By Kanchana Dwarakanath, TimesJobs.com
Handling diverse cultural and work-related issues while climbing the corporate ladder comes with its own set of hurdles. TechGig.com spoke to Reshmi Khurana, managing director and country head - operations, Kroll Advisory India, on the issues she faced in the technology field and how she handled them.
TimesJobs: Did you face any people-related issues when you first started working in this industry?
Khurana: Kroll is a global company with a diverse working environment. The staff not only has varied skill sets and education backgrounds, they are also from various nationalities, genders and ethnicities. I started my career with Kroll in New York, which is a melting pot of cultures. So I was lucky I didn't face any gender or other biases. What I did learn quickly was that clients often come to Kroll when they need help making difficult decisions or find it hard to get information. So one has to be able to see things from various perspectives and be balanced and objective while advising clients.
TimesJobs: What have been some of your learnings so far?
Khurana: First, your reputation is everything in the professional services industry. So I strive every day to maintain our reputation of being ruthlessly independent in our advice. Secondly, your team is your most valuable asset. So invest time and resources necessary to attract, retain and nurture a high quality team.
TimesJobs: Any client related experiences that change your outlook to life?
Khurana: Every project at Kroll is different and thrilling and that's what keeps me going. One incident stands out. We were conducting a corruption investigation in a resources company in Indonesia and I was interviewing a particularly difficult subject. At the end of the interview, the subject, who I had been grilling for hours, advised me to look after my safety and made sure I caught a glimpse of the gun that was holstered behind his jacket! It certainly changed my outlook to my job!
TimesJobs: What qualities a woman needs to make it big in the corporate world?
Khurana: The women leaders that I know are all empathetic, sensitive and superb team players. These skills have not come in the way of their professional success. So women should play by their own strengths and set up their own rules in the professional environment.
Handling diverse cultural and work-related issues while climbing the corporate ladder comes with its own set of hurdles. TechGig.com spoke to Reshmi Khurana, managing director and country head - operations, Kroll Advisory India, on the issues she faced in the technology field and how she handled them.
TimesJobs: Did you face any people-related issues when you first started working in this industry?
Khurana: Kroll is a global company with a diverse working environment. The staff not only has varied skill sets and education backgrounds, they are also from various nationalities, genders and ethnicities. I started my career with Kroll in New York, which is a melting pot of cultures. So I was lucky I didn't face any gender or other biases. What I did learn quickly was that clients often come to Kroll when they need help making difficult decisions or find it hard to get information. So one has to be able to see things from various perspectives and be balanced and objective while advising clients.
TimesJobs: What have been some of your learnings so far?
Khurana: First, your reputation is everything in the professional services industry. So I strive every day to maintain our reputation of being ruthlessly independent in our advice. Secondly, your team is your most valuable asset. So invest time and resources necessary to attract, retain and nurture a high quality team.
TimesJobs: Any client related experiences that change your outlook to life?
Khurana: Every project at Kroll is different and thrilling and that's what keeps me going. One incident stands out. We were conducting a corruption investigation in a resources company in Indonesia and I was interviewing a particularly difficult subject. At the end of the interview, the subject, who I had been grilling for hours, advised me to look after my safety and made sure I caught a glimpse of the gun that was holstered behind his jacket! It certainly changed my outlook to my job!
TimesJobs: What qualities a woman needs to make it big in the corporate world?
Khurana: The women leaders that I know are all empathetic, sensitive and superb team players. These skills have not come in the way of their professional success. So women should play by their own strengths and set up their own rules in the professional environment.
