XLRI Alumni Creates History, up! SURGE 150 Senior Women Leaders on One Platform

More than 150 senior women leaders from various sectors across India gathered in Bengaluru to attend a three-week learning program called up! SURGE organised by XLRI Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusive Leadership (CGEIL), powered by the global alumni association, XLRI for Women (XL4W)

From discussing the participation of women in the workforce in India to organizing the biggest senior women leader's conclave in the world's biggest democracy, XLRI's up! SURGE community has come a long way.

Awareness, Intervention and Advocacy are the three mantras that the alumni association follows, and their flagship program called up! SURGE for senior corporate women leaders helps them enhance their skills and create awareness about the forward journey in the corporate world, aiming for C-Suite roles.

Interestingly, India has climbed eight places in the annual Gender Gap Report, 2023, and is ranked 127 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity from 135 last year. But this improved statistic, closing 64.3% of the overall gender gap, is hardly a cause for cheer.

Narrowing that gap may be a long shot, but it had to start somewhere. The Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusive Leadership (CGEIL) collaborated with XLRI for Women (XL4W) and initiated this program to boost women leaders' corporate journey and enable a path forward.

"It actually began as informal conversations way back in 2019, amongst us as alumni, when we saw the dismal performance that India had in terms of women's participation in the workforce, and that was reiterated in the World Economic Forum report," said Shabari Madappa, Partner at Anekaata and an XLRI Core Committee member.

"This really bothered several of us. We all wanted to do something. So, we started off a virtual format during COVID times and this has come a long way."

up! SURGE is a three-week learning journey and a powerful platform for women leaders to engage meaningfully with others to explore and redefine their leadership identity - defining big dreams, purpose and aspirations, discovering possibilities for growth, and unblocking their own bottlenecks and influencing, networking with others at a similar career stage, building their presence, confidence and courage.

Senior industry leaders including Pankajam Sridevi, Managing Director, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (India), Vasanthi Srinivasan, Professor of OB & HRM, IIM Bengaluru, Sindhu Gangadharan, SVP & MD, SAP Labs India and Suparna Mitra, CEO, Watches & Wearables Division, Titan, among others, shared their knowledge and wisdom with participants throughout the program.

XLRI Father Director Casimir, Bindu Vinodhan, Founder, TILLT & The Mauna Dhwani Foundation, Supria Dhanda, Co-Founder & Managing Partner Early-Stage Investor Fund and many more seasoned industry leaders guided the up! SURGE 2023 participants for their corporate journey ahead.

"What senior women leader need more of are external perspectives. They need to understand their brand. We have invited 20 very senior leaders from various industries who are strong allies also," said Maya John, Chief People Officer at VerSe Innovation.

"These leaders are there to provide up! SURGE participants with their life lessons and insights and are willing to offer their time and expertise on aspects that the participants would like to learn more about."

The program started virtually in 2021, and the 4th cohort of up! SURGE culminated in an in-person immersive learning session in Bengaluru.

From novelists to bankers and HR heads to mental health specialists, the Alumni association comprises many leaders who are fully committed to women's empowerment in the corporate world.

Women leaders from corporate organizations across different industries with 12+ years of experience and currently in roles that are 1 to 3 levels from the India CEO/ MD position in their company have participated in this program.

The emotions are the same amongst all - balancing childcare, elder care and other responsibilities while excelling in the professional field can be overwhelming, according to participants of up! SURGE 2023.

Participating companies include Google, Belden, Wipro, Indigo, Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital, Bajaj Finserv, Bank of India, HPCL, ICICI Bank Ltd., KPMG, Colgate Palmolive, Diageo, Bajaj Auto Ltd., P&G, ITC and many others.

"The whole environment is very dynamic. You understand you are not alone", said Sameena Mahmood, AVP- Operations, RR Donnelley India Outsource Pvt Ltd.

"For an aspiring participant, my message is - you should attend it. This will change your perspective as a leader. There are lot of gaps. We know lot of things but when they fill those gaps, there is a complete clarity of thought that how you should take your leadership ahead. It is more about feeling this thing that speaking about it."