chennai as a young bank officer padmaja chundurus first big challenge was how to handle a twomonthold baby when she was transferred to a village branch in the sbi network nearly four decades on as md ceo indian bank she faced a similar challenge when the covid19 pandemic claimed more than 100 employees from her organization for chunduru at the core of both challenges was a difficult choice i cried when i was transferred to a rural branch with a tiny baby she said while speaking about leadership at the madras chamber of commerce industrys newly launched coffeeconnect talk my husband was in a nearby town and i was by myself several years later when she was once again by herself in an international posting in la she had to negotiate tough choices my husband was in india i was in the us with my two kids and had to learn new things like how to drive and how to cook she remembered but through all those challenges one thing has not changed i still love my workfor a banker who by her own admission was inspired by sbis legendary boss arundhati bhattacharya that focus has been her mantra i never noticed a glass ceiling either at sbi or in indian bank she says i was too busy doing my own thing when an opportunity came i was willing to risk it and thats the advice she offers career women you cant have it all so adjust i hear women talking about worklife balance all the time dont men have the same concerns women say when we go home we have to be wife mother daughterinlaw but so does the man you have to strike a balance dont let the work encroach on your home dont let the home encroach on your work she says indian bank which has 11000 women employees and 23 lower level officers has 5 gms out of 40 at the top i want women in visible and critical functions says chunduru and i want women to be entrepreneurial to that end she has started spring board where the bank offers working capital to women entrepreneurs referred by the incubation centres of iitmadras and iit bombay among other premier institutions she has also kicked off regional language training programmes covering technology ecommerce finance and basic business knowledge a project that started in tamil nadu and has now been expanded such effort notwithstanding in the end it is up to the women not to take the easy way out and wallow in selfpity you cant please everyone yes your children home husband family are important but you are most important she says so choose and balance well