“We have two Ears and One tongue so that we would listen more and talk less”, said Diogenes, the Greek philosopher and one of the founders of the ‘Cynic Philosophy’. Diogenes’ cheeky observation made in the 4th century BC holds true to this very day. Listening forms the bedrock of any strong relationship, be it a personal or professional. Most successful leaders believe ‘listening’ to be one of the most crucial ingredients of identifying and addressing clients’ concerns.

Aastha Abhya, General Counsel, M2P Solutions, is one such leader who propagates the importance of listening more than talking. She believes that this habit can enable one to learn more about the person one is talking to, and eventually help them. The perceptive leader substantiates the same by giving an instance of how lawyers have always had to identify and assuage the real fears and anxieties that their clients had, be it legal, business, and in some cases, personal. “Listening and identifying the fears behind the questions made all the difference and is one of the reasons the clients and their companies could make it through”, says Aastha.

Leveraging this quality along with a plethora of other nuggets of wisdom and her keen understanding of law, Aastha has been leading the legal department at M2P Solutions, a global leader in embedded financial infrastructure. A graduate in law from the prestigious Gujarat National Law University, she brings to the table 12 years of diverse experience as a legal professional.

Back in 2010, when she forayed into the legal field as a professional for the very first time, companies often undertook a segmented approach to tackling legal issues. With most organizations not having in-house legal team, they had to rely on external counsels which consequently resulted in back logs, disconnect between business & legal, delays, cost implications, unorganized record-keeping and lack of appropriate contract management systems in the organization. However, the industry has matured now and in-house counsels have become an indispensable requirement for organizations.

A lifelong learner, Aastha came on-board M2P Solutions in 2020 and has since been committed to defending and protecting the legal interests of the company by handling its litigation, contracts, intellectual property rights, regulatory affairs, and undertaking legal advisory & policy-making, among various others responsibilities.

As a leader, Aastha believes that leadership as a trait does not depend on one’s gender and is actually an acquired skill anyone could learn with time and experience. She has never perceived her gender as a disadvantage and advices other women professionals to do the same. Being a woman, she understands the biases that sometimes women face even in today’s time and age, but she suggests that no matter how discouraging gender biases may seem, believing in oneself and one’s work is the key to overcoming these hurdles. She also suggests that women must follow in the footsteps of the other successful female professionals who are at the pinnacle of their respective industries. At the same time, Aastha also believes that while today, we do get to hear some exceptional stories of women who have made it big, yet the number remains low when compared to men. Like most leaders, she urges companies to do their part in bringing more women into the workforce and into top leadership positions.

The Women Entrepreneur Magazine team got the opportunity to interview Aastha and speak to her about various facets of her professional life. She gives us an insight into her role at M2P Solutions, many nuggets of leadership wisdom and sound advice for young professionals. Here are choice excerpts from the conversation.

Introduce Us To M2p Solutions And The Company’s Various Areas Of Expertise.

Founded in 2014, M2P Solutions is global leader in embedded financial infrastructure and acts as a reliable tech layer between banks, aspiring fintechs and other financial institutions. The company’s vision is to help organizations and businesses build and embed custom APIs, so that they can focus on their customer journeys while M2P takes care of the backend integrations and tech-infrastructure. The company has developed robust, secure, and customizable API tech-stack that enables clients to go to market at incredible speed with greater efficacy, boost business agility and customer lifetime value.

“Always keep looking to engage with people both inside and outside of the industry who are on the cutting edge of the topics you want to know more about, and the topics you should know more about”

M2P also provides a network of businesses and is a successful distribution channel for banks and financial institutions. They enable the formation of Fintechs and act as Fintech accelerators, expanding financial inclusion. The company has an array of products including Prepaid Card, Cross Border, FleetDrive, Credit Card and many other payment solutions. I am proud to have supported a fast-growing fintech like M2P by extending all requisite legal support of negotiating and closing such high value business transactions and collaborations.

As The General Counsel At M2p Solutions, What Are The Various Roles And Responsibilities That You Currently Shoulder? What Are The Most Challenging Aspects Of Your Current Role And How Do You Overcome Them?

