Witad Awards 2024: Technology leader of the year (end-user)—Sejal Shah, BNP Paribas India Services

How long have you been in the financial services industry?
Sejal Shah, director and head of Global Markets IT, BNP Paribas India Services: I have worked in the financial services industry for 15 years.

How did you get into the industry? Was it a conscious decision or did you “fall” into it?
Shah: I started my career within the Indian IT services industry. I was aware of the “captives” (the term used to refer to global capacity centers/global innovation centers back then) and so when the opportunity arose, I grabbed it.

What does your day-to-day role entail?
Shah: We have a team of over 1,000 individuals, so overall management takes up a lot of time. And since the team comprises 30% of our global workforce, I spend time connecting with global management/stake holders, where short-term, long-term, and strategic decisions are taken.

I am passionate about making a difference, so I spend time with teams who are working on solving problems. Recently, we created an engineering function with the aim of tapping into technology to reduce our technical debt, plus aid the business with more efficient IT tools. I love spending time with them. While the day can become quite long, it’s also quite fulfilling.

What single project/piece of work are you most proud of during your career in the industry to date?
Shah: As part of my journey with BNP Paribas (BNPP), I have had the opportunity to lead various transformation projects. I would like to mention two since the challenges and lessons learned were so different:

Within IT, consolidation of confirmation applications to provide one global platform catering to paper and electronic confirmations for all asset classes, the delivery of which was managed solely out of our India center. The consolidation resulted in 20% savings for the platform year-on-year. It was a great deal at the time since offshoring was still a new concept for many global managers in capital markets space.

As a local initiative, I industrialized the process of recruitment across IT in our India center, which helped save approximately 35 work years of effort annually.

What are you currently working on and what makes it significant in the context of your position?
Shah: With a third of our global workforce in India, the center is truly a strategic global partner and not just an offshoring location. We are accountable for many initiatives in the technology space, including addressing tech obsolescence and spotting use-cases where AI/ML can help. With the current economic headwinds, it is essential that I build an organization that is productive, sustainable, and cost efficient. Business stakeholders are counting on us to quickly adapt our IT landscape to cater to ever-changing and increasingly demanding business needs.

To what extent were you helped during your career by a mentor/role model within the business?
Shah: I have been fortunate to have a mentor at every stage of my career, not always formally, but with many well-wishers who made me realize many dos and don’ts as I progressed. A few years back when I was promoted into my current role, the bank put me through a formal coaching program with an external coach. At the same time, I believe in observing people around me, my juniors, peers and seniors, and that in itself can be a source of learning.

To what extent does your firm have a formalized framework that seeks to identify and promote talented women and ensure they have every opportunity to realize their ambitions and contribute to the business?
Shah: BNPP is a great supporter of women in leadership. All leadership programs insist on having women representation; the same goes for promotions and pay hikes. Right from onboarding at a junior level through to senior management, gender diversity is an important metric. Specific women-oriented programs are at play, such as Women in Technology, Women in Ops, and Leadership Connect series with women leaders.

To support women re-joining the workforce after a career break, our talent acquisition team runs programs such as Return to Work. As part of learning and development, BNPP sponsors certification courses with premium institutes for women to acquire the necessary skills to help them progress in their careers. There are career training programs across BNPP locations sponsored by senior leadership, specially designed for women in IT.

For a woman who came from a traditional Indian background where a career was not a top priority, who did not have the right qualifications to seek a position in IT but had to find the means to be financially independent, who had no support or career guidance and had to figure out the way ahead for herself, this award is a culmination of all my life’s ups and downs and all the struggles that I have been through over the years

What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome during your career in the industry to date?
Shah: Many years back, I was passed over for a promotion because someone was appointed after a recommendation from an influential person. My manager had already informed me that I was being promoted, but that changed at the last moment. The incident broke my confidence. I was about to quit, but managed to hold myself back, controlled my emotions, and learned to reflect on what I might have done differently where I would have held the upper hand. The incident made me know myself better. Over time, I made a good team with my new manager and we continued working together until he took up a new role. I was promoted and offered the position he had vacated.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far during your career?
Shah: Don’t let emotions drive you, instead look at things objectively, reflect on yourself, look for ways to be more impactful, learn to think out of the box, and communicate effectively

What would you advise women just entering the industry?
Shah: Have a vision for yourself, be confident, don’t shy away from seeking help, and be strong.

What does this award mean to you?
Shah: For a woman who came from a traditional Indian background where a career was not a top priority, who did not have the right qualifications to seek a position in IT but had to find the means to be financially independent, who had no support or career guidance and had to figure out the way ahead for herself, this award is a culmination of all my life’s ups and downs and all the struggles that I have been through over the years. The sense of achievement is indescribable.