Vanitha Narayanan

"Before I came here, I thought of myself as a telecom person - I spent 20 years in that industry. For the first time, I have started working with companies in manufacturing and industries I have not worked with before"

"Apart from a job in a department store, IBM is my only job. It was the only place where I wrote a professional resume and was interviewed"

"IBM wanted somebody with an appreciation for the market, for what it needed from a local perspective. I brought my experience with IBM, in global and local roles. Plus, they had me here for the last four years learning the market and running parts of the business"

"Now, there is no looking back, because I have realised that I can be challenged and be very happy in any job"

"I have certainly not felt it. But we cannot declare victory and women should continue to remain focused"

"I dont have these night-and-day moments"

"In the last few years, I have taken the IBM story to many industries beyond telecom - banking, financial services and insurance, industrial and retail segments"

"I dont have these night-and-day moments, she says. My first decade was about appreciation for an industry and a client. The second decade was about bringing value, about building organizational capability. The third decade is about leadership in different cultures and environments"

"It has defined my IBM career. It helped me lay a foundation - you respect the industry of your client and sometimes, the client is your best teacher"