In my role as the Head of Legal Department at M2P Solutions, my strategic vision and goal includes building & retaining an extraordinary team with exceptional people, prioritizing & completing high revenue & strategic commercial agreements, and delivering on strategic transactions & initiatives such as mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures and key deal activity. I defend and protect the interests of the company, shielding them against risks of litigation, intellectual property breaches along with advising them on government and regulatory affairs. Additionally, I lead data use initiatives and helped create a company-wide data use plan that is compliant with law, company values, and strategic objectives. I have also drafted and published Data Protection Policy applicable across the organization keeping in mind the importance of our customer’s data privacy rights.

In terms of the roles and responsibilities that I undertake within the organization, I take care of all advisory, documentation, litigation and transaction support to products and services of M2P Fintech. I advise executive, senior management and the board on various matters such as the company’s legal rights and new & existing laws relating to the company’s products. I also identify legal risks associated with the services/ products proposed to be offered by the company.

To the management and other staff, I provide interpretations & recommendations, plan ^ implement internal policies & procedures, and handle statutory & regulatory requirements, such as RBI licensing forms. My role also requires me to anticipate and identify legal issues and counsel officers of the institution and other upper management in order to develop legal strategies and solutions, often in situations that involve public and regulatory relations, or pose a financial and reputational risk for the company.

“Slowly, with time, the acknowledgement, support And respect that women deserve is actually being Imparted to distinguished women, which is obviously a huge motivator”

Problem solving is a key element of my role at M2P and I believe that researching is an essential skill related to problem solving. As a problem solver, I am able to identify the cause of the issue and understand it fully by gathering more information about a problem, brainstorming with other team members, consulting more experienced colleagues or acquiring knowledge through online research or courses.

In Your Opinion, How Has The Legal Advisory Landscape Evolved In India Recently? What Are Some Significant Trends That You See Developing In The Industry Currently?

When I started my career in this field in 2010, there was little awareness and even requirement of an in-house legal counsel. Most companies would engage with law firms and practicing advocates to resolve each legal issues singularly by approaching external counsels as and when required. This was clearly a segmented approach that would often result in increase of back logs, disconnects between business & legal, delays, cost implications, unorganized record-keeping and lack of appropriate contract management systems in the organization.

Now, almost 12 years ahead, we see a clear shift of company outlooks with respect to the need of inhouse legal counsels. Having an internal counsel has become an indispensable requirement for organizations committed to not just resolving legal issues, but also preventing and mitigating them at the outset. Even small scale companies such as startups employ fulltime legal professionals from the very beginning, which in-turn helps them implement sound processes and reduce costs otherwise incurred for engaging external counsels.

Throw Some Light On Some Of The Most Significant Business Lessons That You Have Learnt Over The Years In The Industry?

You have a voice, and you should use it. You should not doubt the fact that your voice has value, and that you have something to contribute. Expressing your views and opinions clearly will always help you as well as your client. When things are uncertain and people are worried, they need to hear from you more than ever – whether it’s your clients, your colleagues, your subordinates, or your friends. I have come to realize that the ‘We’re in this together’ sentiment which was necessary to get through those early, scary months of the pandemic is actually helpful to get through a professional crisis too. Communication and open dialogue are essential.

I believe that we should always keep looking to engage with people both inside and outside of the industry who are on the cutting edge of the topics we want to know more about, and the topics we should know more about.

Listening over Talking – By doing more listening than talking and asking more questions to understand the problem, you’ll learn more about the person that you’re talking to, and how you can help them. This will serve you well when you’re working with a current or potential client, because you may uncover the real issues underneath the superficial ones that your client initially sees. I think lawyers have always been business advisors for their clients when they had to identify and assuage the real fears & anxieties that their clients had – which may have been legal, business, and in some cases, personal. Listening and identifying the fears behind the questions makes all the difference.

Embrace Change – Lawyers have come to see what’s possible through technology and where certain things can become more efficient and expedient with its application and it allows us to potentially have a discussion around what else is possible. Today, a lot of tech companies have ventured into the legal space as well, and that should not be perceived as a threat. I think technology and similar changes help us evolve and do our jobs more efficiently.

