Episode Details

Gayatri Kalyanaraman is in conversation with Rupam Tandon,  Financial Executive with 30 years of experience across banking, asset management, and insurance. She’s also a certified Independent Director (IoD), ESG specialist, and startup mentor. She talks about her journey starting in a small town to traveling the globe and literally spreading her wings. Gayatri Kalyanaraman, Host for Software People Stories podcast and co-founder Sangatna Angels welcomes Rupam Tandon and sets the tone for an inspiring conversation about leadership, resilience, and governance. Highlights of the conversation are here

01:00 – Early Career and Foundations in Finance

Rupam shares her beginnings in Dubai’s financial industry during the 1990s — a period of rapid banking expansion — and lessons on trust, relationships, and financial discipline.

03:00 – London Years & the Global Financial Crisis

She moves to London to work with asset managers and hedge funds, witnessing firsthand the subprime crisis and collapse of major institutions like Lehman Brothers and AIG.

07:00 – Return to India & Setting Up Global Operations

Rupam explains her decision to return to India for family reasons and how she helped transition a major bank’s operations from Ireland to Bangalore — navigating SEC and FCA audits successfully.

10:00 – The Shift to Insurance and Building Communities

She discusses moving from investment banking to insurance, leading initiatives in Risk, ESG, and Cyber, and mentoring senior executives.

13:00 – Reflections on Technology & Automation

From manual processes to automation and bots — Rupam contrasts the early years of finance with today’s data-driven governance and the rise of straight-through processing (STP).

16:00 – Navigating Change and Cultural Adaptation

Growing up in Lucknow and moving across continents, Rupam reflects on adapting to different work cultures, continuous learning, and seizing opportunities.

20:00 – Decision-Making and Balancing Life & Work

Rupam shares personal stories about taking career risks, balancing motherhood, and receiving mentorship and compassion from colleagues during turbulent times.

24:00 – Continuous Learning & Board Readiness

She outlines her professional upskilling journey — courses from ISB, IIM Bangalore, and IoD — and her belief in lifelong learning as a foundation for effective governance.

27:00 – Second Innings: Purpose and Governance for the Future

Rupam shares her vision for the next decade — mentoring startups, strengthening governance frameworks, and shaping ethical, transparent organizations.

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