Emerging leadership series - In conversation with Gayathri Sribharath

 How would you introduce yourself?

Hello! Thank you for taking a few minutes to read about my journey.

I am the Global IT Compliance Lead for /thoughtworks. I am an auditor with a strong focus on Information Technology audits. I work closely with product and software development teams and help drive best practices in information security, SOX compliance, data security, access management, change management etc. In the current role, I act as the liaison between external auditors, business and technology teams and help organisations comply with the ever increasing and complex requirements of various security and risk standards. I have a keen interest on working with teams to solve Compliance issues using technology.

Some of my professional degrees and certifications include Chartered accountancy, Certified Information systems auditing etc. Of late, I have developed interest in Data Privacy and GDPR.

On the personal front, I am married to Sri Bharath - an ardent supporter of all that I do and my sounding board. I have a beautiful and talented daughter. I love to learn to cook different South Indian cuisines. I like to go on long solo drives in my car and a lover of the beach and sunsets.

Can you tell me a bit about your career journey? What inspired you to take on the leadership role?

Born and brought up in Coimbatore, a city that is famous for its visionaries and innovative ideas in business, there is always a thirst to learn and explore new things. It’s in our DNA and I think that has been a factor in the way my career journey has been shaped.

My career journey is shaped by the mentors and great thinkers I had the chance to work with. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who helped shape my career and encouraged my thought process to be different.

As any other intern, I started working on internal and tax audits. But the audit consultancy I worked for believed in me and gave opportunities to work in other specialisations like information security, IT audits etc. This helped me understand my strengths. After almost 5 years of working for the audit consultancy, I moved on to work for technology consulting companies and be a part of their internal audit and compliance teams that focus on IT audits. I have performed so many different types of audits like SSAE 16, SOX, ERP audits, etc. I have had opportunities to consult teams and audit them as well. This exposure and experience are what makes me confident in my leadership role.

What were the top challenges you faced during your journey and how did you overcome them?

One of the difficult challenges that I had to overcome was to learn how to network and navigate through an organization’s system.

This skill is very important for anyone, more so in my role where I must work with so many stakeholders, internal and external. A very powerful leadership development program that I completed a few years ago in one of the organizations I worked for helped me identify my areas of weakness using a SWOT analysis. I took support from my mentors to arrive at a series of things to do improve my communication skills and confidence levels. This enabled me to easily converse with various types of stakeholders. I was able to create the visibility required for the role. A big portion of my success can be attributed now to the relationships I have built with my peers, colleagues and important stakeholders in my career journey.

What motivates you everyday?

Personally, my daughter, of course. I want her to see a strong mother who does smart-work and someone who is independent.

Professionally, I love collaborating and accomplishing big things as a part of a team. My current role in /thoughtworks allows me to do this daily. Isn’t it wonderful to do something that has a meaningful impact on the organization?

I travel often. I do some workcations too! This helps me stay not glued to my desk and be one with nature and that motivates me to do what I do best.

Do you have a role model in your life? Can you name a few people who you look up to?

I have many role models in my life. To being with it is my mother who I look up to first. She has overcome a lot of challenges to raise us and is a very strong woman who looks for solutions and leads the family to its success.

And then all my mentors. I am naming a few here. CN Srivatsan & Gita Srivatsan, Meena Swaminathan, Uday Bikkasani, Leena Pandya, Nitin Raina, Sasikala Mahesh.

What does leadership mean to you?  How would you describe your leadership style?

When people feel safe enough to raise their hands and say ‘I made a mistake’ or ‘I need some help’, that leader has succeeded to Put people first and create a congenial environment for them. That to me is a good leader.

Leaders are the ones who see the world not as it is, but as it could be. They inspire others to follow them because they believe in something larger than themselves. And that "something" is not a destination or a goal, but a vision- something worth sacrificing for and fighting for.

What would be your advice to other leaders?

Believe in yourself first and then believe in the people that surround you. A good leader should be able to create more leaders. A good leader should prefer actions over authority. Listen to your heart and put people first. Rest all can wait.

My favorite quote by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev – Integrity, Insight and Inclusiveness are the three essential qualities of leadership.