#FidelityIndia

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Quality learning

By Fidelity India Communications

Sandhya Kamath, Director – Operations, Fidelity India, takes care of capability building and upskilling efforts for Operations associates in the Defined Benefits (DB) space. This includes designing, developing and executing DB upskilling programs. She also co-leads initiatives on strengthening the controls for regulatory mailings and transactions. Here, she shares his career journey story.

Tell us about your role. 

At Fidelity, I have had the opportunity to partner with and, at times, lead projects and initiatives. A few examples include: 

Capability building for existing or new work migrations to India 

Transformation projects, including the design, development and execution of new-hire and upskilling programs 

Design and implementation of cutting-edge tools to benefit customers

From a domain learning perspective, I have not only pursued a certification program recently, but have also mentored associates and conducted domain learning sessions. Given the nature of my role, I need to constantly keep myself updated on industry trends and business priorities, to best service the business.

How has your role benefited you? 

My role allows me to be hands-on and work on different projects, apply the knowledge I gain through learning, work with various teams and build connect with more people. Roles such as mine allow one to design and implement solutions backed by deep domain knowledge and experience.

Tell us about some of your mentors and role models who have enabled your journey. 

I have had some great mentors who have guided me throughout my career – by believing in me and my capabilities, listening to me express my aspirations, providing guidance, and connecting me to others who could support me.

What have been your key learnings through your career journey? 

It has been a tremendous learning experience so far. Here are some lessons I have gained along the way: 

The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know. This makes me want to learn even more about various subjects and connect with experts.

During the initial years of my career, it was always about wanting new work. Today, it has evolved more into a deep desire for knowledge and learning. 

Having a mentor has always been important for me to seek guidance and feedback on my work.

What are your future aspirations? 

With so many opportunities available, I am looking forward even more to the journey ahead, to learn more and grow in my career, especially in the space I’m in.

#FidelityAssociate

[supblraqua-blog]

Awesome event, great energy and remarkable game!! What a Fun Weekend! #FidelityCricket #FidelityIndia #FidelityIndiaOperations #FidelityAssociate (at St. John's Ground) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2hXvFCHmWL5MwqkHddN1wRWvHgNrhyPAt0Mgw0/?igshid=1p6lxl268bnfd

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Making the World Go Around

By Satya Prakash Ranjan, Head – Business Technology Group, Fidelity India 

Our mind sometimes is a minefield where we form deep assumptions that ingrain our thinking and influence how we act and reflect. What we see is what we begin to believe. All too often, however, people and experiences explode into our life like shooting stars that make us challenge all of our pre-held assumptions. 

Life, they say, is best learnt through those people who march, tip-toe or blossom into that small private space of ours which is called personal life. My life has been made richer by many such people, some of whom have formed long-lasting impressions on me and influenced my core values. 

My story begins closer home, and rightfully so, for our formative years not only have a lasting impression on us but also mold us into what we become. 

Growing up in Bihar at a time when women across India were still restricted for the most part to being home-makers, seeing my mother break those barriers to work a job was not a blink-and-miss thing; it was a clear jaw-dropper for many. However, for me, it became a way to view life differently. I saw my father constantly supporting her, giving her a gentle nudge to fly high and not be afraid. I may have resented at the time not being able to meet my mom immediately when I came home from school every day. However, that was my very first lesson in accepting and embracing inclusion by challenging societal notions and stereotypes. My mother thus became for me my first role model in gender inclusion and being a change-maker. 

The story continued in the case of my sister as well. She had studied to earn an arts degree and after her marriage and post-graduation moved to the US. We expected her to find a job in that space but were surprised when after three years of further studies, she changed her professional domain to technology. It was not as simple as taking a detour or choosing a parallel path; it was creating a whole new road. We were all awestruck at her decision. Perhaps, my mother’s earlier choice had made inroads into our psyches more than we had realized. My mother had been, for her children, a true role model and pioneer.

