As a Brand Manager at Kraft Foods, she has led several large cross-functional teams. During her time at Kraft, she implemented a successful turnaround strategy for one of the company's core brands, significantly improving volume and profit growth. She is an active author on a variety of organization building topics and regularly publishes articles on entrepreneurship, leadership, talent development, and global operations. She has also been a guest speaker at various business forums. There's more to her life than just work: Sudeshna Datta, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder at Absolutdata, is an avid dog lover, interior decorator, and passionate advocate of street art.
Datta acknowledges that being an entrepreneur is not easy and one faces “the storms of one's life” every time, but it takes courage for women in India to break the glass ceiling and materialize their business vision and ideas. However, women have challenged the “male-centric” approach of doing business in India and abroad.
Many are saying that the scenario for women is changing. Do you agree?
In countries where the entrepreneurial sector is predominantly dominated by men,It takes courage for women to break the glass ceiling and bring their business vision and ideas to life. No matter how sheltered, progressive, or liberal our upbringing, women have not been immune to jokes. Jokes that label women as bad drivers, moody coworkers, or annoying bosses who “shouldn't leave the kitchen.” These jokes and comments created a toxic atmosphere in offices around the world and were often the subject of water cooler conversations followed by fake apologies like, “I hope you don't mind, but…”
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Today, the Indian corporate landscape is changing with more and more women taking up leadership positions. Their significant achievements and contributions to entrepreneurship and employment growth have paved the way for thousands of aspiring women and challenged the 'male-dominated' approach to doing business in India and abroad.
Not to be missed: He traveled in military trucks, worked night shifts, but never quit.
Most notably, women have traditionally been leading the way in careers and professions.In a male-dominated workplace, women employees are no longer just secretaries or HR professionals, nor are they relegated to support departments. I am the co-founder of a technology company that designs and manufactures cutting edge artificial intelligence and IoT solutions.
Women have struggled and overcome much bigger obstacles to rise to the board and CEO positions of large corporations and successful start-ups. Every notable female business leader is empowering young women to nurture their dreams and grow to be whoever they want to be. This has revolutionized the business world.
Have you ever, at any point in your life, felt like giving up and giving up?
I enjoyed working for a global company and learned a lot by working on multi-faceted and fast-paced projects. I met great people and had good experiences. But startups have a lot to offer, including the opportunity to create your own legacy, build something from scratch, create something that will have a life-changing impact, and create jobs. An added benefit of startups is that they are truly freeing. Your time is yours and is spent on inherently creative pursuits. That being said, starting a business is not easy. It's like a man riding a lion. People think, “This guy is brave,” but he's thinking, “How on earth did he ride a lion and how did he avoid being eaten?” Every entrepreneur eventually faces a “real test.” We encounter a once-in-a-lifetime storm. At that point, your perseverance is put to the test. You don't have to be smarter than the others. Or, more importantly, you just have to hold on tighter.
Message to women
Developing girls' leadership skills is a critical step in giving them the knowledge, experience and confidence they need to succeed. Women are born leaders and their success depends on how they are raised, instilled with self-confidence, decision-making and multitasking skills. Their interests and energy should be channeled in the right direction and they should be taught to make choices, accept failure, and get back on their feet and start running again.
