Category: Women Leadership Series

Ramyaa Ramesh
As a chartered accountant, she had an established career in India but a change in circumstances saw her move to a new country and start afresh. It was here that Geetha Ramamoorthi finally found her niche—engineering services.
She returned to India and continued to build her career in engineering services. Initially, she held the position of finance director in an engineering services company and soon moved to an operations role as the head of transportation business. She views all her career moves as a way of challenging her abilities.
Geetha is now in charge of leading the India operations of WS Atkins on a transformative journey as its Director (Operations & Digital Services).
Geetha Ramamoorthi is a person focused on her career with an ability to set out her own path to achieve her goals. This was not a difficult proposition for a bright and successful student who always excelled academically.
How did your early education shape you?
Starting in a small school like Satya Sai Matriculation in Mandaveli, Chennai, which was almost like play school and had a family atmosphere, I joined a bigger school, Rosary Matriculation, from 3rd grade onwards. I was very diffident, extremely shy, and it was not easy for me to mingle with my classmates but my academic excellence bought me recognition with my peers. My interest in singing pushed me to perform on stage and made me join various school competitions and I slowly started coming out of my shell. I secured the 10th rank in the state of Tamilnadu in higher secondary examination; it marked a significant milestone in my educational journey.
After school, I went on to do my B.Com in Ethiraj College. A Chartered Accountancy along with an ICMA seemed like a natural progression in my educational map. Articleship in a small firm let me focus on completing my CA and I did just that! Surprisingly, this is where I also met my future husband! After my CA I got a job in a well-established company, United India Insurance, and I moved to Bangalore from Chennai. This was a great opportunity for a young graduate like me with stars in her eyes!
Why did you move back to Chennai?
Six months after I moved to Bangalore, Ashok Leyland, a very well-known Chennai based automobile giant, offered me a job, which I accepted. I married around the same time which led me back to Chennai, my hometown!
Was it a good career move?
Ashok Leyland was a great learning opportunity for me—I learnt a lot about finance during the six years I worked there.
Initially, I was part of the Sales and Institutional Finance where I had to coordinate with the very senior executives of various financial institutions such as IDBI, SIDBI and ICICI. Working with such senior executives was a great experience and my first glimpse into qualities that make senior leaders successful.
Later, I moved to Corporate Finance and then to the Treasury Accounting department where I had the extraordinary opportunity to interact with the senior leadership of the company and industry stalwarts, including Mr. T. Ananthanarayanan and Mr. R. Seshasayee. They taught me one of the most important lessons of my life, to focus on the big picture and never lose sight of your goal.

Ashok Leyland was a great learning opportunity for me—I learnt a lot about finance during the six years I worked there.

