A decade and a half ago (which sounds far older than I’d like to admit), I began my professional journey as an engineer. Like most fresh graduates, I was enthusiastic. There is a certain charm in stepping into the corporate world for the first time, walking into a large organization, settling into a well-set desk, completing your tasks, getting paid for it, and feeling, at least momentarily, like you have it all figured out. I enjoyed the routine, the people, and the idea of belonging to something structured but there was always a quiet disconnect. Nothing was overtly wrong, which also made it harder to explain. I was progressing, but not in a direction that felt entirely my own. Over time, that feeling became harder to ignore.
Choosing to pivot into law was not a grand, well-thought-out decision, quite the opposite actually. I was on what felt like the default trajectory: a BE followed by plans to pursue an MBA in search of something more meaningful. Around that time, while hosting an internal corporate event, someone remarked that I had strong stage presence and public speaking skills, and should consider litigation. It sounded mildly entertaining at the time; however, that observation lingered and eventually altered the course of my career. It is not the version I usually share in interviews; I prefer to sound a little more planned.
Starting afresh was not easy. It comes with a certain humility - learning again, establishing credibility from scratch, and finding your place all over again. While “starting over” proved far less romantic in reality than it sounds in theory, for the first time, the work felt aligned with how I think. Along the way, I also became aware of the realities of professional spaces that are not always designed to accommodate you easily. There were moments of being unheard and spoken over. It felt, at times, that I had to be twice as consistent to be half as visible. Alongside this, I faced personal challenges that demanded a level of resilience I had not anticipated; choosing to continue quietly and consistently, rather than step back, became my strength.
These experiences shaped the values I now consider non-negotiable. Fairness is central to how I approach my work, not just as an expectation, but as something I actively try to build. Integrity, equally, is what gives weight to one’s voice. I also believe that growth in any workplace is rarely individual; it is collective. When I think about my own growth, I naturally link it with the growth of my team. It has never been about moving ahead at the cost of replacing someone else, but about strengthening the system as a whole.
At Lucky Cement, I have been given the platform to take ownership of my role and contribute beyond execution, and for that, I am genuinely grateful. Being entrusted with a senior position, along with the space to influence, has allowed me to move beyond delivery and participate in shaping how work is approached. As I quickly realised, doing so is both an opportunity and a responsibility, and occasionally, a test of patience. I stepped into this role with a clear intent: to bring structure where there was ambiguity, consistency where there were gaps, and fairness where it was not always evident in how work was assessed and decisions were made. Over time, this has contributed to a more grounded way of functioning.
I have also tried, within my sphere of influence, to create an environment where contributions are assessed on merit, where clarity replaces assumption, and where people can engage with confidence in how their work will be received. If that has made even a small difference, I consider that meaningful.
My experience here hasn’t always been straightforward, and it continues to evolve. But the ability to contribute to that shift, even in measured ways, has been one of the more rewarding aspects of my time. At its core, nothing has been without its challenges and that, perhaps, has been the most consistent element of all. But I remain, deliberately and decisively, present and moving forward through it all.
And if there is one thing I would say to other women navigating similar paths, it is this: do not step back every time the ground shifts beneath you. The system may not always be fair, and the space may not always feel secure, but your consistency, your resilience, and your refusal to be pushed out quietly is what creates change over time.