Breaking stereotypes took a different turn when my life came a full circle post marriage. My wife was a computer science major, which in itself was a path less chosen for women of the day. But her story did not stop there. After dabbling for a few years in the world of technology, she realized soon enough that her heart was not in the field. No amount of cajoling or convincing on the part of her technology-oriented husband could change her mind. As it happened, eventually she found her passion and calling in the field of Indian classical dance. It was only a matter of time before I was bought over as well. Simply seeing her bring her whole self to her classes helped remove any mental blocks I had and transformed me into her most ardent supporter. 

All of these experiences have fueled my personal quest to make sure that whenever I get the opportunity, I want to challenge that famous adage which says—behind every successful man is a woman. I want to turn this phrase around to make women the successful ones and men as a force beneath those wings. Over the years, this has become a personal commitment as women never fail to surprise me with their resilience, their persistence and commitment to learning and ability to excel, not because they are told to but because they want to. 

Women at work today shine through. I have come across several exemplary women who have not let career breaks or new work tracks stop them from making a difference. Several have not stopped at making a difference; they have gone on to shatter glass ceilings and make a huge impact at the workplace. Some have taken on roles that no one else wanted and transformed them into brands to be reckoned with, while others have left an indelible impact on their organization. Today, when I meet such women through Fidelity forums such as the Women in Technology Special Interest Group mentoring program, I am heartened at the diversity in talent they continue to bring to the table. 

This fires up my commitment and enables me act on my pledge for 2019 to sponsor, mentor and invest in women leaders at Fidelity India. These are women who are no longer waiting for their turn; they are ready to take charge, lead and make the world a more inclusive place, and I pledge to do my little bit to enable this any way I can. 

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Building a Five-Star Relationship

By Suja Pramod, HR Business Partner Lead 

Behavioral Science today guides how we learn, how we manage, motivate and resolve conflicts. Despite our focus on outcomes and excellence, one aspect underpins success at work, simply because of the way the human mind works—stakeholder relationships. Research by Daniel Kahneman suggests that our ability to make “objective” decisions may be questionable, given that the brain can be primed to decide in a certain way. This is because the brain optimizes processing and reacts quickly with information easily or recently available to make quick choices (Thinking Fast) before really analyzing it (Thinking Slow). This is probably why you may have sometimes felt your masterpiece of a presentation getting a lukewarm response from a business partner who you meet once a month or infrequently on a need basis. 

The hope is that this piece would give you a tried and tested recipe to prime your business partner to feel more enthusiastic and receptive of your ideas or presentation the next time you need it. So, nurturing these relationships carefully and investing time and energy would turn these into deeper and more meaningful connections even in the long run. 

The core principle is to first choose which relationships to invest in, as it takes time, patience and effort to build deep connections. Once the choice has been made, you may use this simple 5-point star framework to practice and work with your stakeholders. 

Convince yourself of mutual benefit: You will never fully respect the relationship unless you feel there is mutual benefit. So, establish what meaningful value both you and your stakeholder would gain so that it holds you in good stead in times of doubt. These benefits could range from tangible outcomes such as an actual solution to even just good advice or inspiration. This mutual benefit has to be compelling enough to cement a longer-lasting relationship and partnership. 

Learn patiently: Use every opportunity to learn more about your stakeholders. Understand their personalities, motivations, fears, hot buttons, what others expect of them and what they expect of you. Build a level of perceptiveness that allows you to predict/sense their thoughts or actions and use it to adapt your own behavior. This ‘knowing your stakeholder’ step is the secret ingredient to an enriching relationship. 

Tether yourself to value: As you learn and gain from the relationship, find opportunity, however small, to create value for each other every now and then, so there is reminder of mutual benefit from this association. These are tethers you must consciously and repeatedly attach, to strengthen the relationship. 

Share and be vulnerable: Make yourself vulnerable and talk about how you feel, and what challenges or excitement you experience. Care enough to share honest feedback or provide inputs in a constructive way. It is a two-way street, so invite feedback on your thoughts and actions regularly, so that it reinforces the right for two-way feedback. Trust me, when you have reached this stage, a reciprocal bond exists between the two of you!

