S2 #9 How to champion yourself and build visibility with Uma Thana Balasingam

ReWrite The Rules

How can a pianist become a leader in the tech world? In this episode, we have a conversation with Uma, the founder of Lean In Singapore and a seasoned technology sales leader with 20 years of experience. Uma shares her inspiring journey from aspiring pianist to tech innovator, her challenges with confidence, and her passion for advancing women in the workplace. Discover how she navigated her career, overcame obstacles, and championed herself to success. Tune in for an empowering conversation about perseverance, visibility, and the power of mentorship!

IN THIS EPISODE
(00:00) How did Uma’s journey from music to tech begin?
(01:00) What challenges did Uma face as a woman in tech?
(04:00) How can women build confidence in the workplace?
(06:00) What are Uma’s tips for increasing visibility at work?
(10:00) How can you successfully find and approach a mentor?
(13:00) Who were Uma’s key mentors and how did they impact her career?
(17:00) How does one’s definition of success evolve over time?
(20:00) Why is it okay to pursue promotions and financial goals?
(21:00) What advice would Uma give her younger self?

Our Guest: Uma Thana Balasingam
Uma Thana Balasingam is the co-founder of Lean In Singapore and the founder of Lean In Women in Technology Asia & Women In Technology Singapore which has >800 members today. LeanIn.Org was founded by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to empower women to achieve their ambitions. Lean In Singapore, founded in 2016, is a community of over 2000 women that comes together to be inspired, empowered and educated with a focus on driving gender diversity in the workplace.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/umathana/

Your Hosts: Ritu Gupta Mehrish
Ritu Gupta Mehrish is a speaker, executive coach and author, with 20 years of corporate experience working in companies such as P&G, GE Capital and GE spin-off Genpact. In her last role, Ritu ran a multimillion-dollar business vertical with 1000 people across eight countries and five continents. Throughout her extensive career, Ritu has had the opportunity to work, coach and converse with leaders across the globe from diverse industries. Her business and leadership experience has enabled her to bring in a pragmatic approach to leadership development. Her client list of Google, PayPal, Swiss Re, JP Morgan, Applied Materials, Intel, Knight Frank, Johnson & Johnson, AIA, Medtronic, Wharton Executive Education highlights the level of expertise she brings to the leadership topic.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritugmehrish/
https://www.ritumehrish.com/

Rajita Saxena is a leader and people manager with over 20 years of business experience in sales, sales support, strategic operations, and learning & development. She builds strong, high-performing teams and believes in being a Level 5 leader to unleash the potential and performance of teams. She thrives in an environment that provides an opportunity to problem solve or create impact, whether it is a situation that is full of change and ambiguity or one that requires creating a strategy.

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