“For someone who did not understand excel sheet formulae or the importance of formal emails when I entered the corporate world, you could say I have come a long way heading an organization today!

Jokes apart, an intuitive understanding of business runs in my veins as I belong to a multi-generational business family. From my childhood, though, I was fascinated with biology, and I knew I had to study medicine.

Based in Mumbai, I began with a clinical practice, morphing into a solopreneur running corporate workshops. My marriage brought me to Bangalore, a whole new world of start-ups that brought my first transition. My foray into the corporate world began with Portea, where I went from learning the ropes to heading new verticals over seven years.

Two events transformed me here. First, I got an MBA while on the job, and second, I became a mother. An MBA degree gave structure to my work, and I made the most of the opportunity, applying my learnings almost daily on the job.

Motherhood was transformational too. Under the guidance of my CEO, a mother twice over, I managed the maternity leave well, never going off the grid completely, which made a comeback easier.

At every turn in my career, though I have never shied away from new domains and challenges, like heading Growth at HealthCube. I have invested time and energy and continue to reinvent myself to run departments like finance and product development. For instance, I have gone from being intuitive to using data to change narratives when needed.

Throughout my journey, my husband is my bedrock who harbors big dreams for me. He has stepped up for me, not only in my early days of motherhood but even in agonizing times when I had to keep my motherly duties aside, to be at work when my child has taken ill, validating the difficult choices that working women invariably have to make . I also lean heavily on my mother, who has relentlessly supported me from the early days of my career.

My peers and bosses have turned into mentors who till date guide me on specific areas, every time I need help, a blessing I never fail to count. Of late, I am also learning to showcase my successes, for believe me, it is no cakewalk being a woman CEO, even today.”

Runam Mehta is #8 of our #100careertransitionstories