The next few years saw you changing jobs. What was your reasoning behind so many career moves?
These were the years of my career, where I learnt to understand and appreciate the key areas of finance. In 1995, the world around me was changing, market was buzzing with this concept called Investment Banking. I wanted to be a part of the changing environment; I was bitten by the bug! This is when I moved on to Empire Finance Company which was a part of the Ranbaxy Group. The focus was on mergers and acquisitions and Initial Public Offerings which gave me a lot of exposure on activities of SEBI and growth plans of companies in various industries. Then I moved to Synergy Credit Corporation, where I handled hire purchase and leasing. Dematerialisation and shares was transforming the market, so I also did a stint in Stock Holding Corporation of India which pioneered dematerialisation of shares in India.
I was trying to find my niche even while enjoying my work in the world of finance!
My husband had the opportunity to move to Singapore for work and my young son and I moved along with him.
How did being a ‘trailing spouse’ affect your career?
I look at my move to Singapore as a game changer for my career. Initially, I took a break as it took some time for me to settle down, but I started laying down the foundation for my career there. I realized networking was the key. I had good friends who helped me connect with professionals in similar field as I was and started interacting with them.
I got my break with the help of a friend and joined an engineering services company called CH2M Hill which focused on infrastructure building and had a global presence. I was asked to handle the Regional Finance for the Asia Pacific region. It was an opportunity to learn and understand the regulatory aspects of different countries in the region, cultural nuances and collaborate with diverse people around me. Here, I was given the task to spearhead the JD Edwards implementation along with financial reporting, treasury and regional taxation.
You moved from the BFSI sector and India to the engineering sector and Singapore! How did you adapt to this change?
I never looked at it as a change. I concentrated on the role, my own delivery and the value I could add to the organisation rather than the move to a specific industry. I was completely unfamiliar with the culture, the accounting standards and some aspects of the business but fortunately people were open to sharing knowledge and provide guidance once I become part of the system. I learnt another valuable lesson during this period—people are always very open, but there is a need to speak out and let your thoughts be heard.
I soon excelled in this field. In one instance, we were dealing with treasury related aspects of inter-company transactions across countries and my efforts saved the company considerable expenses through taxes – I learnt the concept of Debt Forgiveness here!
These were the best three years of my life, where I became more assured, self-confident with a more international perspective to corporate culture. Though this was for a very brief period indeed, as I had to move back to India soon after.
After you moved back to India, was it difficult to pick up your career again?
Though we came back to India, we did not move to Chennai but to Bangalore, a city we were not so familiar with. My first priority at that time was to ensure that my son settled down both in school and outside activities, which took me 7 – 8 months. Once that was done, my next move was to pick up my career again. Honestly, I really did not look forward to spending most of my time in the kitchen!
I was very careful and specific while searching for my next role. The role that I finally ended up taking was completely outside my comfort zone, a role that challenged me. I joined Systems Advisor Group, a Software services company, where I had to set up channel partner relationship with Microsoft. I had to work with Microsoft to enable the sales of the product as well. As the company started to grow, my seniors realized that I would add more value in finance and I accepted the challenge.
After a point of time, I stopped enjoying the allure of a smaller organization and I was ready to take on a job in a larger company. This was when I got a call from WS Atkins, an engineering design and services company, who were looking for someone who had international exposure with a working knowledge of JD Edwards ERP, I happened to be the right fit! I soon realized that this was the place I wanted to work for – I had found my niche.
I grew along with the company and I headed the finance team in India. My previous experience with CH2M Hill Singapore helped me – at the end of the day, it was all about finance and making money! In 2017, I had the opportunity to take up a business leadership role – to head the transportation business.
The shift from a finance domain to a business domain is a major one, how did you equip yourself?
Of course, this was a major change; I did ask myself if I could do justice to the role. I talked to my colleagues, my husband and other leaders in the industry and understood that you don’t need to be technically aware in order to run a business, but, you need to understand the overall business, what ticks and what the client expects. Of course, a great team is the key.
I took the effort to read – read about the technical aspects of the industry, technical terminology. I learnt to appreciate the finer aspects of engineering and understand the business inside out! I believe that as a woman, my confidence in my ability to learn, adapt and deliver was very high. I rose to the occasion and delivered.
