Strong leadership is a must for a thriving business. With the talent market becoming more competitive, organizations are trying to employ candidates who can perform even during difficult situations. The corporate world is often criticized for its compromised interpersonal relationships, lack of people who care, and bureaucracy. Carving her way through all the challenges and roadblocks, Rasleen Kaur currently leads Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations at PB Fintech, the parent company of the largest marketplaces of insurance & financial products in India, namely Policybazaar.com and Paisabazaar.com. Policy Bazaar started in 2008 and roped in Rasleen in 2012.

Rasleen was awarded the Economic Times Young Leader Award in 2016 as one of the Most Promising Corporate Leaders in India. She also has other accolades for her contribution to the Finance Analytics & BI domains. She brings to the table an array of experience having worked with brands like Microsoft, Cummins, and National Informatics Centre before she joined the coveted employer PB Fintech. She has worked as a freelancer and also as a Microsoft evangelist during her educational tenure, thus understanding that sales determine if ideas are worth their salt!

In an in-depth interview with the Women Entrepreneur team, Rasleen shares with us her professional journey and the various lessons that she has gathered along the way. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.

Give us an overview of the various roles and responsibilities that your current role as Head - Corporate Strategy, entails at Policy Bazaar. What are some of the major milestones that you have achieved in your professional journey?

I have manoeuvred diverse roles in capital raising, strategy, customer experience, and data science at PB Fintech and have been credited with leading new initiatives. The biggest milestone in the investor relations role was leading the IPO process for an offer of INR 56 billion. Other initiatives undertaken include driving incremental & disruptive revenue enhancement & cost optimization projects, setting up the insurance claims division, leading ERP implementation across all group entities within three months while managing the vast complexity of the diverse legacy systems, and establishing the analytics and data science lab at Policy Bazaar.

What are some important features of your expertise as a business leader?

The diversity of profiles that I have donned ­ from working in product & tech to analytics & BI, FP& A (financial planning & analysis), and now investor relations. To be able to build deep relationships and leverage them to handle crises and conflicts with ease to say 'yes' to any and every new opportunity and to be able to lead things to fruition.

“I have a tab on the pulse of the organization and i feel i can utilize that along with the ability to see numbers pictorially well for pitching the story of the company”

What is your take on the low representation of women in top leadership roles across industries and geographies? In your opinion what steps can be taken to reduce this gap?

Thankfully we don't see that as an issue in our organization as some of the key positions are held by women. Most women face the challenge of manoeuvring the delicate balance of professional and personal priorities, especially with the increasingly cut-throat competition. So, a support system conducive to such needs would benefit, without any special handouts or preferential treatment, no matter what name we give it (flexible hours, childcare, and more). Building organizational mechanisms to break through the 'boy brat clubs' through buddy-up/mentorship programs can be helpful. Also, Equal pay will go a long way in breaking the glass ceiling.

Drawing from your experience as a business leader, what would your advice be to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

Always keep a positive frame of mind and do not think of gender distinction as a negative. Once you're confident in your head, you will also do whatever it takes to achieve the goal you've set for yourself. Don't hold back just because you think the world has a bias against your gender. This may or may not be true. So having this mindset will save you from doing a disservice to yourself. Nobody appreciates weakness and I think if you're strong enough to command what you want, you will get it, woman or not. There cannot be a rule book or a one-size-fits-all strategy for dealing with this. When you are in the game, you do whatever is needed. Do not be afraid, even if you have not experienced boldness in the past. Let your work speak for you and be prepared to voice out when you need to stand up for yourself.

What type of a leader do you aspire to be?

I aspire to be a leader who can inspire people to do the impossible and can ignite a fire in people to change their mindset and awaken the spirit of their life, to manifest. I am very clear about where I want to reach and I have set goals for myself. I will get there irrespective of the roadblocks. There might be different paths leading to it and I can take any of those paths. My mantra for success comprises three things. First, clear goal setting. Second, enthusiasm and ambition to reach the goal irrespective of challenges. Third, spirituality helps one stay calm in any kind of situation. To be able to think logically even under stressful situations is also helpful.

Rasleen Kaur, Head-Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations, PB Fintech

With a postgraduate degree in business administration from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer science, Rasleen brings with her a decade of professional experience. She is skilled in IPOs, Fundraising, investor relationship management, and corporate planning. She was recognized as the most promising corporate leader by the Economic Times of India in 2016.