After completing her graduation, Anupama Khunjeli joined Grindlays Bank as a teller in 1991. Steadily rising among the ranks, Khunjeli eventually became the Head of Global Market, before leaving for Nabil Bank to take up a similar position there. In 2010, she moved to Mega Bank, where she now serves as the Deputy CEO. In this conversation with the Post’s Alisha Sijapati, Khunjeli talks the challenges she has faced in her corporate career, how she overcame them and the importance of human capital. Excerpts: 

A job in the banking sector is viewed very positively by fresh graduates but banks are struggling to retain their employees. Is it because not enough emphasis is placed on developing human capital? 

Mega Bank has a slogan, ‘Hamro lai haina, ramro lai prathamikta diney.’ That means: we want people who are qualified to come join the organisation. Due to the rapid expansion of branches, all banks are looking to enhance their business portfolios and the services provided. To reach the desired level of competence, the most important factor is human capital. We believe that our human capital is an invaluable asset for the organisation. If employees are happy, the organisation will automatically thrive. In this day and age, there are a lot of organisations to choose from. One needs to wisely choose the right organisation and when they do join, they need to give their 100 percent and work with full conviction. The onus, however, also falls on the organisation to ensure that the employees are happy professionally and that they are continually growing.

For large organisations, how important is it to have a proper professional system in place in order to manage its vast human resources?

In Mega Bank, we know that human capital is important and believe in teamwork. When we started the bank, we knew the importance of employees—one cannot run the show with just a handful of employees. For any new organisation, qualified and hardworking managers are crucial, but it is also absolutely necessary to keep faith with the employees. It is important that the values and goals that you are eschewing towards permeate through to every employee and level of the organisation. In all organisations, particularly the new ones, authority and responsibility run hand-in-hand. To get all these things into practice is challenging and in the end it is always the system that keeps the organisation ticking. 

You have been working in the banking sector for over 25 years now and have held many positions along the way. What traits must all good leaders have? What are your management mantras?

To become a leader, you need to inspire followers. A good leader should walk the talk so that people can emulate them. You also have to be a team player. You need to gain respect, trust and confidence of your team. A leader should work according to the mission and vision of the organisation. All leaders have their own personalities, some can be transformational and some aggressive. Sometimes, you need a balanced leader; it depends on the structure of the organisation. You need to recognise the strengths of your team. The leader must manoeuvre around these strengths and work towards polishing any weaknesses there might be. 

For any person to be successful, you have to be hard working and learn to grab opportunities as they come. These two things will lead you to success. 

You are now the Deputy CEO at Mega Bank, a position we seldom see being held by women in the Nepali corporate sector. Can you tell us about your journey getting here and why it is important that the Nepali workforce be 

diversified?

My journey from an assistant level to the deputy CEO has been challenging as it has been fruitful. The current board at Mega Bank have taken the bold step of supporting women in higher positions in the organisation. In our bank, we have five women who hold top-level managerial positions. It is difficult but if you are focused and hardworking, time will come when people will realise your capabilities and eventually reward you with what you deserve. For women it is difficult to manage both their personal and professional lives, so the support from your family is important. I consider myself lucky in that regard because my family has always been very supportive. If more women received such support it would be a great push not just for them personally but it would also go a long way in diversifying the Nepali workforce.