Podcast transcript: Preeti Sahu (PS): Hello, welcome back to yet another episode of our podcast – Sabre Souvenirs! I hope you are taking good care of yourselves. If you follow our podcast, you’d know our last episode was a hit with our audience as our talent acquisition head- Vijay Aloysius gave practical tips on getting one’s dream job! I am Preeti Sahu, the host for today’s podcast and I have with me- Bindu Surendran- Senior Principal , Delivery management  for Professional Services and Consulting Support. She’s amongst one of the women leaders shaping the future of travel technology at Sabre. Welcome to our podcast Bindu! How are you doing?  Why don’t you introduce yourself to our audience? Bindu Surendran (BS) :Hello Everyone , have been working with Sabre for two and a half years and had a great journey so far , I come from an Aviation background hence bring in the customer perspective which greatly helps when we collaborate with product and development teams with our organization and also add value when the products are delivered to our customers.  PS: You are amongst one of the celebrated women leaders at Sabre. Tell us more about your career journey so far. BS: I think what helped me succeed was being open to capitalizing on the right opportunities when they come along even when it wasn’t a time that I was not comfortable with in my personal life. In such situations I tried to look at the need of the hour in terms of the larger picture and make decisions based on my future growth. PS: Umm hmm BS: The strong professional and personal support systems helped me focus on the task at hand. I toiled to make myself more ready at adapting to newer technologies with an open mind to learning and overcoming barriers to growth. I consciously made an effort to build my network and worked on the conscious decision of giving to them as much and more than what I expect and get from them. Challenges for women in technology have persisted in recent years, despite widespread efforts to increase diversity and inclusion. As technology has grown to permeate nearly every facet of our lives, the percentage of women versus men in technology has declined. Women staff may be inclined to leave a company if they feel out of place or don’t see a path for advancement. If they don’t look up and see women in upper management, it makes them wonder if they belong. At Sabre we all love technology and believe in its power to solve problems and create world changing products. We understand and recognize the progress women have made individually, overcoming the impediments still in the way as we evolve and surpass the looming diversity crisis. PS: You mean pushing past your comfort zone, leaning in and a supportive workplace helped you rise and shine! Right? PS: You talked about empowering women to achieve their full potential in the organization. Share your thoughts on how everyone can contribute to it BS: In today’s society it is clear that a woman is unstoppable once she realizes her inner strength. No obstacle can hinder her growth and prevent her from achieving her dreams. Each one of us can contribute to promoting leadership growth for women by rewriting the rules with an emphasis on work – life effectiveness, corporate social responsibility and entrepreneurship, with a more egalitarian, collaborative and networked approach. As leaders we need to have a deep sense of empathy for others and have a desire to make each day better than the last. PS: Hmm. Empathy is the keyword here! Noted Bindu. Can you share with us what inspired you to get into technology and if there were any challenges you faced?  Also share with us how you overcame them? BS: Digital is at the heart of the technology revolution. The industry has suffered from skill shortages and the inability to fit in the right people. I got inspired to join this domain because of the numerous opportunities and the growth path to advance in my career. The challenges faced during my career has been no different from the others. I too had to navigate my way trying to manage in a male oriented culture of the aviation industry. By leaning-in and holding my own due to my capabilities and strengths I gained confidence and respect at the workplace. I reviewed my definition of success and stopped evaluating it by someone else’s point of view. I decided I would take failures in my stride and use my unique experiences as a stepping stone to move to the next level. PS: Wow! That’s an inspirational journey that will help us all to keep moving ahead for sure Any closing thoughts? BS: No matter where you go, don’t lose who you are. Step out, take risks, and remember not to fear failure –it is one of the biggest impediments to success. Make sure you are giving time to your team to stretch opportunities They must feel that they are working for someone confident who is willing to take risks with them. Once you do that, you will be there to back them if situations gets tough. And do the same for yourself too. PS: Thank you so much for your time Bindu! I hope our listeners enjoyed our discussion today and are inspired to be themselves while they continue to find opportunities to make a difference with their work. We will keep coming back with more stories in our upcoming podcast. The link to our podcast will be updated on our website as and when they happen. So listeners! Don’t forget to keep visiting our YouTube channel and other social media channels for more such interesting stories  from our team member’s experiences! Until then, stay safe and happy!