Make it count: Genuinely make the relationship count! Find ways to make each other successful. This can be as simple as having the person’s back or as big as helping the person do something impactful. At any point, the litmus test is when you pause to think about how your stakeholder would rate the relationship with you. If you have practiced the five steps listed above, you can be sure to score a five-star rating!

[fidelityjobs]

Living the dream through RESUME

By Pamela Sequeira, Senior Manager – Human Resources 

As the planning for this year's RESUME program began, I was given the opportunity to anchor the event and introduce the program along with a senior leader. RESUME is Fidelity's program that offers women who have taken a career break an opportunity to re-enter the workforce. I was extremely apprehensive given my stage fright, yet very excited! RESUME being a flagship program for Fidelity and one very close to my heart, it was an honor for me to say 'Yes'. 

I joined Fidelity through the RESUME program in the pilot event in 2015, and it has been three years filled with a whole lot of experiences and learning, and never a dull moment. 

The preparation for the event scheduled in August began months earlier, through creating awareness of the program both internally and externally. The response from women on a career break was overwhelming. The shortlisting of profiles was by no means an easy task, and I definitely didn't envy the staffing team! We ended up with a large number, the highest since the launch of the program. 

The RESUME event program this year included an introduction to RESUME, an overview of Fidelity, followed by experience-sharing by the Resume brand ambassadors, and then a panel discussion with some of our leaders. A lot of energy and excitement was in the air while everyone prepared for their role in making the event a successful one. 

On the day of the event, I could hardly breathe given my nervousness and all the excitement. I walked into the venue to a massive audience in both Bangalore and Chennai and the numbers didn't help my nerves at all, as this was my first time playing host to a large audience! While I stood on stage filled with pride at being a RESUME alumnus, I thought back to when I had been a part of the audience myself. I wondered if the women in the room had the same questions I had back then. What is RESUME? Will I be selected and for what role? Will the interview be tough? Will the reason I took a break matter? Phew, so many things going on in each candidate's mind. We as a team had to collectively put their fears and apprehensions to rest, and oh yes, we did it well! 

The candidates were in awe of their entire experience right from their first contact with Fidelity. Fidelity's values and culture stood out strong, and it didn't matter to the candidates at the end if they were selected. They were happy to have had the opportunity to be a part of Fidelity in some form. I think each one of them left feeling more confident and ready to take on the world, and we welcomed a good number of women into the Fidelity family that day through RESUME.

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My Kryptonite: smartphones or managing finances?

I am a millennial and I have parents who are not very good with the “latest technology”, including smartphones. To my parents, I’m a tech-wizard who seems to know the ins and outs of all the “latest technology”. I am not alone. I have many friends who are perceived similarly. To be honest, it does feel good. Although I mostly use Google and try out a couple of links, I do like to take over the situation when it comes to handling their queries on smartphones. Backing up and syncing contacts with Google? Just give me the phone. Downloading and managing apps on the phone? Just go to the Playstore! “But what is the Playstore?” Just give me the phone. 

For my parents, the smartphone is their weakness… their Kryptonite. But when it comes to doing things in life in the non-tech world, my parents are more competent than I am on the whole. For example, they are better at handling finances, managing their time and in general, life. I felt I had all of these things in hand—being able to handle my own budget, pay bills and keep track of all my expenses, while enjoying the occasional splurge. But the truth is, I struggled. I thought I had set up a system, where I’d kept aside enough extra money I had after what I believe I needed to cover expenses for the month. Except that reality would strike innocuously such as the time I was standing at the popcorn counter at a movie theatre, and handed in my debit card for a purchase only to realize, multiple failed attempts later, that I was trying to pay with an account that had no money in it. I was left wondering where all the money had gone.  It only dawned on me later that I had bought flight tickets a few days earlier for which I had forgotten to take account. Another time I had paid a 30% service charge on a cash withdrawal using my credit card. Mistakes such as this would make me feel cheated and stupid at the same time. I realized that handling personal finance was MY own Kryptonite. 

