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The story of Anshula Kant, first woman MD & CFO of the World Bank group, is an example of how Indian women can break glass ceilings with the right family support, something men take for granted.
There is a notion attached to numbers and Maths, that men are cleverer in finances than women. However, this is changing now!
With Anshula Kant being the latest woman achiever in the field of finance, it is time to finally bury this perception. On 12 July 2019, she made India proud by being appointed as the first woman MD & CFO of World Bank Group. As incredible as she is, her story is also equally incredible.
Anshula Kant hails from a small town Roorkee. She spent most of her childhood there, but always dreamt of moving to a big city to pursue her love for economics. Following her passion, she joined the Lady Shri Ram College for Women and later completed her Masters from Delhi School of Economics.
She joined State Bank of India as a Probationary officer in 1983 but in her career spanning over 35 years, she has held a great number of decisive responsibilities and has essayed them successfully. Her experience includes Retail Banking, Corporate Credit, Cross-Border Trade and Banking in Developed Markets. She was also instrumental at opening up Singapore as a banking sector for SBI.
As CFO of SBI, Anshula had managed $32 billion of revenues and total assets of $500 billion.
At World Bank Group, she will be responsible for financial and risk management, oversight of financial reporting and mobilization of the International Development Association.
What is interesting to note is that she had the most amazing support system at home at a time when this was a rarity for Indian women. “I was a free bird at work,” says Kant. “My in-laws supported me so much that I never had to worry about my two children. They literally grew up with them.”
Anshula’s husband, Mr Sanjay Kant is a Chartered Accountant and lives in Varanasi. Overjoyed with this latest development, he said “She has made the country and Varanasi proud. She is the first woman banker from India to hold the coveted position in World Bank.” Her children, Siddharth and Nupur have flourishing careers and are settled abroad.
Women like Anshula Kant are leading the way and inspiring many such women in the corporate sector to follow their careers passionately. For a woman, there are many crossroads where she has to make choices. More often than not, these choices become detrimental for her career. While Anshula’s story may look gleaming from the exterior, there are no success stories without the struggle. We just have to keep at it and remain focused on our progression in life.
Hats off to you Ma’am and wish you a great stint at World Bank Group. May you bring many more laurels to India.
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