Things To Know About Chanda Kochhar On Her Birthday

A true example of a woman running a show, Chanda Kocchar gives the the women of India the strength to dream and reach a goal that breaks the glass ceiling. On her birthday today, we learn more about Kocchar and her achievements.

- She is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of ICICI, one of the biggest private sector banks in the country.

- Earlier this year, she became a social media trend because of a letter she wrote to her daughters which got published in Sudha Menon's book 'Legacy: Letters from Eminent Parents to their Daughters'.

- She is a Padma Shree awardee, which she received in 2010, and is named as one of the most powerful businesswomen in Asia by Forbes.

- Kochhar took steps to retain her female employees, for which she launched iWork@home which allows employees to work from home for a year. Not just that, but an executive who is travelling on business can take their children below three along with a caregiver, at the bank's expense.

- In 2008, when the financial crisis hit the economy, Kochhar set up a control room that would manage every set of details so as to not inconvenience the customer. In an interview, she said, "We went to our branch managers with detailed instructions, saying not just that these are the answers you should give but reminding them that when customers come, managers should be relaxed, ask them to sit, and offer them a glass of water first, before even starting to talk with them. We felt it was really important that managers not seem stressed or confused but project an aura of confidence and composure, so they could give that confidence to the customers."

- Kochhar was born in Jodhpur and raised in Jaipur. She moved to Mumbai to pursue her graduation and Masters in Management Studies from Jamnalal Institute of Management Studies.

- Her career started with ICICI as a Management trainee in 1984. She moved up to the position of General Manager by 1996. Chanda Kochhar was also one of the first few to start electronic banking.

- Under Kochhar's leadership, ICICI has received numerous awards, including ‘Best Retail Bank in India’ award in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

- Kochhar was the woman who introduced the concept of consumer credit market to the whole banking sector.

Feature Image Courtesy: The Nation Leader