[100 Emerging Women Leaders] Defying odds stacked against her, Ritu A Sharma’s journey to leadership

Over the past two decades, Ritu A Sharma has worked across the technology, telecom, media, and broadcasting sectors in leadership roles.

At present, she is Country Manager at AppsFlyer, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) mobile marketing analytics and attribution platform. She leads AppsFlyer India’s business operations across categories, managing and integrating with different teams. 

However, the road to success and stature has been a winding one.

Sharma’s father passed away when she was young, which led to financial difficulties that prevented her from pursuing postgraduate studies. 

After finishing her BCom studies from Sydenham College of Commerce, Mumbai, Sharma started the job hunt. However, she was rejected from large organisations due to her lack of an MBA degree. 

“Not having an MBA or any professional degree was a huge bottleneck for me. I had to put in double the effort to prove myself,” she recalls. 

However, it did not deter her, and after almost a decade of working, her qualifications took a backseat, and significant attention was paid to her work and inputs instead. 

Over the years, she has worked with the likes of Amagi Corporation, Proficio Business Solutions, Vodafone, and Network 18, among others. 

She has now held leadership roles across sales, marketing, operations, deal structuring, operations, and general management for multinationals as well as startups.

“What has stood out for me [throughout the journey] has been my ability to adapt, learn, and connect. I have navigated my journey through these three things, which have been a constant mantra for me,” she says. 

When she looks back, she is cognizant of the fact that she lost out on some deserving opportunities, however, she remains unfazed. 

“Nothing has baffled me. I would fight to the tee to make sure that I am sitting in that position because I deserve it. I have learned it the hard way,” she adds.

Sharma believes that each woman leader is unique. “They come with their own perspectives and have their own sense of understanding and gauging the environment,” she says. 

She advises women to listen to their ‘inner voice’. “What are you passionate about? What is it that you want to communicate? How assertive can you be while you're communicating? These points are important. Also, having a strong support system is the most critical base, both at the work front as well as at home.”