I’ve never taken courses on finance or economics in school or college and have been fortunate not to have to worry about finances or making a budget for myself. Finance had been this vast, unknown and sometimes intimidating arena. Intimidating because I wanted to start to understand it but I didn’t know where and how; because I wanted to do a good job from the beginning and was scared of failure. 

However, when I first got a smartphone, I didn’t feel intimidated. I was like a child, curious about the piece of technology in front of me.  That curiosity was what triggered my love affair with the smartphone. It also set me up to explore and learn many new technology related aspects from which I personally gained. Seeing my parents grapple with their smartphones and how their curiosity gave them the focus to keep at it strengthened my own conviction about the importance of staying curious all through my life.  I believe that being curious helps us take initiative, make decisions and ultimately take control of situations which may initially seem difficult to tackle. 

I learned that by seeing my parents with smartphones, they used their curiosity to help them learn how to use these devices. No more do they find these phones alien or foreign. They have learned to tame the beast. It’s been a wonderful lesson just observing them and realizing that if they can master the smartphone, then perhaps I can master anything too. Hopefully I can channel that energy into creating a budget that allows me to get popcorn AND a drink the next time I go to the movies. 

[fidelityjobs]

Fidelity partners at blockchain challenge

Event brings together practitioners across industries. By Subramaniam Vaithiyalingam, Principal – Software Engineering, Fidelity India Blockchain is here to stay! And Fidelity India leveraged a recently conducted Blockchain Challenge by sponsoring a track and also being one of the strategic partners for the event. The partnership helped brand Fidelity’s play in the blockchain start–up space, and also enabled us to witness a sample of the myriad solutions and ideas arising in this emerging space. The NIPP (NASSCOM Industry Partnership Program) Blockchain Challenge was conducted by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), which is the trade association of the IT–BPM industry in India. The event was aimed at bridging the gap between what blockchain developers and start-ups are working on, and what corporates are looking for. The event brought together start-ups and corporates from different industries such as fintech, retail, automotive, health, manufacturing, HR and enterprise technology. Fidelity India was a strategic partner for the blockchain challenge and sponsored the Fintech track, which was facilitated by NASSCOM. Biju K.K., Senior Director, represented Fidelity in a panel discussion along with members of other companies. The panel debated and discussed the present and future of blockchain across industries. Fidelity India associates were part of the Fintech track and assisted in qualifying, mentoring and selecting the top teams in the challenge on fintech industry applications. The teams that qualified for the challenge showcased innovative blockchain applications in the areas of micro-lending, peer–to–peer lending, community–based credit scores, student loans, agriculture loans, repurchases and collateral–based lending.  “The event gave us the opportunity to connect with associates from blockchain practices in large enterprises, healthcare giants, manufacturing and supply chain companies, and blockchain start-ups, apart from students working on micro-finance and accreditation in the blockchain space,” Biju said. What was great about the event was not only the innovative ideas and solutions that emerged, but also the way it connected blockchain practitioners across levels and industries. The space is truly exciting, and it was great to have been a part of it and explore the latest trends along with others in the industry.

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Life at the end of the wait

By Shruti Patel, a Talent Development Manager 

The water was bubbling in anticipation. I pulled myself from my reverie and quickly hunted for the grater. As I absent–mindedly scraped the ginger into the pot, a sudden potent aroma hit my senses. Was it the stimulation of that folk spice ginger root or the persistence of what we call hope? I found I was firmly telling myself—this wait will soon end; however, until then, let me savor the robust flavor of this tea I get to make every evening. The journey may not be easy today, but if I get impatient and fixated on arriving quickly, I will miss out on these reflective moments… these snatches from a busy day that I get just for myself, and these bonus moments that I get with my child. Taking a break to be physically close to my child in his formative years was a deliberate choice I made, just as the choice of aspiring for a long–haul career was. Looking back in regret is a habit I have consciously unlearnt all my life and here again I had to exercise that powerful choice. 

One year later, here I am today back in a full–time job, with that moment of pensiveness planted firmly in my memory. I have been here at Fidelity almost a year now, thanks to RESUME, a program specially designed for women returning to the workforce after a career break. 

