Akanksha Sindwani, Deputy Vice President of RBL Bank in India, is this year’s Highly Commended Winner for Leading Light Asia Pacific.

Following a philosophy of learning, consistent movement and prioritising outcomes not outputs, has seen Akanksha grow from “a little girl confused standing in a crowd struggling to find her place to a well-established lady”, after 13 years.

While working as a deputy manager at HDFC Bank in 2016, Akanksha found an office where staff were encouraged to work late to demonstrate to senior managers that they were overloaded with work. Work at the department also tended to “pile up”, she adds.

Akanksha led by example and managed her day-to-day work to ensure it was completed within regular business hours, helping to end the late-night culture within three months of her joining the bank. This leadership strategy was acknowledged and commended by the senior leadership at HDFC at the time.

She attributes her initiative in starting a task and guiding a team accordingly as core to the quality of her leadership.

Key to ensuring a congenial work environment and basic amenities in the work premises is to optimise for the most effective use of funds, she claims.

“Inspiration is one of the keys,” says Akanksha. “I always inspire my team and keep them updated with the latest in the market.”

The bulk of Akanksha’s professional career has focused on augmenting organisational performance with proficiency in trade finance sales and operations in all trade products with a core focus on bank guarantees, import bills, export finance, and confirmation discounting in coordination with banks.

After studying electronics and communication engineering, at the Gurgaon Institute of Technology and Management, Maharishi Dayanand University, Akanksha transitioned into banking. She began her financial journey as a front desk officer at Axis Bank’s Rajouri Branch. It was here that she learned to “survive” the industry, she says. From her experience in retail banking at Axis, Akanksha transitioned to trade finance at Yes Bank, where she became a team leader for bank guarantees in North and East India.

Within the banking industry, she has experience in increasing revenue and efficiency, with expertise in trade finance sales. She has over 12 years of experience in trade operations, cash management services and working capital. She has driven sales initiatives to achieve business goals, resulting in over 200% revenue growth. The sales promotional activities she has implemented played a part in various banks, where she worked, brand building and market development efforts.

In Akanksha’s current role as Deputy Vice President at RBL Bank in India, she manages the Haryana region as a product head for trade finance. This includes liaising with the operational and central teams to meet and serve clients’ trade-related queries and requirements.