Celebrating an amazing year...

I recently marked a significant personal milestone of one year of leading Deutsche India. The role was an interesting one that challenged and encouraged me to think more inclusively in new ways. My other roles as global CIO of Corporate functions and head of global Technology Centres are predominantly tech-based. In contrast, the CEO of Deutsche India comprises diverse functions such as risk, operations, and finance. Working with teams across locations, roles, and functions has been an extraordinary privilege. I have learnt so much in the past year and am grateful for all the support that I have received.

In today’s age of easy-to-access-information, multiple and instant communication channels, there are so many opinions, voices, and perspectives that it is essential to provide a clear organisational view to employees and listen to their feedback. Using multiple channels is an excellent way of reaching across the breadth and depth of the organisation. I am lucky to have a strong leadership team who reiterates the same message with their teams. Communication becomes essential as we aim for?simplification, as organisations can sometimes be complex and cumbersome to navigate. No organisation is exempt, but the smart ones focus on simplifying processes, tools, and operations. Today’s market demands flexibility and agility to adapt to dynamic changes and empower teams to achieve stretch goals. The impact of our simplification initiatives has shown what is possible when processes enable and empower employees and help them achieve goals.

Simplification often leads to transparency and easier?collaboration.?When the pandemic struck, we fast-tracked the introduction of collaboration tools and electronic signatures for departments needing signing documents. But investing in collaboration tools is only half the story. What we need is an authentic, hands-on culture of collaboration. One of the best examples I can think of is Bank on Tech. It’s an annual, multi-country hackathon where teams come together to create solutions: from small and incremental to large, innovative ones. These events span across Technology, Operations, Finance and Risk divisions. These events bring the teams within different divisions together. There is no better example of collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas. Collaboration leads to?increased trust. And trust is the basis for everything we do. My lesson is that trust is nurtured in small, everyday actions - listening to what teams need, following through, and communicating on time and honestly. While none of this is new, the pandemic forced us to revisit the basics. One of my favourite events is an open and informal monthly session with around 15-20 individuals. No topic is off the table, and we’ve discussed everything from working hours and hiring to diversity and promotions. The energy people bring to work across the bank is infectious.

Last but not least,?learning?is essential, permanent part of all our lives, and we continuously unlearn, learn, and adapt. When we signed a multi-year deal with Google Cloud (GCP) to overhaul our IT, one of the most pressing needs was to train and upskill our people on the platform. We are ensuring training for all technologists in the bank. In India, nearly 70% of our developers have completed GCP training, and some of them even have done certifications. Our holistic approach includes learning, performance, and development. Based on conversations with employees, we continuously study the horizon to understand what future skills look like and upgrade performance parameters. But it doesn’t end there. We are also committed to measuring the impact of our learning programs and how learning interventions impact day-to-day work from a business and individual point of view.

So Deutsche India, thank you for a fantastic year! Thank you for the friendship, the video calls, the remote chai sessions, and the?vada pav?when I visit Mumbai. Thank you for the heart that you put into making Deutsche Bank a forerunner of change and evolution.

What has the last year taught you?