I have chosen to share this personal story with you, because many of you would have similarly felt the frosty bite of waiting. Many of us as mothers and wives wonder in our weak moments if, without wearing the superwoman cape, we can really manage it all. Believe me, there will be gaps, slips, gorges and moments missed, but many will be caught, picked up and filled in as well. And if you find a workplace such as Fidelity, you will find a home away from home. 

My career trajectory of 13 years before my break had several milestones at multinational corporations. However, the way Fidelity has integrated with my life at this current stage and met me with genuine understanding and ease is what I live for every day today. When I look at the quality of my work assignments, the immense learning, and the fact that I am always given opportunities to try new things and openly share my insights, I know I am in the right place. I am unfettered by the fact that I live alone with my husband and child with no family support in the city. In its place, I have found a fantastic support system in my child’s daycare, my spouse and my work family—my manager, leaders and team. Understanding and acceptance can be found at work too, and not just with our parents. 

Having a child and taking a break is not something to be ashamed of. It’s your very own badge of courage; wear it with élan! The trick is to lean in and pull forward; your career is waiting for you to make yet another beginning.

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What happens when women Teknovate?

Women technologists of Fidelity India organize a tech fest. 

By Prem Paul Ninan, Manager — Corporate Communications, Fidelity India 

All year, members of the Women in Technology Special Interest Group (WITSIG) in Fidelity India live and breathe technology. But recently, in their bid to constantly push the envelope, the group decided to host an event to showcase all of this immense talent and potential. 

They named the event ‘Teknovate’, and built it on three pillars — technology, knowledge, and innovation. Their goal was to create a mini-technology fest by Fidelity women for all, and provide a fun venue for women technologists in India to create, collaborate, and celebrate. Festival organizers embraced Agile principles to pull off this day–long event in record time across all three of Fidelity India’s sites in Bangalore and Chennai. 

The event was packed with workshops, tech talks, and demo showcases across sites. In true Agile fashion, several smaller teams coordinated the myriad elements that went into organizing the fest. Submissions were screened, topics and presenters were discussed and decided, and branding efforts got under way. The event was all about a future imagined and defined by technology excellence. 

The festival kicked off with a panel discussion titled, 'Are We Digital Ready?' featuring three global leaders. The discussions inspired a lot of thought around our digital-readiness and how we could be more "future-fit" as a workforce. The festival also featured a lively talk by young associate Madhunika Sivasankar, who examined the question of gender bias in code. The keynote talk was by the head of a design strategy and innovation consulting firm in Bangalore, who addressed a series of themes including "falling in love with the problem, not the solution" and "how women should lead change." 

In the end, Teknovate was all about leading change, and inspiring a passion for technology.

[fidelityjobs]

A change of perspective

By Rekha Mohanakrishnan, a Manager, Software Engineer

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of the event.

I was eyeing around 300 women pacing up and down, all dressed in their best formal clothes. The atmosphere was tense, yet buzzing with excitement. I could identify predominantly two groups of people—the super enthusiastic group who seemed to be emanating oodles of energy, and the calmer group who looked on with what I would call ‘poised nervousness’. I looked down at my file, verified its contents, took a deep breath and entered the venue.

If you had guessed that I was attending a recruitment drive, you are partially right. It was actually the RESUME event conducted by Fidelity India in Chennai.

How was it different?

The event was conducted to enable women on a career break to re-enter the workforce.

But why, and for what?

Why would any company want to hire women after a career break? I thought back on my own experience. Would I be able to face the likely skepticism of interviewers on my break from work experience, despite past successes in my career? Many thoughts swirled through my mind.

My apprehensions turned out to be unfounded. The fact remained that I had made several arrangements on the personal front in order to give this opportunity a chance for almost a week now—finding people to take care of my kids, making sure they were fed right, and finding backups, and their backups. After all the effort, I decided to give it my all.

I’m glad I did.  

The event was great, and the interview was super fun. I knew that I had done my best. But my jaded mind was searching for that big ‘if�� that would throw a spanner in the works. There had to be a catch somewhere. But no such thing happened.

