Gayatri Rath talks on "Intrapreneurship and Women" at Conquest 2009

About the Speaker:

Gayatri Rath is Vice President Communications at GE Capital and has been in this role since January 2009. In this role, Gayatri develops and implements internal and external communications strategies to increase brand awareness of GE Capital brand in India. Apart from being the communications leader, Gayatri is also the head of GE Women's Network at GE Capital India. Started in 1997, the GE Women's Network operates through 125 hubs in 39 countries and has a membership in excess of 100,000. It is a voluntary membership platform within GE that helps women employees deliver on their personal career goals and drive GE's business growth.
Gayatri has 14 years of experience in the public relations and corporate communications industry. In her previous assignment, Gayatri was Director - Corporate Communications at Oracle. During her 6-year stint at Oracle she worked closely with several managing directors and senior executives across many Asian countries.

Gayatri is a science graduate and a post graduate diploma holder in Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communications.

Description of the Talk:

“GE makes a lot of effort to make the environment conducive and comfortable for women to work in.”The charming Mrs Rath said while speaking on “Intrapreneurship and Women”. She revealed the strategy which GE uses to encourage diversity in its workforce. The entire workforce is divided into groups of diversity and conditions are tailored to suit the specific needs of each of the groups.

“Diversity is good.”

She informed that after studying two companies, one with no women employees and the other with a significant number of women employees, the following statistics came to light, with regards to the company with women employees:

· 35 % higher return on market equity

· 34% higher return to shareholders

She then compared women and men employees, exploring both the positives and the negatives of both the sexes. It is this very critical understanding which enables GE to handle its employees in the best possible manner.

She then spoke about importance of mentors, stating “You should spend 70% of your time doing your present job and the other 30 % preparing for the next. It is the mentor who will help you make that shift.”

She concluded by stating how being from a small town background helped her bring more diversity to her company and diversity is good. :)