A working mom warrior, who has been driving Information Security across several disciplines for the BFSI sector with a broad customer perspective for a decade, Shakthi is currently the VP and Head of Information Security and IT at Funding Societies | Modalku Group - the largest SME digital financing platform in South East Asia.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

As much as I am all for digital transformation in this era, my primary goal is to always take a balanced, pragmatic approach to risk management in everything at/outside of work. To that end, I constantly strive and rally along my stakeholders for risk management to enhance and improve our lives, rather than to limit our actions.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Being a working mom warrior, who is constantly seeking the sweet spot juggling motherhood, career, and marriage.
2. Successfully inspiring and supporting several young girls and women, who had taken career breaks, to get back into the workforce and carve out flourishing careers for themselves – be it in risk management or in other domains.
3. Being able to bounce back from 2 consecutive major surgeries and postpartum depression, all within a few months, to an exciting role in information security risk management with one of the top FinTech companies in South East Asia and making a notable impact shortly after joining the company.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

Taking the leap from a 7+ year long career with one of the biggest global investment banks to a regional FinTech, which had just begun to build out its information security risk management capabilities… Looking back at the communities I have been able to improve through my work since I took the leap, it is undoubtedly one of the best decisions of my life.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

Never one to shy away from calling a spade a spade, whenever anyone needs me, I will be there as a pillar of support and strength for them.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

Being able to really understand the business they support so that they can have great conversations with business leaders as professionals with different, but supporting, skills and objectives.