Sumathy Anantharam: Art of Balance

She is always smiling. A hard worker that she is and always believing in accomplishing the goals, Sumathy Anantharam is riding high on success. Currently, she is the director at Webcom, a leading IT solution provider company and takes care of the purchase, accounts, HR and administration She has a team of 10 people reporting to her, out of which 1 is a visually challenged person. Blessed with an extremely dynamic persona, Sumathy is also responsible for looking for investors and new opportunities/ tie-ps for the company growth.

 

Her Incredible Journey....

 

Sumathy completed B Sc Electronics from Chennai. However, her quest for knowledge didn't end there. Last year, she completed the 10,000 Women Certificate of Leadership and Management, which was organized by Goldman Saacs, ISB and AIMS.

 

Working in Male-dominated field of IT:

 

"It is one of the very big challenge I am facing, as IT system Integration is full of males and they prefer to have male bosses," says Sumathy candidly. She continues, "But I have been successful in the industry for the past 23 years and it has been possible only with the moral support from my husband. I have been given a free hand and since I head the HR, it is possible for me to understand the feelings of the employees and advice them"

 

 

Does a Glass ceiling Exist?

 

"Yes, like in any other field, it does exist and we have to be very much aware of the same to be successful." admits Sumathy

 

 

 

Advice to Working Women:

 

Balancing between the work place and home place is very iimportant and this is Sumathy's Mantra. She says, "Even though we are capable of earning more than men, we should remember to be more humble and co-operative. Life is complete only with your partner around for enjoying, sharing and spending. Now in this age we do not realize but when we become old they will be our best companions....which can never be compensated."

 

 

Hobbies:

Always on the go, Sumathy is fond of counseling people(whatever problem they are facing), taking care and spending time with elders (senior citizens), stitching and watching TV, whenever she is not working.

 

 

Future Plans:

 

Sumathy has two plans First is to have a 100% women enterprise and run it successfully. Secondly, she wants to start a retirement home with business model, so that it can sustain itself and have a small NGO wing attached, which will serve a minimum of 100 destitute elderly people and 100 orphan children and show them a new life with new relationships. She also has a plan to replicate the same in all the states of India.

 

Ekta Saxena

(ektasa@cybermedia.co.in)