International Impact: Alka Banerjee

Though she moved to the USA in 1994, she can be rightly called a global citizen as she seems to live out of a suitcase, travelling often for work. Alka Banerjee, the managing director of strategy and global equity indices at Standard & Poor’s Dow Jones Indices, comes regularly to India to oversee Asia Index Pvt Ltd, a joint venture with the Bombay Stock Exchange. Before Banerjee left for the US, she worked for the State Bank of India.

Biggest challenge: “We are a global business and have clients around the world. Understanding each one’s style of doing business and needs, and designing products that can cater to their specific parameters and delivering it to them in a manner conducive to long-term relationship building is essential and the most challenging part of my role. Global interaction makes my own experiences richer.”

Proudest moment: “There are many moments of pride and joy at small accomplishments. The most meaningful invariably tend to be deeply personal ones like when young colleagues tell you that you have been an inspiration to them and motivated them to push their own limits. That is very humbling as well as rewarding.”

An inspirational quote: “‘An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind’ by Mahatma Gandhi. It has always taught me to let go of baggage that can drag you down.”

What drives her: “A constant pleasure and enjoyment in what I do, a drive to do the best I can for my clients and my organisation, and a thirst to continuously upgrade my knowledge.”

Essence of power: “The ability to help others and be an aid to the empowerment of the next generation.”

Read about our next power woman, Kamala Harris.