Breaking Barriers and Building Empires: The Stories of Two Women Who Became Industry Leaders 

In a world where the glass ceiling often seems to be made of bulletproof glass, two remarkable women have shattered it.

Neetu Kashiramka, Managing Director of VIP Industries, and Vibha Padalkar, CEO of HDFC Life, recently sat down with Kevin Kan, a Partner at Stanton Chase Singapore, to share their stories, the obstacles they faced, and the lessons they learned along the way. 

Neetu Kashiramka’s journey was filled with challenges, especially coming from a conservative family where women were often discouraged from pursuing careers. During the interview, she recounted, “I was told that as soon as you finish your BCom exams, we’ll start looking out for a boy and get you married.” However, Neetu’s determination to succeed was indomitable. She added, “I decided that there’ll be a time when my parents will be known by my name, and that’s something which was in my heart from my childhood.” 

Vibha Padalkar’s upbringing was quite different. She shared, “My mother was in the IAS (Indian Administrative Service) in those days. She was a trailblazer, and not just her, but even other aunts and so on, or even one generation prior to that. In a typical Maharashtrian family, they had careers outside the home, or they certainly contributed and were known for something that they did, which is different from only being known as a mother or a daughter or a sister.” 

But both Vibha and Neetu made their dreams a reality despite their different backgrounds because they shared one thing in common: an unrelenting will to succeed. To this end, Vibha also spoke about the importance of staying true to oneself as a leader. When faced with the challenge of taking over as CEO from an “alpha male” predecessor, she had a moment of introspection. She thought, “The board has known me for the last decade, the board has chosen me, so the style [they wanted was] not very different to whatever I had, and that’s worked for me. I’m going to stick with my style, I’m going to stick with my instincts, I’m going to stick with what I think is going to work.” 

Both leaders also touched on the role that family support played in their success. Neetu shared, “My husband was quite understanding… we decided that one of us has to be there [when the other isn’t] because we have two boys. So, if I’m [traveling], he’s in Bombay; if he’s [traveling], I’m in Bombay. So, I think that [balance] has helped us to get to where we are today.” 

Vibha shared this sentiment, stating, “You do need an extremely supportive significant other. Without that, I think it gets very, very difficult.” 

The interview also addressed the initiatives Neetu and Vibha are implementing in their organizations to support women in the workplace, like mentorship programs, flexible work arrangements, and gender diversity targets. Neetu explained, referring to her company’s “second career” program for women returning to the workforce, “I’m giving [women flexibility]. I’m asking [them] to join back, come to the corporate world again… My company will help you and offer you a job which is relevant to your capabilities.” 

As Stanton Chase India celebrates its 25th anniversary, this interview serves as a reminder of the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace. Sadly, only 10.6% of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies are women. And while this is an important milestone worthy of celebration, it is still very far off from the 50% that would indicate that women are no longer being discriminated against in the workplace in terms of leadership roles.  

At Stanton Chase, we believe diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are important organizational values that companies should embrace not just for entry-level positions, but perhaps even more importantly, at the C-level and board level 

Click on the video below to watch the full interview with Neetu and Vibha.