Women in Business Fall 2017

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12 | WOMEN IN BUSINESS—FALL 2017 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER Career calling | Five women making it happen MEERU DHALWALA, CO-OWNER AND CHEF, VIJ’S, RANGOLI AND MY SHANTI RESTAURANTS, COOK- BOOK AUTHOR Meeru Dhalwala calls the wildly successful restaurant and cuisine business she owns with husband Vikram Vij her “accidental career.” Born in India and raised in Washington, D.C., Dhalwala moved to Vancouver to join her new husband in 1995 without a work permit. Vij – from whom she is separated but who remains a business partner, co-parent and very close friend – had just opened a small, 14-seat restaurant. “I was just hanging around because I couldn’t work,” she says. In need of both money and something to do, and in possession of a master’s degree in Third World economic development that she could not put to use in Canada, Dhalwala began making chai tea for customers. Then she made a ginger-lemon drink. “I taught myself how to cut an onion, I taught myself how to cut garlic, and then I went back to my childhood and said Mom used to do this, she used to roast all the spices. I really taught myself how to make Indian food based on what I ate growing up,” she says. “I discovered something that I loved.” Her first bit of advice: don’t overlook Plan B. Or Plan C. “We’ve been raised by our parents and our society to follow our passion. We focus so much on passion that if we don’t get that passion we feel like ‘Oh my God, I don’t have the right career.’ But sometimes there’s nothing wrong with No. 2 or No. 3,” she says. She and Vij quickly discovered they had a strong business relationship. While they were both excellent chefs, Dhalwala gravitated to the kitchen, while he excelled at the front of the house. Their restaurant became the toast of the town. A second restaurant opened. Then a third. There are cookbooks, a line of take-home curries, television appearances. But it wasn’t easy. Her next piece of advice: have courage. “Anybody who’s thinking about opening up their own business, they’re going to have to be brave,” says Dhalwala, speaking days after she returned from a learnto-surf vacation in Nicaragua. At age 53. More advice: be honest and learn to take feedback. Despite the success, Dhalwala never feels they’ve “made it.” The restaurant business is a tough one and she and Vij take nothing for granted. They are always striving to do better. “I pinch myself all the time,” she says. BRENDA LEONG CHAIR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BC SECURITIES COMMISSION I can be in a meeting where I may be one of three women in a group of 20. Sometimes I’m the only woman in the entire room. It’s not lost on me but at the same time I never look at it as a barrier BRENDA LEONG, CHAIR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BC SECURITIES COMMISSIONBrenda Leong had a finance degree, a law degree and no clear idea of the career path she wanted to follow. Her father was an entrepreneur and businessman and she liked business. She was looking for a purposeful career, something inspiring, working alongside people she enjoyed. “I found that at the commission. When you find something inspiring or a place where you’re inspired – wherever that is – it makes it easy to like what you’re doing and it makes it easy to do great work there,” Leong says. It will be 25 years this year since she joined the BC Securities Commission. She’s held a half-dozen different positions and she is still inspired. “It is still very, very male dominated in the corporate finance world. I can be in a meeting where I may be one of three women in a group of 20. Sometimes I’m the only woman in the entire room. It’s not lost on me but at the same time I never look at it as a barrier,” she says. “I look at people in the room and I treat them all as my equals and when I go into a room thinking that, I never feel intimidated by it.” Education was very important in Leong’s family home growing up in Calgary. “I have a daughter who is in university now and I tell her that being top of the class is not the key to success. Having the right attitude, I always say to her, is more than half of the equation.” Leong is a champion of a thoughtful workplace, and looks for that attribute in others and opportunities to help those with it move up. She has had several such supporters herself, including a former vice-chair of the commission. “He was somebody actually I was afraid of, which made it all the more rewarding when he acknowledged some of the great work that I did here,” she says. “It made all the difference.” Her advice to other career women is to follow your instincts. “Sometimes that means taking risks and feeling uncomfortable,” she says. “I find that challenges, the kind that make you feel a bit scared, are the ones that help you grow personally and professionally.”
| 13 BREAKING THE MOULD RAVINDER MANHAS | How I thrived in a male-dominated industry You cannot be afraid to say you don’t understand something. Fear impairs your ability to learn “I am not your mother. I am your boss, leader, mentor, and that means I will support you in your career growth.” This mantra has served me well as I was surrounded by men on my climb to becoming head of finance for a global financial technology (fintech) company. Today I am thrilled to be on an executive team of 10 with three other women. Four years ago, this was not the case. In Canada, men are two to three times more likely than women to be in a senior management position. In financial services, the average proportion of female directors is only 32 per cent, which is only slightly better than the average proportion of female executives at 29 per cent. At this rate, true gender parity won’t happen for decades to come. For those on similar journeys or situations, here are some things that I’ve learned along the way to breaking the mould: My journey at work paralleled my journey through motherhood. As I progressed through various positions, I also juggled raising my two daughters. Every mother takes a different approach; I purposely took a non-leadership position after returning to work after my second maternity leave. This allowed me to leave my work at work, and return home to my family on time. As my responsibilities grew at work, my husband took on more responsibilities at home. I would not to be able to do what I do without the support system he gives me. As I climbed the corporate ladder, I found myself surrounded by men. In the early days of working at Beanstream (now Bambora), I was the only female voice at the executive table. It wasn’t always easy, but it wasn’t always hard either. When you find your peers are mostly men, it can be difficult for numerous reasons. Not only do men and women work differently, but you may feel like you are trying to prove the importance of female leaders. Know that it isn’t about just picking your battles; it is going all the way when you do. By doing this, I earned the respect of my peers and was able to guide our company forward with them even if we disagreed. But enough about me. My advice to you, whether you are just starting your career, stepping into a male-dominated industry, or trying to climb the corporate ladder, is this: you cannot be afraid to say you don’t understand something. Fear impairs your ability to learn. Even though I work in a fintech company, I have never coded. If I cannot understand an issue our head of development is having, I cannot offer support and vice versa. We need to ask the stupid questions to get to the hard-hitting ones. Never be afraid to understand your business, problems. By having the courage to say it like it is, or stating that you don’t understand something, you will be able to do your role more effectively. You cannot sugar-coat things or else the business, your team and your career will suffer. My journey is not your journey, but our struggles and challenges may be the same. I am not your mother; I am not here to parent or micromanage you, but instead to guide and support you. Find out what works for you and stick to it. Not every moment will be easy. There will be long nights and early mornings. And like me, you may find yourself in a stalemate at one point, with your job on the line. If you want to challenge the status quo or earn your place, you must do just that; challenge and earn. Ravinder Manhas is head of finance for Bambora North America.
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Women in Business Fall 2017

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