A TRANSFORMATIVE LEADER BREAKING BARRIERS AND BUILDING A POWERFUL LEGACY…
Women have always been expected to fit into some predefined molds in society. In various sectors, we observe the emergence of women-led businesses that are garnering global attention and making headlines on a daily basis. Such women leaders are not meant to fit into the molds but break them. One such dynamic personality is Vidya Yedavalli, Director-partner, Strategic Interventions India P Ltd.
The grace with which she has made an undeniable impact in the entrepreneurial world has propelled us to cover her story in this special feature honoring women entrepreneurs. Vidya is seen as a visionary leader and powerhouse of transformative mentorship and financial leadership. She is armed with a sharp intellect, which is accompanied by her zeal to turn every challenge into a thriving opportunity. Her corporate success is a sheer display of what happens when ambition meets authenticity.
This narrative sheds light on how Vidya has cemented her position as a dynamic leader in the financial advisory industry owing to her unparalleled analytical prowess and people-centric approach. We appreciate her influence as well as her integrity, which makes her a leader of substance in her targeted industry. Vidya knows how to bring an effortless charm to her offerings while empowering others with her empathetic leadership. A big shoutout to her journey of not just being a woman at the decision-making table but also being an inspiration for women who strive to make their own ways to turn their dreams into reality.
A Journey of Resilience and Determination
Vidya is an MBA Grad with advanced finance qualifications from IIM Indore. She began her career in finance in 1989, soon after completing her graduation. Over the years, she held pivotal roles such as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Audit Head, and Financial Controller across various large organizations. She is also a well-regarded author who has written three stellar books on Spirituality and Personal Growth. She is an avid blogger and thought leader in the business world and regularly shares white papers and articles on various industry and finance topics.
Outside of her work, she is also a motivational speaker who through her book journeys has touched lives across India through her community dialogues and life coaching with families. Those who know her often appreciate her versatile personality, which strives to explore the untapped potential of individuals towards achieving their life purpose in her role as a certified and accomplished life coach. However, her journey was not without its challenges. Balancing a demanding corporate career or business with family responsibilities such as a mother, wife, daughter and daughter-in-law require immense dedication and sacrifice.
Despite the hurdles, she remained steadfast in her commitment to her profession, proving time and again that women can excel in leadership roles and balance family and societal commitments as well with finesse and grace. One of the most significant challenges Vidya encountered was the constant need to prove herself in a field where competence was often assumed for men but questioned for women. She explained, “I was in all these crucial roles throughout that demanded problem solving and long working hours.
Some of the experiences in corporate had actually put me in tough and difficult kinds of situations where I was in a demanding and high profile corporate role, I had a family to look after, and being a mother and also being a daughter-in-law and wife, there were a lot of things that I was supposed to do at home. As a career finance professional, not only were the outcomes very demanding, I had to spend a lot of hours at work and also travel, staying away from home and away from the children. So, whenever I had to stay away from home for work, I planned for the children to be taken care of.
But that always had its own complexities you know. Ramifications of coming back and doing extra work at home, taking care of parents and loved ones demanded constant extra effort, even though I needed rest for myself. So, as a leader, when you are in a leadership role, there are also a lot of sacrifices and tradeoffs that have to be made with higher expectations when you are a woman.”
In this journey, Vidya faced skepticism and gender-based biases but navigated them with resilience and a deep belief in her capabilities. Her tenacity led her to excel in her work and life journey contributing to businesses, nurturing and inspiring entrepreneurs and transforming the lives of the people she coached.
Building a Legacy
Things took a different turn when Vidya decided to start her entrepreneurial journey. In 2012, Vidya took a bold step towards entrepreneurship by co-founding Strategic Interventions India Pvt. Ltd., a renowned management consulting company. As a 50% partner alongside co-founder and mentor, Ranganath Iyengar, Vidya expanded the firm’s portfolio to include audits, finance consulting, and virtual CFO services. Under her leadership, the firm has grown significantly, now employing a team of over 100 professionals across India.
Strategic Interventions India Pvt. Ltd serves some of the biggest and renowned retail brands in the country. The company provides critical financial advisory services, audit management, and IPO structuring, helping businesses optimize their financial strategies for sustained growth. Vidya’s expertise in financial management and strategic planning has positioned her as a trusted advisor to numerous organizations seeking financial excellence.
Today, as a Management Consultant, she advises leading retail organizations and several SMEs on Finance, Governance, Risk, Compliance and legal matters. She manages a team of over 100 young audit and finance professionals.
A Passion for People Development
Although Vidya’s primary areas of expertise are finance and consulting, she also has a strong inclination towards people development. She started her self-improvement journey in 2001 by obtaining a number of certificates in coaching, behavioral studies, and leadership development. She is a Certified Life Coach, a Dale Carnegie & Oscar Murphy – Certified trainer, and a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). She is also a certified Master Consultant from Semco Style Institute.
She co-founded Tattva Learning Labs, a platform devoted to professional and personal development, as a result of this desire. Tattva Learning Labs enables people to realize their full potential through leadership workshops, corporate training programs, and self-awareness campaigns. Vidya creatively turned this endeavor into an e-learning platform during the COVID-19 pandemic, opening up training to a larger audience.
A Vision for the Future
Vidya’s journey exemplifies the power of perseverance, innovation, and strategic thinking. She continues to inspire aspiring professionals, especially women, by demonstrating that challenges can be turned into opportunities. Her leadership philosophy is built on resilience, adaptability, and commitment to lifelong learning. Through her work at Strategic Interventions India Pvt. Ltd. and Tattva Learning Labs, Vidya remains dedicated to empowering businesses and individuals alike. She believes that true leadership is not just about professional success but also about uplifting others and creating a lasting impact.
How does she wish to be remembered?
“As a woman leader, I have always given a lot of importance to the purpose in life. I always felt that when you do things with Purpose, it has a more meaningful impact. Purpose shifts with time in life but I didn’t lose my focus from it. When you align your work to your Purpose, you do much better and be happier. And when you do things from your heart and do things that make you happy, life is more fulfilling. On any journey, giving up is easy and there will be many people to discourage.
However, moving forward with faith is difficult and there are only a few who do that. I want to be remembered among those few who believed in themselves. I should be remembered as someone who has lived life by my heart. I did everything that I wanted to do without limiting myself and without compromising on the family side or the personal side, and that makes me complete. I have done phenomenal things in personal growth that only a few can achieve.
I am living my life my way and making an impact in society, adding value to my clients’ businesses through our interventions and people lives through our programs. So, I would like to be remembered as someone who stands for Faith and Positivity, Human Values and Relationships, Courage and Straight talking, I am blessed indeed”, concluded Vidya.