Sharing Work – In an industry that has thrived on silos in the past, it’s tempting to put our noses to the

grindstones and not pick them up for anything. But sharing work can help. Over the years, I have seen this in my career – when I am generous with what I know, when I offer a forum for others to share what they know, when I connect with people, all of those things eventually benefit me in some way. I also believe that as legal professionals, sharing our knowledge and experience with colleagues is very beneficial for the team as a whole. Lawyers that I interview have all shared best practices for various things that they have done in their firms, from mental health initiatives to maintaining firm cultures to client retention and business development. This practice often helps us fill the gaps in our understanding of a process or system, identify issues and even solve for them.

Keep Learning & Stay Engaged – I consider myself to be a lifelong learner, which has served me well both in my career and especially in the pandemic. It helps me increase my levels of productivity and stay updated with recent developments of the field. Using every opportunity to broaden my knowledge, in general, helps to drive passion into my work and connects me with my clients.

Take Time to Reflect – I’m a fan of progress, but I also like to look back to see where we’ve come from too. It’s hard to reflect on a year that has been so difficult for so many people, but absolutely devastating for some. Truthfully though, we’ve all learned a lot, and reflecting helps us see our own hard work and potential.

What Is Your Take On The Low Participation Of Women In Top Leadership Roles Across Industries And Geographies? In Your Opinion, What Steps Must We Take To Get More Women On The Table And Create A More Inclusive Workforce?

We all know the multi-faceted roles that women take-on in life. I think slowly, with time, the acknowledgement, support and respect that women deserve is actually being imparted to distinguished women, which is obviously a huge motivator. Today, we do get to hear

some exceptional stories of women who have made it big and yet the number as compared to men continues to remain low. Clearly, there’s a lot more work to be done towards this. Some steps that I feel will bring us closer to the ultimate goal of equal representation of women in leadership roles are i) Ensuring equal remuneration for women ii) Extending requisite support to women going through transitional phases in their personal life such as marriage, pregnancy and others, and providing crèche/daycare facilities. These are important milestones in a woman’s life, but are unfortunately often used to the detriment of women and their careers. It is high time that we not only appreciate and recognize these roles of women, but also help them through this journey. iii) I am also of the view that women should be provided menstruation benefits and leave when necessary. Companies and firms may consider framing policies in this regard. This would certainly be encouraging for women who go through painful cycles.

Drawing From Your Experience As A Successful Professional With Vast Experience, What Advice Would You Present To Young Women And Girls Who Aspire To Become Business Leaders Or Entrepreneurs In The Future?

I believe that leadership is a trait which does not depend on your gender. You can’t be a leader only to a specific gender and a great leader is a leader for everyone. You must never consider being a woman as a disadvantage despite the biases that sometimes women face even in today’s time and age. But no matter how discouraging gender biases may seem at times, believing in oneself and one’s work is the key to overcoming these hurdles. Find a mentor – a woman, to guide you in your journey to becoming a better leader.

There is no universal style of leadership that suits everyone. You must develop your own style which must take into account your strengths and weaknesses rather than trying to fit into someone else’s shoes. The first need to become a leader is to lead yourself. Do you feel

that if you were a follower, you would like to be led by a person like you? If the answer is yes, you have the right attribute of a leader.

A leader must be full of initiative. If you find something wrong which you can correct and you still don’t do it unless someone tells you to do so, you can’t be a leader. A leader is a person who does the right things without being asked to do so.

You must have the courage to follow your goal. A woman may require little more courage since most people wish her to fail to confirm the stereotype that females can’t be good leaders. You have earlier organized your family and lead at home. It is the time to lead your organization. Be proud of being a woman instead of feeling inferior. Unless you respect yourself, others may not respect you. Love the people who resist you because by proving them wrong, you are not only becoming a successful leader, but are also setting an exemplary example for other women who aspire to be on top.

Striking a Balance between Professional & Personal Life

I think it is true when they say – having a healthy work-life balance means that employees will be happier when they come to work. This stands equally true for all genders irrespective of their household and other personal responsibilities. It is an important contributing factor for an employee’s job satisfaction levels. To be able to take a break, unwind and recharge even gives us a sense of freedom. I try to take a vacation every six months to explore a new city anywhere in the world and sometimes just travel back home to be with my parents. So, when I am back, I can refocus and get back to the hustle.