Slowly, I started taking initiatives. In July 2017, WS Atkins was acquired by the SNC-Lavalin Group. We were a smaller company compared to the conglomerate which was in the process of acquiring us, which meant, there were major changes taking place in the operational direction and the management.
In early 2018, our local leadership also underwent a change. During the days that followed, my colleagues would come to me and express their apprehension; I sensed a feeling of nervousness that prevailed as people were apprehensive about their future in the company. I was able to support them emotionally and bring stability through constant communication. This was taken very positively by the management and I was given an additional responsibility of managing the day to day operations of the India unit. Following this in November 2018, I was officially appointed Operations Director of India.

When I look around me, I see women comprise of 50% of the work force in the junior executive level, but this percentage shrinks…

In April 2019, I was asked to take up a Business Change lead role where I had the opportunity to work with a group of talented individuals in driving change in the way we deliver work. In May this year, I was given the responsibility of delivery of Digital Services. I proactively engaged with the digital teams to help them stay focused on their goals and instilled a sense of purpose and positivity. I started to acquaint myself with emerging technologies and techniques such as Artificial intelligence, Data Science and Blockchain.

Finance is where you have excelled at, till you made Engineering and Technology your forte. What has been your experience as a woman in a field such as engineering?
I believe there is still stereotyping and gender bias in what is a predominantly male dominated industry such as mine, but there are strong signs of change. There was a time when we believed that only an engineer can run an engineering company, but I have seen a physicist run an engineering services company and build it to the next level. A person who runs the business is not necessarily a subject-expert!
Yes, when I look around me, I see women comprise of 50% of the work force in the junior executive level, but this percentage shrinks as you look up the ladder; this is mostly because of relocation after marriage and also because of family commitments and a general stereotyping around what they can or can’t do after marriage and motherhood.
Unconscious biases and questions pop up on the manager’s mind—Will she be able to travel, will she be able to take up a project of such scale… People tend to look at a person for what she has done, rather than look at her potential. I believe that a conscious effort has to be taken and a woman has to be pushed to help her grow in her career and go against her comfort zone.
What do you, as a leader in an organisation, believe can be done to change the status quo of women in an executive role?
I am part of the leadership team, especially when any activity or project is taken up. Though I see a lot of change in considering women for different types of projects, and the degree of gender bias is decreasing, I never fail to call out when there is any.
I believe conscious effort has to be taken by all – both men and women – in higher positions to push women outside their comfort zone.
Your career has been so varied; would you have done anything differently? Changed anything?
Looking back, I can say that there are a few things that I could have done. One, I wish I had been more bold and more open earlier in my career rather than later. As a woman, I always keep questioning myself, there is constant self-doubt. When there is a list of 10 boxes that has to be ticked, I find woman, including myself, think they need to tick all 10 of them. I have learnt that that is not necessary; ticking 6 or 7 out of 10 can also be just as good! I wish I had had the courage and faith in my ability that I have now, then. Also, I should have taken up an International MBA right after I came back to India which would have certainly enhanced my resume. Yes, I am now the Director Operations & Digital Services of WS Atkins and in the last 4 years I am coming into my own, taking up initiatives which have led me to where I am today.
Where do you see yourself five years down the line?
My role model for a very long time has been Ms. Kalpana Morparia, an Indian banker and the current CEO of J P Morgan India. She is 71 and still scaling new heights in the corporate world.
I want to be an influencer in the corporate world and be a mentor and coach, to motivate woman who want to build their career. I want to be seen as a “thought-leader” providing strategic insights on the possibilities that the intersection of technology and business can offer.
I want to prepare myself for the higher position in the company. I recognize the need to adopt a curious mindset and embrace a culture of continuous learning; I am cognizant of the need to build my brand in the corporate world and network with like-minded professionals through various forums to know what is happening around me in the industry.
I am personally working on some of these aspects in addition to taking up new challenges and assignments.
Taking to Geetha, one cannot but realize that this dynamic woman is not only clear about what she wants to end up as, but is willing to go an extra mile to hone her abilities for the role she envisages. One can more than see her as a CEO of a global company!

