Shalinee Laddha
Class of 2005

Previous Occupation:  Product Manager - Johnson and Johnson Ltd
Present Occupation: CMO, Laddha Associates, Kiran Textiles, Sunshine Corporation
Sector:  Textiles - yarn trading, Electronic - test and measuring equipment - for the Power sector, Education and Marketing consultant
Work Experience:  Almost 13 years - in Sales, Marketing and Business Development
Professional Interests:  Financial Market working, Designing education programmes for Women, Professional Networking
Personal Interests: Golf, Yoga, Classical Singing, Volunteer for NGO - GiveIndia

She is the mentor for every ISB student who is a woman. Shalinee Ladhaa's journey to being the CMO of Laddha Associates, Kiran Textiles, Sunshine Corporation is inspiring. She completed her studies at the ISB while being a mother to a eight year old boy. To know how she juggled between family and making her dream come true, read Shalinee Ladhaa's story to success.

Tell us about your organisation/ profession and your role.
I am a budding entrepreneur – with interests in diverse areas like education, textile, power, and financial services. I work as CMO for a group of companies. My expertise lies in Marketing and Strategy. I am also looking after Business Development and Relationship Management temporarily.
 
How did you manage with a young son during your course at the ISB? 
I am often asked how I managed with a young son at the ISB – he was then 8 years old.  We decided that it was not prudent to shift my son, Pradyumna for a year to the ISB as it is tough to get admission in a good school in Mumbai. It was the more difficult for me to stay at the ISB as I knew that I would have to live without him for a year. My husband Rajesh should get the most credit for helping me through this difficult phase – both mentally and with logistics as he assumed my role for 11 months. However, my son finally stayed for almost 4 months on campus.

The ISB as an institution recognises that family is an integral part of the student and goes to great lengths to make the spouse and child comfortable on campus. This helps the students’ focus on their studies and makes the family stay an enjoyable and memorable experience. I think the vision of the management at the ISB coupled with the rich and mature faculty and staff, the diverse fellow student body and their spouses, the Sarovar staff, the then Dean M Rammohan Rao, then Assistant Dean Ajit Rangnekar and Savita Mahajan have all worked hard to make staying at the ISB one of my now 13 year old son’s most memorable days.

 There were days on campus when I would meet him only for a few minutes in a day – however the support system of the ISB made sure that he was not perturbed. Ajit consented to him attending class with me and he had special meals, liberty to roam the safest campus on earth at will, use all the sporting facilities and was surrounded by friendly people all around He got rather spoiled and was sorry when I finally came back to Mumbai. However, he now makes it a point to accompany me to all the solstice meets.

What is  your advice to women on how to focus on work-life balance ?
Many prospective ISB women aspirants, and often many current batch students, and alumni seek my views on work life balance and how to maximise the learnings from ISB. I feel ISB prepares a student to tackle any role - be it as a professional or as an entrepreneur. The focus as a woman should not be on comparing oneself with any other man or woman. Each one is different and with a different set of circumstances.

Hence it’s important that one analyses one’s situation and one’s aspirations and finds a balance. What may fit one may not be another woman’s cup of tea. Often work will take priority – and that is when most of the times the family support system may take a setback. But there are many who do not have any support system – and at such a time – there is no harm in taking a step back – and working out the family problems. With your ISB skills, you will be adroit in multitasking and quickly tide over the problems and lead again. One piece of advice is to start planning for a family quickly–so that at the age of 35, your child is a teenager who is fairly independent and a support system for you.

 
What is your vision for the School?
My vision for the School is that it becomes an institution with one of the highest ratio of women candidates in the world - students and successful women alumni working in leading positions and the largest body of women entrepreneurs.

What role can the alumni play in building the School?
Alums will play a major role in achieving the above mentioned mission. We not only have to be in a good position ourselves but also support other ISBians across batches. Solstice should have greater attendance, with a large number of alums networking and sharing across batches.

Which is the area you could contribute to the ISB?
I have been mentoring many women prospective candidates, alums and women studying in the current batch. I shall continue to do so.  I would also like to use my expertise in communication, marketing and relationship management – to further the cause of the ISB’s mission.