It’s International Women’s Day 2024. A day to celebrate women in all walks of life. 

This year, we’re turning the spotlight on ourselves. We’re bringing the women of Privalgo to the world, hearing their thoughts and learning about what empowers and inspires them.

Taking centre stage in this article is none other then Kajal Pankhania, Director of People and Culture at Privalgo.

Kaj’s influence has been significant since joining Team P almost one year ago. Today, she shares hear thoughts in a truly eye-opening interview on what it means to be a female leader, how the industry has changed, how she looks to inspire others, and how Privalgo empowers her as a woman.

What does being a female leader mean to you?

In a world where women remain underrepresented in all levels of management, I feel proud to be a female leader at Privalgo, and even prouder that our senior leadership team has a higher female ratio.

For me, it comes with a real sense of responsibility towards my fellow peers and the next generation of female leaders. I want to inspire women to know that they are capable of success, that they too can develop into a leadership role.

I see it as my duty to help them develop and leverage their talent and step into a role of greater influence feeling confident and empowered.

How does being a woman in the industry compare to when you first started?

The area which I feel has changed the most is that women are actively and openly championed to succeed, to become leaders, and have equality in the corporate world.

Women have always had to fight harder, shout louder, and take career breaks in order to start and complete our families; this is something that men haven’t had to contend with in the same way.

Companies are now putting better measures in places, like flexible working, enhanced maternity, and advocating for things like shared parental leave, which goes a long way in closing the gap between men and women.

Male leaders have become more conscious of the multidimensional gap, and female leaders are using their voices to make the right noise to create much-needed waves of change.

This mindset shift, and conscious encouragement of change, means we can only continue to move in the right direction, to invest in women and ensure they are being given the same opportunities and tools as men to succeed. The fight isn’t over, but we are being heard, and that is significant.

How do you look to influence and inspire other women in a male-dominated industry?

I feel very determined to keep the conversation going by sharing my own personal story of how I got to where I am today in a male-dominated industry. We can all become richer by learning from one another’s experiences, and I have learnt so much from the honesty of others. I really want to pay that forward by doing the same.

A large part of my job is to be commercial, strategic and to really drive the business forward. That being said, I remain my authentic self as I do it, and that includes moments of vulnerability.

I strongly believe that vulnerability is a superpower, and as women, we should never be afraid to show our emotions. It isn’t a sign of weakness, quite the opposite, it’s a sign of absolute strength.

I hope that through honesty, coaching and putting my beliefs into practice, I continue to influence and inspire women to navigate their professional life with the knowledge and belief that anything is possible.

How has Privalgo empowered you as a woman?

I felt empowered from the moment I first spoken with our CEO, Dan. He’s the only CEO I’ve met that’s truly passionate about people. When I had reservations about coming back into the city after a three-year career break, when it felt impossible as a busy mum of three young boys, he showed an unwavering belief in my ability to add value to Privalgo.

He empowered me to do the same and gave me something I’ve never had before: the autonomy to make my week work for me. This means I no longer have to pick between raising my family and having a career. Privalgo has given me the platform to have both.

I’m being led with trust. I’m being coached. And I’m having grown up and honest conversations about everything that’s important to my career and how I deliver for Privalgo. I’m empowered to be brave and try things out, to make mistakes and to learn. Not just by my seniors, but by my peers too.

Empowerment is at the core of our culture and I feel very grateful to be part of Team P.