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Kirti Talwar

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Kirti Talwar

Senior Assistant Vice President

AONHEWITT

Degree that I recommend

MBA in finance or CA is what I would recommend to build knowledge in finance domain. However degree is not only thing to be successful...you have to implement your learnings and upskill yourself constantly

Couple of years from now

Managing Finance Center...helping clients and collegues to acheive their goals. Mentoring young women to shapre their carrers and contributing to society. Last but not the least I want to enjoy what I'm doing because that inspires you to give your best.

Initiative to develop a country

- Serve society - Educate people and spread awareness about education. Once we are able to increase education levels, poverty will decline. It was change future of many lives and familes....not just for themselves but for their coming generations.
- Take charge - Most of us crib about things missing in our country...be it political system, cleaninless etc etc. We need to contribute...find out time to be part of political system, as a professional do drives towards cleanliness...start with youself, with your family and take it to society.

Thoughts on Education system of our country

Practical usage - It is very critical to make education learning based. We ask kids to cram the subject and only focus is to get marks...not to learn.
Competetion - We need to change the mindset.Parents focus on their children staying ahead of the game. Schools value top performenrs...no one looks at "individual" strenthgs and skills. We need to change this and need to give opportunity to each and every child.
Use technology - Lot of international schools are using smart boards etc..it's a great usage of technology to create interest in students however we need to have it on broader level,... need to help taking this to smaller schools and cities.
Joint ownership of parents and schools - Lot of prarents are not equipped to support children in their curriculum. Schools can help parents upskilling themselves thereby taking joint ownership of education...may be workshops that are learning based with kids and parents together as part of Continued education program.

My strongest skill

Solid Finance Base -I did my articleship wherein I learned fundamentals. It is very crucial to have right fundamentals in place. They are always useful no matter what level you grow.

Embrace change- I beleive change is constant and I drive this in my team...always thinking how we can bring more value to our customer,employees and ourselves.

Positive mindset - No matter what situation it is we are together in it as a team and we'll take the challenge and exceed expactation .When 10 right things happen 1 wrong can happen too....as a leader it is not just a skill but a responsibility to support team and not let that anger /frustation go to the team.
Emotional Intellience - We work with people and not machines...it is very imporatnt to read behind the scenes feelings...which can go a long way bulding strongest teams, having strong relationsship with clients.

My achievements

- Bring client value - In whatever roles I have undertaken in my carrer I'm proud of thinking from client perspective...bringing value for them.

- Awards and recognition -Have received several accolades , awards and recognition like CFA oward, platimum award, annual gold awards, Client awards etc.

- Bulding strong teams - No matter which team I have worked with I'm proud to have people in my team that I'm still connected with. It is not about that role....it about building long term relationsships

One personal acheivement I also want to mention -I'm proud to multitask and hopefully doing fairly good job managing my son, family and work. I have strong support of my husband and family and I'm proud that I have come long way irrespective of various challenges faced. .

Qualities needed to become a successful leader

Long term vision - It is important to have long term vision and not focus on current tasks in hand.

Drive change and bring value - As a leader you can never get complacent....you always have to be on your toes thinking and pushing your teams to think on how we can do it better.
Fair and transparent- More and more organizations are focussing on "how" you acehived your goal and not just what goal your acheived. I think it is very crucial quality of successful leader. No matter how tough situation is successful leader will never ever bend their integrity and values.
Communication - Very important quality that can be learned. As you grow up the value chain it is very critical how you interact with custonmer, teams, peers, authorieis.Clear , crips communication is really pcrical to keep everyone on same pagew and avoid any confusion at any levels.

My family background

My Father is in service and my mother's homemaker. I have one younger brother who is heading marketing and business development for iyogi. I have been married for 11 years and my husband is working with HSBC. My son is 7 years old. We are very closely knitted family and love to spend good quality family time...playing, going for walks and vacations. Teaching my son is equally fun :-). I love cooking and sometimes feel if i wound't have been in corporate i would have opened my restaurant...I experiment cooking all cusines...mexican, italian, thai, southindia, north indian etc.

Ensuring success

Keep your mind open and keep your ego at rest. If you want to be happy and succccessful in life, never stop learning is what I sincerly beleive in. You can constantly learn from situations and people around you. Each day is new learning for me. Taking different challenges, working with diversified people gives me opportunity to constantly learn. You also need to keep your knowledge updated by reading...whether it's new govt regulations, rules or laws. You need to constantly learn.Another important are to learn is to chaallenge status co. More we challenge the way we do things more insights we get about how we can do it better and differently.

Important lesson learned

Positive attitude - You need to have mental strength to remain poistive in life. When life is smooth it is easy to follow however when going get tough the tough gets going. It's all in the mind I very often say. Limitations in our mind controls us...it is important to understand that if we are willing we can change everything. God helps .....what we need to do it our bit.

Beleive in your self/ have confidence - Being women it is all the more important becasue sometime perception is that women's carrer is scondary compred to men. Bit is important to identify your strengths and beleive in them...it is equally important tto identify our developments needs and making genuine efforts towards imporiving them.

Take challgenes and never stop learning is what i want t osay alast but not the least. WWorst that can happen is statusco...so be fearless take challegens and learn and enjoy on the way

Brief description about me

Finance professional with over 14 years of diverse experience in finance, ERP implementation, transtions. I'm MBA in finance and Certified Mortgage Banker. Completed my articleship with CA firm and joined Genpact wherein I grew as manager and got diverse experience of Closing and reporting, consolidation of financials forInsurance segment, transtions and consuting for Genpact customers. Moved to Aonhewitt handling team of 10 collegues when finance shared services center was being created, lead design of processes, sox controls and training for al finance users for PS9.0 implletation (3 yr global implementation project) and now handling 190 collegues working on Revenue, and Invocicing (OTC) for all Aon Hewitt customers. Personally I'm married for 11 years, have a son who is 7 year old, love traveeling and reading whenever i get time. Have earned various accolades and awards throughout my carrer....love each day of my professional and personal life.

More about myself

One things I want to share is that Life is blessing and we get to live it once....take challenges, have no regrets, move on , spend time with your loved ones, beleive in one supreme power and enjoy life to fullest.

My role model

I don't have any specific role model but qualities from various leaders inspires me like
- Empahty and humanity from Mother Teresa
- Perfect Planning and execution by Sreedharan ...man behind delhi metro
- Humility from Mr Warner
- Courage from Mr Abdul Kalam

Important decision

- Continue pursue my dreams - Even after my son was born I decided to continue working and pursue my professional dreams. God helps you to support your decisions and manage your life if you have conviction.

- Diversying my profile - From Closing reporting,consulting to client helping them fix their proceses. From ERP implentation to manange large team . Have constantly diversified so that there is never a day with complancency.

Influenced by

My father - His positivity is unmatched. He says there's never a fight or arugement...it's always difference of opiniion and it will be there when two eople work or even live together. Changes complete perspective and makes you more humble to accept "different" point of view. Also, way he learnings....few yeard back he didn't know how to operate a computer or phoine...now he can write books. He's constantly learning / engaged kinsipres me that there is no age if you want to learn.