A Banker turned Techie

ARUNDHATI BHATTACHARYA , CHAIRPERSON & CEO, SALESFORCE INDIA

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If you can be anything, be a learner, says Arundhati Bhattacharya, Salesforce India’s chairperson and chief executive officer. “I think first and foremost thing in life is to put your ego aside and become a learner.” When she was first approached by Salesforce, she was very dismissive of the opportunity. “Are you really sure that you want somebody like me, have you really and truly found out whether this is what is required and this is what you want,” were her words. Fast forward, as the CEO of Salesforce India she shares her journey. “I already had a pretty good nonexecutive portfolio but when I found they were very serious about it, I visited SalesForce Towers in San Francisco on their invitation. There I met Marc Benioff, the founder. Marc had given me a book and I was really impressed by the values he had put in there. For instance, there is one story where he lobbies and fights to pay more taxes as these were to be used to improve the homeless situation in San Francisco. This truly moved me. Having seen the corporate, I know that not one of them is willing to pay tax, let alone the concept of more taxes.”