On the contrary, the people I have networked with, both at the event and later in my teams at Fidelity, have been very understanding. They have offered me a listening ear, given me well–meaning advice from time to time, and have asked me open–ended questions to help me think through things holistically, all of which have helped me sort out my own thoughts in my mind. I have also had the opportunity to network with women who had risen up the ladder in the organization. They have been an immense inspiration to me. Some of them had taken breaks as well, for several years, but had returned even stronger than before, carving their own success ever since.

I realized one thing—the number of years of one’s career break does not necessarily count. Who would have thought this possible?

But in that case, what does actually count?

It matters how fast (and well) you are able to bounce back after the break. How excited you are to learn new things and explore new opportunities. How open you are to constructive criticism and feedback. How you build, and communicate with, YOUR network—the network that helps you grow.

What about the dreaded aspect of the equation—planning and managing your life and career? I have come to realize that this implies distinguishing what you can do (in the present) from what you want to do (in the future), and then working to bridge that gap. It could be learning a new skill, getting out of one’s comfort zone, getting help at home, and the like. And I had needed this opportunity to discern that.

It has been a great learning experience, and I have thoroughly enjoyed working at Fidelity. And it is all because I made the decision to change some of my perspectives, for the better.

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What a Leap!

By Madhunika Sivasankar and Emi Choraria

First corporate job. Fresh out of college. Nervous or excited? Maybe both! Countless doubts plagued our minds as we entered Fidelity on our first day. We had just graduated Fidelity’s Leap program, which is a training program for engineering college students. Soon we realized our fears were entirely baseless. The action-packed first week gave us a complete lowdown on the culture and people of Fidelity. In–house experts made concepts like investing and the essence of Fidelity's profit model seem like a breeze, and fun activities like the Stock Market Simulation session truly helped us understand the tricky business that is money. To help us gear up for working in a corporate environment, a complete array of soft skills training, including sessions on presentation, communication and business writing skills, were lined up right after. With our quiver full of arrows to take on corporate life, we entered the training phase. We got to interact with almost the entire Leap cohort, had innumerable interactions with various leaders, and listened to several perspectives on leadership and business. Through regular assessments and with a classroom setting, we had a great experience throughout. But it wasn't all work and no play. We learnt to have fun, Fidelity style, with a team outing and an impromptu pizza party organized as part of a class activity. We also got a chance to give back to society through an event organized by Fidelity Cares (our corporate community relations program) at a community-based village. Throughout the program, we had the constant support of the ever-growing 'Leap' family, and Fidelity, of course. In the project phase, we were re-grouped into teams and assigned to 33 projects which had been selected by the Leap core team. It involved eight weeks of meetings, refactoring, networking, experimenting and a project showcase session. This phase was a true test of mettle, with the Leap core team working non-stop to ensure the smooth execution of all projects, and with each of the individual teams putting on their best show for the Executive Leadership Team and Project Sponsors in India. Leap 2017 isn't just the largest cohort at Fidelity India; Leap 2017 is where we found home.

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The Game of the Light

Written by Girija,  Senior Project Manager for Fidelity India Technology Services.

I had always been a track and field athlete since my childhood and wanted to return to it at a later point; however, my career objectives took higher priority.

It all started with my participation in Pinkathon (a running event to build awareness on women's health issues, specifically breast cancer), which rekindled my interest in fitness. Subsequently, I grew my network among running groups across Chennai, and finally acquainted myself with Vibrant Velachery, a local group, towards the end of 2014. As a member of that group, I volunteered for a Triathlon in December 2014 to help prepare sandwiches for the participants.

I was a newbie to the term ‘Triathlon’, and was to serve participants between completion of the swimming leg and preparation for the cycling leg of the event. I observed that it took the participants over seven hours to complete the cycling leg and move on to running, and it was then that the magnitude of participating in a Triathlon really hit me. The endurance levels of the athletes astonished me and made me question my efforts and endurance levels. It was then  I realized that being a volunteer was no longer enough and that I wanted to participate in the event the next time around.

