‘Fundamental shifts key to pave way for more women in finance’

Anika is a seasoned digital, sales and marketing leader with nearly two decades of experience across diverse industries- Retail, Telecom and Insurance. Anika brings with her deep expertise in building strong consumer brands, along with scaling up direct to consumer and digital businesses. She has hands-on experience in leveraging technology for enabling business growth and delivering superior customer experience. Her diverse experience across Indian and International markets and several leading consumer brands, coupled with her track record of setting up a digital franchise will be invaluable as we scale up our consumer business. Anika is also known for being a people centric business leader with a focus on driving innovation and new ideas.

Q: The pandemic has proved to be a double-whammy for women professionals, what is your take on maintaining a work-life balance amidst such conditions?

A: The pandemic has definitely been a reset, not just for women professionals but also for each one of us. For me personally, I started a new assignment in the midst of the pandemic, so it was especially difficult. I followed three things during this time, which helped me tide through.

• It’s ok to ask for help, support is usually forthcoming

• Apply the 80-20 rule for both your personal and professional life

• Never underestimate the strong family system that you have

Q: What motivated you to pursue a career in finance, there is immense stereotyping around women in finance sectors, what can be done to mitigate that and encourage more women into these spaces?

A: I am a marketer at heart and for me what’s more important is to get the fundamentals right- it does not matter what is the product or service. However, you are right-there is a dearth of senior level professionals globally in financial services. While companies are placing a greater focus on diversity, at the grass root level some fundamental shifts may help, such as- Manager Support for women professionals, greater work-life balance and having understanding mentors will be helpful to develop successful women professionals in this domain.

Transparent availability of information and data around gender gaps may also spark honest conversations and a gradual change.

Q: As a seasoned marketing leader, as per you what are the best practices for professionals?

A: In all my experience as a marketer, I firmly believe that the basic rules never change. For me the three tenets are:

• Focus on the fundamentals. They do not change whether it is the offline or the online world

• Partnership on outcomes with business is critical to success

• Digital Transformation and Customer Experience enrichment is an integral part of any marketer’s job role today

Q: What is your idea of ‘today’s woman’ and what is the one idea that motivates you?

A: Today’s woman is a go-getter. She is unabashedly ambitious and that is her best attribute. With women being at the helm of many organisations, we are creating a path for the next generation of girls, for whom even the sky is not the limit as their journeys are beyond that. One idea that has driven me consistently is Freedom of thought and expression

Q: What is your distressing ‘mantra’? Also, on days that you are not bogged down by work, what is your preferred way to unwind?

A: I am a couch potato at heart. So, I go in ‘snooze mode’ to distress with my Kindle, and also play lots of board games with my daughter. I also like to take a break and travel when I can.

Q: How was the transition from literature to marketing and how do you think these disciplines can achieve synergy?

A: It was quite seamless actually. Literature gives you a worldview and a deep understanding of the human psychology. Marketing helps you leverage the same.

Q: What is your current read and why would you recommend it?

A: I am currently reading Ten Lessons for a post pandemic world by Fareed Zakaria. It is an interesting socio-political perspective about the current world we live in. One thing that stood out for me in the book that I would like to share- ‘The movement to digital life is fast and real. However, it will make us cherish the things in us that are the most human.’