SUCCESS STRATEGY | "...Be your own person - everything else will fall into place"

I was one of 4 women in the mechanical engineering department at IIT Delhi - the highest ever since the department had been set up. And in many ways it prepared me for the world ahead - where I often had to be the lone woman or a minority in a larger group. It was intimidating initially but the fact that I had 3 other exceptionally smart and strong women as peers made it well worth the experience. We also got support from our male peers, and several faculty members, and over time we made the experience a fun one despite, or maybe, because of all the challenges. One of my favorite memories is two of my friends building a pink doll house to experiment with fire propagation and control methods for their final year project. After graduation while I moved to the business side I actually discovered and embraced a stronger love for STEM and ended up working in industries like cutting edge healthcare and biopharma. If I could give one word of advice it would be to be your own person, and follow your own path - everything else will fall into place.

ROLE MODEL | "My STEM Career was inspired by my father who is an engineer "

My STEM Career was inspired by my father who is an engineer. I did not have any female role models in tech and my love for all things tech come for him. While he started me out, Judith Cremieux (Judy) one of my managers at ArcelorMittal was the one who inspired me to continue to stay in it and keep going.

I started my career in the steel mill and there were very few brown women or even women on the shop floor. There was a database coder Judy who took me under her wing and mentored me in terms of navigating the world of tech and steel. She taught me the basics of creating a webpage and of writing an email. Eventually she became my boss and took a huge bet on me to take over a senior position for a blast furnace restart and also wrote my recommendation for business school. Most people in the mill wrote off women joining and expected you to leave in the first couple of years. A lot did leave. I survived because Judy lobbied for me, taught me skills and made me a part of a social ecosystem where I not only felt included but also welcomed.

So don't have a female role model for tech but Judy was definitely one of the best mentors I had in life.

PEER SUPPORT | "I was fortunate to have coworkers and friends who lifted me up "

Given the lack of women in STEM, the journey can be lonely and exhausting some times. It’s always helpful to find peers who can understand your strengths and motivate you, especially on the days you can’t motivate yourself. I was fortunate to have coworkers and friends who always lifted me up. One of my colleagues always helped me recognize my accomplishments. I was often hesitant to apply for awards etc, but she made an effort to nominate me every time, and thanks to her I won a few. Another friend would always help me recognize behaviors that were hampering my progress, and helped me overcome them. Since I was working in Energy and Manufacturing, I needed to channel my confidence and strengths, which was easier to do with supportive peers.

MENTORSHIP | "I was extremely fortunate to have the head of supply chain as my mentor "

After completing B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi, I was placed in an FMCG company in Supply Chain where I ended up becoming the first female production manager in India after a year of training and evaluation. Initially when I had joined, I was unsure on how I could really contribute and lead a team of 30 on the shop floor, why would a 46 year old shift executive listen to me and take me seriously in engineering conversations considering they have never had a female boss or a 22 year old boss on the shop floor. I was extremely fortunate to have the supply chain head as my mentor who followed my progress closely, emphasised on value addition and pushed me constantly. With that, I was determined on solving problems with my team and delivering value, be it improving efficiency, reducing cost, solving a breakdown or getting my hands dirty(quite literally, with grease).This helped me win the trust of not just my immediate boss, the factory manager but my team. What also helped me to be driven was the regular appreciation and support of my mentor, the supply chain head in various forums. I always felt that he cared about my career and had my back. The journey which started with uncertainty and self-doubt, ended up being one of my most formative years of my life gaining self-confidence. We are still in touch after almost 12 years and I know he cares about my career and well-being.

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