Ramyaa Ramesh
The career of Lakshmi Venkatachalam is riveting and fascinating, especially her uncanny ability to embrace opportunities that comes her way. It is not easy to forge a career in the US, especially when one does not graduate out of a university there; Lakshmi seems to have managed it very effectively.
It would be interesting to follow the journey of this typical ‘Mylaporian’ girl who did her schooling in Rosary Matriculation and then completed her B.Com in Ethiraj College. She later completed MBA and ICWA and was all set for a great career in India with her first job at Pond’s. It was a job that was doubly exciting for her—as it was in Chennai itself, a city that was her greatest love.
But matters of the heart took priority. Marriage to her classmate, who wanted to pursue his career in the US, took her to Silicon Valley, California. A finance and operations career in an all-tech Silicon Valley seemed a difficult prospect for young Lakshmi as she began her career search. However, she believed in herself and has strived hard to see herself as a Vice President in the $40 billion technology giant, Oracle Corporation today.
“Believe in yourself, work hard, do your best and you will be successful,” she says with conviction. “It was not all that difficult to decide what I would do after my B.Com. I love numbers—I relate to them and understand the story they tell me. With my father being a Chartered Accountant, doing CA seemed a natural choice. However, the challenge of getting into an IIM led me to take CAT. Luckily, I got calls from both IIM Bangalore and Calcutta and I decided to accept Bangalore as it was closer to home!”
The lure of Chennai
“My new adventure of an MBA excited me but I faced the rude shock of having to live away from home. I spent my first six months figuring out how to get home every weekend. I found myself on Brindhavan Express or Bangalore Mail more often than I was on campus. I learnt a lot of management principles during the two years in B-school, but I also learnt the important lesson of how to live by myself, knowing that home and Chennai were not far away,” said Lakshmi.
Over the years, she learnt that everything is a transitionary phase and one will go through many difficult phases in life and evolve to become a stronger person.
A dream job in a company that was ‘home’
“I was extremely excited to do my summer internship at Pond’s. I ended up getting my final placement in the same company and that too in my hometown Chennai, an icing on the cake! It was my dream job; the most coveted place to work for and I was ecstatic to land this opportunity. Now, as I look back, age just does not matter as long as you enjoy doing what you are doing, but I was 21 when I got my job offer and it was an incredible achievement for me at that time!” said Lakshmi. She believed Pond’s was home—a company that challenged her, pushed her, and also cared for her at the same time. She joined the company as a management trainee, and for 18 months, she worked across various functions and locations.
“One of the most interesting projects for me was working around the villages of Etah, UP, as part of our social responsibility assignment. There were villages with no electricity, yes, in 1994. We spent our days interacting with villagers, understanding grassroot problems and helping find solutions. Organizing child immunization camps, talking to the women about health issues or addressing cattle care—we did it all. The village doctor even indulged me and allowed me to inject medicines for a buffalo. As part of a project, my fellow management trainee and I designed a walkie-talkie network across the villages. It was the pre-mobile phone era and it was considered the best way to connect remote villages to ensure information on crops, illnesses, and natural calamities was circulated so that the villagers could be better prepared,” she said.
The crossing
Lakshmi met her husband in IIM (B), an engineer at heart, who went on to the US for his grad studies and wanted to stay there. Marriage in 1997 took her literally kicking and screaming to the shores of the United States.
“We set up home in the Silicon Valley where almost everyone was a ‘techie’ and very few really understood what finance and operations were,” she said. “I would remember my initial months in the US as one of the worst periods of my life in terms of my career. I still remember sitting in a coffee shop with a recruiter who looked at my resume and said, ‘If you get a temporary job paying even $20, I would be very surprised.’ I went home extremely dejected that day. My husband probably remembers the day even more vividly for the amount of grief he got! I realized two things, a job rejection or failure is not the end of your life. One failure does not evaluate you, you just need to get up and keep going.”
At the right time, right place
“Is everything orchestrated? I wonder at times. I was in a temple one day when I heard someone calling out my name. It turned out to be a senior from school. She told me that Bearing Point Consulting was recruiting. I expressed interest, and thanks to her referral, I found my first job four months after I moved to the US,” she said.
This first job of hers in management consulting helped shape her in many ways. She, along with her team, working directly with CXOs, was looking to solve problems that were cross-organizational and sometimes global. It trained the mind to quickly filter down to the problem and make the changes required. She travelled from one end of the country to another and was exposed to multiple industries and cultures.
While most of her projects were interesting, a few stood out. She enthusiastically spoke about them.
“My first project was for a company that sold musical instruments and was looking for a plan to expand their stores across the country. We made a proposal for the probable locations based on census data, demographic and economic profiles of the areas. We also set up complex mathematical models that minimized stock holding and transportation costs and optimized warehouse locations. Another project was for a food co-op that made canned food. Though very popular and successful, they were on the verge of bankruptcy due to poor cash management processes. We just took over the entire finance operations and helped prevent insolvency and brought the company to a cash positive state. We also set up e-commerce stores for companies, because the Internet had gained prominence and was opening new channels for them.”
Though work was very interesting and exhilarating, after four years of constant travel, and waking up some mornings wondering where she was, Lakshmi decided it was time for a change.
My time in a startup
Change came in the form of an opening with a startup called Veloz Global Solutions, which focused on creating workflow automation solutions.
“It was local, a known team and an opportunity for a stint that could make it big! We were less than 20 employees and I had the opportunity to do everything from process design to office space hunting to hiring to VC presentations. The founder and I have continued to share a great personal and professional bond—but I learned that I was not best suited for a start-up life.” Lakshmi went on to explain. It was also the time when her son was born and she decided to take a year’s break.
Career after a break
“When I was ready to go back to full-time work, I started the job search process. It was deja vu all over again.
After several rounds of interviews, I was close to joining Infosys in the US when I received a call from a recruiter one day. I did not make much of it initially but on his persistence, I went to attend the interview at Portal Software and ended up with an offer letter. It was meant to be,” she said. It laid the foundation to her career with Oracle; Portal was acquired by Oracle in 2006.
The Oracle sayeth…
“Oracle is where I have spent more than 14 years of my career. I was part of the core team that managed the acquisition and the integration of Portal into Oracle initially and this helped me build key relationships within the company. I work with a wonderful bunch of people and have had progressive opportunities with global exposure. I understand how the company works and have a deep network that sets me up for growth and success. In terms of assignments, I ran operations for the consulting business and as part of that, I got to build an offshore delivery center across four cities in India. We grew the team from about 40 to 250+ in a year and it is a key contributor to our consulting capacity globally. It was new, challenging and very gratifying for me personally. And of course, the attraction of visiting India and working with teams there cannot be missed. Having worked both in India and in the US, I was able to balance both work cultures well. The work I did and the lessons I learnt from my consultancy days also came to my rescue. I have been deeply involved in multiple acquisitions and have integrated them into our business. Every acquisition brought unique needs and challenges which required equally unique solutions.”
Recently, she has taken on a new role in Oracle. As Vice President of Operations for the Communications Applications Business Unit, she heads end-to-end operations. including strategic planning, sales, engineering and consulting operations and learning.
“I am often asked if there are differences between working in the US vs. India or in different companies. Probably, yes. But the fundamental truth remains that all successful companies in any country are driven by strong processes and exceptional people. And for you to succeed, do your best and do better than your best the next day!”
The best is yet to come…
“My biggest achievement? That is yet to come. I cannot look back and think of a single achievement and say that it has been the most important and valuable. I believe that at every stage we set a goal and achieving that goal seems like the biggest challenge at that point in time. Then you realize there is a next step that you want to reach.” she says. So, what is Lakshmi’s next big goal—to become a COO of a global company.
As a woman who had the ability to dream big, take up challenges as they come without being overwhelmed by them, we have bigger hopes for this Chennai girl—that she joins the ranks of Indian-born CEOs of global companies! Best Wishes, Lakshmi! n

Ramyaa Ramesh, author, had interviewed Lakshmi Venkatachalam for this series.