2024
Senior Management Director, Market President
ASIAN
AWARD
Sumakshi Vali
Education (degrees & institutions): Panjab University, MSc. with Honors in Biochemistry Panjab University; BSc. Honors in Biochemistry, Panjab University; BA, Mass Communications, Panjab University Company Name: Webster Bank Industry: Banking & Finance Company CEO: John Ciulla Company Headquarters Location: Stamford, CT Number of Employees: 4,200+ Your Location (if different from above): Southington, CT Words you live by: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Who is your personal hero? My mum What book are you reading? A History of Kashmir by P.N.Bamzai What was your first job? Biochemical Analyst Favorite charity: United Way & Samaj Kalyan Kendra Secondary School for visually & hearing impacted children Interests/Hobbies: Watching old Bollywood & Hollywood movies Family: A Great Dane called Raja, twin boys and husband (in that order)
Bias exists. Let’s work hard to see each other as people, not stereotypes When I first began working in Connecticut, hardly anyone from India lived there. I felt like a curiosity, especially working at the bank. I was still uninitiated in American culture and had a lot of fun and some faux pas in having these conversations in “describing” who I was. I benefited from the beloved local Indian doctor in town. Just because he was from India, they transferred that appreciation to me. As I progressed in my career and became an integral part of my community, I took it upon myself to educate those around me about diverse cultures around the world like mine, both socially and politically. I’ve taken the mantle of getting educated and imparting education in every opportunity that I get, both professionally and personally. I always look for commonalities and speak a smattering of various languages to
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2024 Second Quarter
create that bond that showcases an interest in others. People have a nuance, depending on who they are and where they come from, that may create a conscious or unconscious bias. For example, certain cultures are direct and others reverential. Their cultural communication style should not be the reason to prevent them from getting opportunities, without thoroughly understanding their strengths and challenges, especially with women. I was, and continue to be, particularly sensitive about how one’s culture may impede or improve others’ career growth. I have been proactive in executing and influencing the hiring of a workforce that reflects the community that we serve. We have changed perceptions by having people engage with each other and understand others’ styles with empathy and
radical open-mindedness. This has helped people understand their colleagues as a person and not create personas. My advice is that we need to acknowledge that bias exists in various forms, having experienced it. We must engage in curious discovery, training, diverse exposure, personal storytelling, radical open mindedness. I tell my children, as they faced bias in school, that liking themselves was not about what they had done, but who they were, even if they are thought of as a little strange. Strange is interesting, strange stands out – and that can be good. I’m excited about the progress I’ve made tackling unconscious bias and look forward to seeing how continued conversations about culture and upbringings helps build a cultural ethos that fosters commonalities and celebrates differences. www.diversityjournal.com