Saranjit grew up in India and is thankful for the state policies that allowed free education for girls in India at the time. She did engineering at University of Mumbai, and was 1 of 4 girls in a class of 100 students. After her bachelor's, she joined Godrej - a large conglomerate and a household name in India, as their Marketing Manager. In 2011 Saranjit moved to UK having applied to London Business School receiving 2 scholarships.
She is an experienced leader with a successful track record of building businesses, growing teams, creating value for customers and partners across different industries and geographies, building a margin focused scale up strategies for EMEA, with the most recent example being that of leading teams at UpGrad to make education more accessible and affordable for everyone. She is committed to working with people across cultures, with a key focus on inclusion and women representation. Saranjit is married to Andrea Cillara Rossi and has a 3-year-old daughter.
1) Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?
London, United Kingdom. I moved to the UK over 13 years ago. And from the first day, I was drawn in. The energy, vibrancy, diversity and opportunities offered by this city are unparalleled. I love how multicultural the city is, how diverse the food scene is, and the proximity to lush parks for long weekend runs.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
I value my achievements with the impact created on people around me, not just on financial targets. I feel my biggest and most proud achievement has been juggling my family and career. And I am actively coaching and mentoring women succeed in their professional ambitions without stepping back on family commitments. I am also very cognizant that millions of women in the UK and worldwide do not have the same support system. Rising childcare costs has forced many women to hold back on their careers to be able to care for their growing families. And this is an urgent need that Governments and corporates need to action to support more women in business and leadership.
3) What inspires you?
Being courageous, curious and doing new things inspire me. When I look at my toddler, I am inspired by her curiosity. She doesn’t start any task with pre-conceived notions. She tries her best, stands up after failing and tries again. Success and failures are equally encouraging for her. And that’s an inspiration I take to work and life every day. I admire and respect people who are lifelong learners, they are humble, are intent listeners, and present a childlike curiosity on every topic. Learning from them, observing them, and working with them inspires me.
4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?
At work and at home, I operate with great intensity. Which means I spend long hours working and long nights juggling house chores and parent duties. This leads to extreme exhaustion and limits the freshness in ideas. Through the years I have learned the importance of taking breaks, switching off and learning to relax. This in turn has added to improved productivity and led to me spending quality time with family doing what we love.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
I take inspiration from every little instance, person around me. However, the biggest influence on my career to date has been my first manager, Mehernosh Pithawalla. He taught me the importance of always doing the best, no matter how trivial or small the task is. I understood that my background, culture, gender don’t define or limit my ambitions. He showed me what leading from the front means, and what empathetic leadership is all about. I am very fortunate to have such an incredible leader mentor me at such a young age. He is a big advocate of coaching and mentoring and that helped me understand the importance of seeking help and mentorship throughout my career.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
We are taking on one of the world’s great challenges by helping millions accelerate their careers, ensuring their skills are relevant in a rapidly changing job market. Expanding upGrad’s proven technology across EMEA, to provide a truly unique & immersive learning experience that takes away the anonymity from online education…. makes learning fun, fulfilling and most importantly delivers job opportunities & promotions. In success, we are playing a catalysing role re-writing a broken social contract bringing together learners, educational institutions, government & corporates; delivering high-quality, affordable learning at scale; that truly changes the lives of millions for the better.
7) And the worst?
I truly enjoy every aspect of my role. And the continuous learning it brings about.
8) What are your long term goals?
Numerous studies have shown the productivity improvements, employee retentions and other benefits of having women leaders. Yet, even in the 21st century we are still trying to raise awareness on the gap in gender equity and diversity. The social contract is still broken. And I hope to play a more active role in bringing diversity and gender equity in leadership positions and boardrooms. And that starts with engaging Governments and corporation on a more active role in improving infrastructure for women to return to workforce, continuous learning, upskilling opportunities and normalizing diversity
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
Offer more affordable childcare, which would bring more capable women back in workforce and help the economy. I would also invest more in upskilling and job ready skills to help bring an economic boost to our country
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why.
Gautam Buddha. We live in a stressful world. Be it the pandemic or the geographical conflicts or just the daily pressures of work and family. I would love to learn the art of staying calm, of spreading happiness and finding that inner peace
