour out every week to do something just for yourself. Spending time with yourself is very important. Surround yourself with people with positive energy. The positivity will automatically rub off on you. Life is short. Stay as happy as you can. 5 Tips to be independent Know your finances. Don't just leave it to the men to deal with them. Be informed about taxes and take your own decisions. This will truly emancipate you. Don't think about the hours you are putting in. Think about the kind of work you are getting to do. Don't be the one who gives up because you are a woman. Keep at it and people will learn to respect your choices. Invest money for yourself. 5 Tips to grow in your job Love what you do. Learn to prioritise everything equally. Create a balance in your life. Do not be afraid to take help. Ask questions when you don't understand something. Start taking your own decisions.