I faced a couple of hiccups to start with — I was new to swimming, and it had been over a decade since I had last cycled. So, I began practicing swimming from January 2015 onwards, and committed myself to participating in a 100-km cycling event in February that year. I practiced cycling for about 20 km every day for three days, and by the fifth day, I had completed cycling a 100 km. This helped me realize my potential in cycling.

The groups I was a member of had many experts in them, and it was a phenomenal learning experience getting to run, ride and swim along with them. Before I knew it, three months had passed and I had participated in my first Half-Ironman triathlon (1.9-km swim, 90-km cycling, and 21.09-km run) — which was a failure. I learnt from the mistakes I had made there, and practiced by completing five Olympic-level Triathlons (1.5-km swim, 40-km cycling, and 10-km run) before appearing for my next Half-Ironman, and completing it successfully. In the meantime, I also participated in several 100-km cycling events and half-marathons (a road-running event of 21km) all over south India and in Ladakh. I was selected as a pacer twice for marathons in Chennai as well.

With all of these experiences, my connections kept growing, as I was meeting loads of people from various industries and backgrounds. Several members of the Vibrant Velachery group in Chennai used their cycles to go to work. Inspired by them, I began cycling to work as well, and this got me featured in local newspapers as well as in an internal Fidelity newsletter. My leadership team and colleagues have been very supportive all along, and continually wish me the very best. Today, I get recognized wherever I go, and all this would not have happened without the mentorship, guidance, motivation and discipline of Anil Sharma, The Iron Man, who coached me.

People keep asking me about how I pack so much into my day. Being an early bird, I start my day with workouts, including running, swimming and cycling (and doing some cooking too), before I head to office. This enables me to start my day full of energy, and give my all at work, without burning out. They say when passion meets profession, it creates purpose. It’s not every day that people are able to combine a love for their work with their passion for fitness, which drives them to do more. I am fortunate to be able to pursue my passion in my profession as a software engineer along with maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This has truly been a blessing to me.

[fidelityjobs]

Stories of Courage and Hope

The Women’s Leadership Group (WLG) at Fidelity recently held its annual ‘Fidelity Speaks’ event. This time it was virtual, and two associates of #FidelityIndia, Sujana Sathish, a Software Engineer, and Sangeetha Xavier, a Senior Manager – Diversity and Inclusion, shared their personal stories of resiliency along with other speakers from across Fidelity.

This was an exclusive opportunity for these two young associates, who were selected among other speakers from across the Company. Each of the speakers had inspiring stories of grit, strength and courage to share.

We asked Sujana and Sangeetha to share their experiences of the session, and here is what they had to say. 

Sujana Sathish: 

“I had the great fortune of speaking at the Women’s Leadership Group event representing Fidelity India, surrounded as I was by some of the most innovative thinkers, leaders and speakers of Fidelity from across the globe. The journey of being selected as one of the final 12 speakers was an exciting and overwhelming experience. I decided to center my talk on the Japanese concept of ‘Ikigai’—or a ‘reason for being’—while sprinkling in a few of my personal experiences that had made me realize my very own reason for being and waking up every day in going through life. 

Upon my application being shortlisted for the session after a few rounds of interviews, I received tons of support from the WLG core team, the India HR team, my colleagues and my family for refining my talk—‘What's your reason for waking up every day?’ 

I feel fortunate and honored to have been a part of the 12 brave women who shared their personal stories. A special thanks to the individuals who put this event together and supported me.”

Sangeetha Xavier:

“The minute I saw an opportunity to participate in this internal speaker event, I jumped at it. Once the excitement of getting through the selection process had subsided, I had the herculean task of getting my story down on paper. You see, this was my first foray into storytelling, and what a journey it was! I had an entire team from the Fidelity WLG helping me put my story down in a relatable and engaging manner. My story revolved around two parenting events in my life and the lessons I had picked up from them. I got to hear 11 other amazing speakers share their stories of resilience as well. Apart from the fact that this had been an amazing learning experience for me as a speaker, it also gave me the opportunity to interact and engage with a global audience. And in telling one’s story, you discover more about yourself as well!” 

