Startup Struggles to Global Leadership with Vidya Kabra

Startup Struggles to Global Leadership with Vidya Kabra

Author: PM Power Consulting March 7, 2025 Duration: 50:19

Our regular and long time listeners know that we dedicate the month of March every year for our special women guests.


Welcome to the first special episode for March, 2025.

In this episode, I am in conversation with Vidya Kabra, a Global Tech and QA leader with over 30 years of experience in the global IT industry.


She talks about:

  - Overcoming challenges from a traditional Marwadi family to pursue education and career.

  - Early struggles with a startup due to lack of job opportunities in Maharashtra.

  - Transition to corporate roles in Bangalore.

  - Rapid growth from project management to leading quality for Toshiba worldwide.

  - Challenges of managing family expectations and career aspirations.

  - Importance of discipline, meditation, and effective time management.

  - Utilizing domestic help and prioritizing quality time with children.

  - Tips for women to communicate their career goals to family.

  - Encouragement for women to pursue leadership and strategic roles in IT.

  - Managing work from home vs. office dynamics.

  - Creating a supportive home office environment.

  - Leveraging work-from-home benefits for women in IT.

  - How horizontal roles help in being more visible and enable Career Growth

  - Encouragement for exploring various IT roles beyond development.

  - Collaboration between developers and testers for improved quality.

  - Career Tips

Vidya is a Global Tech and QA leader for around 30 years in IT industry driving Strategic Transformation at scale and Quality Automation for large Global Tech driven businesses at Wipro, Toshiba, Fiserv, HSBC, Intellect, Diebold Nixdorf. 

She thrived in new initiatives and reinvented herself multiple times - At Toshiba: Processes developed across functions. Looking at the simple and practical approach to process and management dashboards, she was given responsibility to lead Process management globally for Japan and Germany centers.  

At Wipro: She led Global functions - 1) Process Simplification and audit Function with Lean and Agile techniques impacting 40 percent efforts saving 2) Engineering and Quality automation with 10X ROI globally for Wipro's 3000+ projects (2 patents filed on Quality engineering effectiveness). 3) Risk management function for 3 BUs.


At Fiserv, Intellect Design Arena HSBC Core Banking , Diebold Nixdorf - Led Global Product and Process Quality Management, Audit & Delivery Excellence functions.


All the functions and initiatives she led across above organizations resulted in sustainable quality in reduced efforts with happy and productive teams. Speed mentoring of teams for growth, Solution based practical approach to any problem and result oriented approach helped create high performing teams and functions.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidyakabra/


Behind every line of code, there's a person with a story. Software People Stories, from PM Power Consulting, moves beyond abstract theory and polished case studies to explore the real, human experience of building technology. This isn't about hypotheticals; it's a collection of candid conversations with the practitioners themselves-developers, designers, product managers, and architects-who share firsthand accounts from the trenches. They talk about the paths that led to success and, just as importantly, the unexpected detours and failures that provided the most valuable lessons. Each episode delves into the nuanced journey of discovering what users need, designing elegant systems, navigating complex development, and ultimately delivering solutions that matter. By focusing on these personal narratives, the podcast reveals the core of software creation: a blend of technical skill, creative problem-solving, and team dynamics. Listeners gain practical wisdom and relatable perspectives on the challenges and triumphs inherent in the tech industry. Tune in for an honest look at the craft, where the stories of people are just as crucial as the software they build. You'll find this podcast a refreshing source of insight for anyone involved in or curious about the technology and business landscapes, offering career lessons learned the hard way.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Software People Stories
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