Blazing a Trail: Women in Leadership | Kalavathi G V

Editor's Note: This interview is part of the Blazing a Trail: Women in Leadership series

From a childhood steeped in simplicity and strong values to leading global innovation in healthcare technology, the journey of Kalavathi G V, Executive Director and Head - Global Development Center (DC) of Siemens Healthineers (Siemens Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.). is one of quiet determination, lifelong learning, and courageous choices. 

In this candid conversation, she reflects on the early influences that shaped her, the challenges of building a career from small-town India to the global stage, and the power of purpose, support, and resilience in leadership — a journey defined, as she puts it, by a simple belief: “The more knowledge you acquire, the more you can pay it forward – this is what makes life truly fulfilling.”

Our home has always been about simplicity, hard work and making a difference in people’s lives. We are three sisters, with me being the eldest. Growing up, I saw my father and mother as equal members in the household; ours was a very balanced family.

I have seen both my parents rise through the ranks – my father started off in the accounting department and rose to become a registrar, and my mother was a middle school teacher who retired as the Headmistress of a high school.

My mother had a ‘never give up’ attitude. When she was young, she wanted to learn classical dance, but my grandparents couldn’t afford to support her dream. However, she ensured that my sisters and I had ample exposure to arts. I grew up loving Carnatic music and Bharatnatyam, while also having a deep love for mathematics. Like many parents at that time, mine advised me that it was better to make a career out of sciences, instead of arts - I think it was the right decision. I still sing as a hobby, but I appreciate the fact that I am making a difference in people’s lives by working in healthcare.

I attended college in Mysore at the National Institute of Engineering. I was married even before I graduated and moved to a place called Neyveli, home to the Lignite Corporation where my husband worked. As a computer science engineer in a small town, I did not find many opportunities.

However, I knew that I could do more and make a difference. After the first six months, I had a conversation with my husband and told him that I would like to work. He was supportive, and I went back to Mysore to join Kirloskar Electric. For the first six years, my career was somewhat chequered, as I was balancing home and work. Eventually, a meandering path led me to Bengaluru, where I joined a leading global MedTech company in 1996. That was the start of a stable and growing career for me.

Early on, I consistently stepped up to take on challenging roles at GE. I volunteered to go to Milwaukee in the US, to become an onsite coordinator. With a nine-and-a-half-hour difference, and no mobile phones at the time, it was difficult to stay connected with my family. However, their unwavering support, especially from my husband, made it possible. This experience gave me an opportunity to understand what happens in a global setup. After that, I stepped up once again to lead an acquisition in India.

I believe these were the things that set my career up for success. One thing I learnt along the way is that it is important to be heard, and to be willing to take on unfamiliar projects that one is excited about. Additionally, one must have a learning mindset.

The journey from a familiar and protected space to entering the corporate world has been a transformative one, and I have cherished every moment of it.

The first thing I realised is that I don’t know it all, especially in a new country. I sought help from everyone around me, with my manager and I connecting over honest and open discussions. It was not very easy for me to share my weaknesses openly, especially being the only Indian in the team. Those stakes, however, fuelled me to be upfront about what I knew, what I didn’t, and to seek help.

This brought me to the realisation that it is okay to ask for support and embrace vulnerability. This mindset has allowed me to learn through many tough situations and to continue to deliver.

There are ups and downs in life. If I say that I never got bogged down, then I would not be telling the truth. The first 15 years of my career were in R&D, but I always had the ambition to take up business leadership roles. I got the opportunity to take the first step in this direction by taking up a business unit/segment leader role in the US.

This was met with some hesitation in the beginning from some family members, as the practicality of it meant that my husband had to take a sabbatical. However, my husband is my biggest cheerleader, mentor, and strongest critic.

I led this segment to generate USD 25 million for the company in two years. Without my husband’s support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I can see that the young workforce is much more purpose-driven. They want to understand the organization’s purpose and delve into the impact it creates. They ask questions about the sustainability aspects of the business, and I believe that is a shift in the right direction.

I have a reverse mentor who is a much younger colleague, and I am learning a lot from her. Through our interactions, I am learning to see things differently, especially how they question hierarchical structures in the workplace, are vocal about what they want, and proactively seek the support they need.

I would say, believe in yourself and ask for support – you may be surprised by how much help you receive.

I would also say that one should not shy away from prioritising personal life. We used to speak of work-life balance, and now we speak of work-life integration. As I later balanced motherhood and increasing demands at work, I realised that it’s a part of life; and as humans, we know how to be agile and will find a way to make things work.

Lastly, I would advise everyone to be a lifelong learner. The more knowledge you acquire, the more you can pay it forward – this is what makes life truly fulfilling.

Kala is the Executive Director and Head - Global Development Center (DC) of Siemens Healthineers (Siemens Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.). She spearheads DC, which is engaged in creating cutting-edge technology for precision health solutions. DC has operations in India and Slovakia, and DC India is the largest technology center of Siemens Healthineers outside Germany.

Kala’s expertise includes a focus on product segmentation, R&D development, market innovation, and delivering exceptional customer experience. She was the Senior Vice-President, Global Head of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Software Centre of Excellence at Royal Philips, where she had an astounding track record of leading large-scale transformation for Global Healthcare Businesses through her deep knowledge and experience in the areas of Business Leadership, Product Segmentation and R&D Development. She has also spent 11 years in GE Healthcare, focused on Glocalization and value delivery from India.

Kala is actively engaged with various industry forums and councils where she enables the intersection of the IT and healthcare sectors to take leadership on the global map through focused initiatives and programs. She is also a strong advocate of representation of senior female leaders in the Indian IT ecosystem.

With over 28 years of industry experience, she truly believes that digital transformation can make a difference to the health and well-being of every Individual, enabling its reach to the underserved.