Kudos to these two associates for sharing their stories and inspiring all of us. 

#FidelityAssociate

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Innovating on Accessibility Efforts

By Zameer Ahmed and Pamela Sequeira, Fidelity India

Raising the bar on accessibility requires continues innovation. Fidelity’s ENABLE group—a Company-wide employee resource group focused on creating an inclusive work environment and reshaping the experience of our customers and employees with disabilities—recently conducted Ideahack, an innovation event focused on creating innovative assistive technology solutions for Persons with Disabilities – both Fidelity customers and associates.

The #FidelityIndia Assistive Technology Ideahack event, which kicked off earlier this year, was a first-of-its-kind ideation event focused on assistive technology solutions. Ideahack’s core mission was to “create a limitless customer experience and make the workplace more secure, safe and accessible for our employees”.

The event included a series of activities to educate associates on the problem statements for submitting ideas. Participation levels were high, with several associates submitting their ideas. A virtual Accessibility Zone allowed associates to experience accessibility and assistive technology at play, and to gain insights on disability-related challenges. Associates also got to listen to talks by industry experts, who shared their perspectives on accessibility and innovation. Business leaders across Fidelity India were assigned as mentors to help ideators refine their ideas and solutions. A panel of judges comprising Fidelity leaders evaluated and identified the top three ideas. Over 3,000 associates participated in a social voting campaign to vote for their favorite idea through an internally developed innovation platform. Jury feedback and associate votes collectively helped in picking the top three winners.

Ideahack marked a significant milestone in Fidelity India’s efforts to promote an inclusive, accessible and equitable experience for our customers and associates. Innovation events like Ideahack create many such possibilities to build an inclusive, high-tech accessible world for customers and associates.

#FidelityAssociate

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Leadership Journeys and Lessons

By Niti Jain, Director – Analytics, Research and Data, Fidelity India

Ellevate, the special interest group for women in analytics at #FidelityIndia, recently organized a ‘fireside chat’ with Shalini Puchalapalli, Director, Amazon India, and Tina Muthanna, Vice President – Personal Investing, Fidelity India. The two leaders engaged in a conversation where they candidly shared their professional and personal journeys, and the impact of various experiences in shaping and influencing the various choices and decisions they had made during their careers. 

The discussion brought to the fore the importance of continuous learning for staying relevant, and the need to always give your best in whatever you do. After all, leadership is never about titles but about how we show up and perform to the best of our ability. 

We also had a fun rapid-fire segment at the end, and Shalini and Tina were at their witty best as they answered questions on their favorite drinks, movies, vacation spots and the like. Overall, it was a highly engaging, inspiring and fun session.

#FidelityAssociate

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Catalyzing the Learning Experience

By Ashish Rana, Manager – Talent Development, Fidelity India

At #FidelityIndia, we have a constant focus on fostering a learning culture to accelerate the growth and development of our associates. One of the key initiatives to support this culture is the Learning Catalyst program. This program helps us harness the knowledge of internal experts by offering them a platform to share their knowledge with other associates. In 2020 alone, around 100 Fidelity India associates have gone above and beyond their day jobs to generously share their expertise with other colleagues.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, this army of learning catalysts has displayed a tremendous growth mindset and agility, swiftly adapting to facilitate learning sessions for other associates virtually. Not only do these associates receive excellent feedback scores at par with external facilitators, but they are also able to strategically align associates’ broader learning objectives to Fidelity’s context through their learning sessions, which further enriches the experience.

Like every other year, this year too around Teacher’s Day in India, we recognized and celebrated our Learning Catalysts. Seema Unni, Head of HR for Fidelity India, thanked them for their contributions to the learning ecosystem. Vijai Kishan, Head of Personal Investing for Fidelity India, also addressed the Learning Catalysts and shared his personal perspectives on learning, which left the associates truly inspired. Thanks to all the Learning Catalysts for their contributions towards elevating the learning experience for their colleagues.

#FidelityAssociate