Nina Patel is a digital transformation and innovation executive with experience at well-known brands such as The Net-a-Porter Group, Harvey Nichols and Farfetch. Both in her career and outside Nina dedicates significant time to empowering women. She does this by giving her angel investment, mentoring and advisory capacity solely to women. She also serves as a Trustee for Women International, a charity dedicated to supporting women in post-conflict nations, as well as the Sadlers Wells Theatre.
Leadership roles and opportunities
Speaking to Asian Voice, Nina Patel described her journey of being a woman in a leadership role at Farfetch as a “wiggly and opportunistic one, rather than a well-planned and executed linear and upward trajectory.” As a professional, she always asked herself whether any opportunity would enable her to meet and work with new and inspiring people. “If I feel like one or more of these are going to happen, I've pursued it. This approach has led me to work in large and small companies, corporates and start-ups, and a variety of industries, all of which in hindsight are a key part of the puzzle that makes me who I am today. As a woman, who studied Computer Science and started in IT Consulting, I was used to being the only or one of the few women in the room,” Patel said.
“I cannot however say that I felt this hindered any of my progression early in my career, I was in a company that made a concerted effort to try to empower women and also I felt recognised for my accomplishments based on merit. However, as I have progressed, become older and more senior, I do feel there is still a challenge for women at the most senior levels of organisations, and this often doesn't come down to capabilities, but instead comes down to the lifestyle and work/life balance women want to achieve, and established 'boys clubs' that remain challenging to break through,” she added.
The great expectations
Nina also mentioned she is single with no children, so her view on the world is quite different from many of the women of her age at the level of career that she is at.
Patel told us, “When I look at them, however, I often feel that my generation of women has been given an almost impossible mission. We are the first generation of women to have grown up in environments (I speak from my diaspora upbringing) to be able to be just as successful as any man around us and have the same expectation of success as any peer male or female. However, on the household side, we do not have a generation of male partner who has grown up in an environment that expects them to have the same level of equity when it comes to the household and familial roles.
“I see this changing and know many men who contribute equally to the household or even take on the stay-at-home role, but this is still not the norm, and I see a peer group of women getting burned out by the dual expectation of career and home, and this is often the cause of many women who would be extremely successful and rise to the highest ranks of the workplace, choose instead to take a step back or consciously choose to stall their trajectory because it's all becoming too much, and this is why the glass ceiling remains in place in many industries, it's not because the women are not capable of the roles, but it's because the cultures and norms in society and their industry do not create an environment where they are able to feel successful in both their career and home.
“There are many incredible women who despite this are pushing through, and I have so much respect for them our next generation of women owes their future career and life balance to them, because these women who are fighting the hardest now, will hopefully set the norms for a more equitable balance of career and life for our future generations of women and men.”
In male-dominated boardrooms
As a woman in a leadership role, how does Nina Patel make sure her voice is heard in a boardroom, presumably dominated by men? Nina said, “Whether male or female, I find that people appreciate someone who contributes meaningfully and empathetically to a conversation. Men are often stereotyped as speaking simply to have their voice heard, and I have encountered quite a bit of this in my career, instead, I ensure that I listen to everyone in the room, formulate my thoughts and speak up when I have something to contribute to the discussion or conversation. This means that I have become perceived to be someone who speaks with authority, clarity and purpose, which was exactly the image that I wanted to leave people with when I was early in my career and the only woman in a room full of men. As you get more senior, your leadership position comes with authority and people will default to listening to you and assume that what you say is 'gospel'. Here is where I think the power of being an active listener and an empathetic leader shines, and where women can set themselves apart as leaders who even while in a position of authority take the time to listen and understand that their voice is only one of many, and empower those who are less likely to speak up in the room to do so.”
