“With the ambition to become a COO, I planned and filled the gaps methodically in respect of skills and experience.”

Smriti Pandey: What was the key tipping point in your career that gave you a big boost, and what was the outcome?

Rijuna Kammili – Maruca: The key tipping point in my career was when I joined HSBC in November 2000 at an entry level role as a Processing Executive. I had worked in 2 other companies and the purpose of my job then meant a salary at the end of the month to pay my bills. What changed my outlook on work and created the desire to build a career in the corporate world were the first 2 years in HSBC. It’s the people, the culture, the diverse opportunities, both content-wise and location-wise, and the recognition of my work in HSBC which gave me the boost. 24 years on (including a 2-year career break), working in 12 different roles and being promoted 5 times, I am still enjoying my work and learning every day.

How much of this boost resulted from careful planning, and how much was good luck?

Once I had decided to build my career, I had planned my moves within the company. Every role I took was the stepping stone to the next one. With the ambition to become a COO, I planned and filled the gaps methodically both in respect of skills and experience. I carefully chose the business area or the subject matter I wanted to upskill myself in. My career with HSBC has taken me to many interesting places – India, France, Egypt, UK, Hong Kong with roles in diverse areas of the business such as retail banking, commercial banking, private banking and across various department risk, transformation, operations. These opportunities helped me learn and grow both professionally and personally.

What factors did you consider when making your plan? What obstacles did you encounter along the way?

The factors that I considered in making the plan were the opportunity to learn, to be innovative, to take on new challenges and explore roles in different geographies all of which helped me build my confidence and build varied experiences to take on bigger and/or more complex roles. There were a few obstacles and sometimes failures, but these only built my confidence and determination to move forward.

Then there was luck that played a part in the form of family and friends. I am lucky to have my family not only support me but also respect my choices and help me pursue my career. My husband and my daughters moved to any country my work took me to, changing their lives overnight…they were equally enthusiastic to take on a new challenge and their contagious energy remains my strength.

I am grateful to my parents who gave me the foundations in terms of values (work ethics and an interest for continual learning). These values help me succeed everyday. I am also thankful to my siblings and friends who give me uncensored feedback and help me stay true to myself and to the mentors and sponsors who give me the opportunities and the much-needed advice as I progress in my career.

What is your advice for young women seeking a tipping point in their career?

My advice to young women building a career is to seek opportunities that challenge you, do not be afraid of failures, keep learning and upskilling yourselves, do not hold yourself back because you don’t tick all the boxes – believe in yourself, build a strong support network – seek advice, honest feedback and mentorship and as you progress pay forward by helping other young professionals.

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