This small piece of writing is to introduce my sister Mrs. Alice
Vaidyan. Couldn't resist writing this blog as an appreciation for her
hard work, perseverance and never-give-up attitude.
Alice G Vaidyan, who in spite of having a hectic
family life and an equally tough professional life to balance, three
kids to look after (now grownup), has struggled through lot of hardships
in her professional career. Being confident and hard working, she is
about to reach the pinnacle of her professional career and academic
pursuits, I feel very proud of her accomplishments. Had it not been for
our loving and demanding parents who let us pursue perfection, all these
would not have materialised at all, and they are also alive to see all
this.
She was selected after professional exams to join as
an Officer trainee in the New India Assurance Co. Ltd, one of the
subsidiaries of General Insurance Corp of India in 1983. After training
in Mumbai she joined the Trivandrum office and served there till
marriage in 1986 to an Officer from State Bank of India, MG Vaidyan who
had just returned to India after an overseas posting in Los Angeles, US.
Continuing her streak of excellence, in the very first year Alice completed
the Licentiate exams of the Indian Insurance Institute, second year the
Associateship exams and the third year, the Fellowship exams with an
All India first rank.
Continuing
her journey up the corporate ladder saw Alice working as Regional
manager and then moving to the parent General Insurance Corp from New
India Assurance company as General Manager and Chief Financial Officer of GIC.
In the midst of all this challenge and tension, she unwinds herself by playing the violin and piano with great finesse and ease. Globe trotting for the past ten years, she has much more to conquer, I'm sure she will !
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| Great grit and determination .. |
Right
from schooldays, Alice was an all-rounder excelling in quizzes,
debates. elocution, sports and leadership, besides doing very well in
academics, in short, bubbling with energy all the time ! The passion
with which she used to effortlessly carry out the assignments handed out
to her even from younger days, was actually a motivation for all of us.
After securing the 19 th rank at her std X Kerala state exams (SSLC),
she like everybody else was interested in pursuing a professional
career in medicine. She almost made it after her 2 nd PUC to medical
school but for a slight delay on an intervention by court into an
injustice handed out to her, even after being seventh on merit list she
was denied admission. Reservations were ruling the day ! Though the
High court wanted her to give up a year she decided against accepting
this mediocre judgement and forsaked a medical career. At St Josephs
Irinjalakuda, Trichur, Kerala she joined for BSc in Chemistry. Alice was
very popular in college and became the College Union Chairman besides topping all quizzes and debates throughout the state.
Continuing
her post graduate studies from St Berchmans College Chenganachery,
Kerala, doing her MA (English), she topped her class and was one of the three first classes in Kerala University.
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| Speaking at a Lloyd's event in London |
During
this time the couple moved to Ahmedabad, Cochin, Mumbai etc while Dr
Vaidyan continued his climb up the corporate ladder in SBI seeing him go
to places like Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Chennai, Johannesburg and Mumbai.
Their two elder daughters and younger son all got educated in good
schools around and took interest in fine arts, music, playing piano,
violin etc and excelled in them. They are now well placed in life with
good jobs and looking for more challenges.
Continuing
her journey up the corporate ladder saw Alice working as Regional
manager and then moving to the parent General Insurance Corp from New
India Assurance company as General Manager and Chief Financial Officer of GIC.In the midst of all this challenge and tension, she unwinds herself by playing the violin and piano with great finesse and ease. Globe trotting for the past ten years, she has much more to conquer, I'm sure she will !
GIC nominated her to do the Executive Education Programme in Harvard Business School on "Strategy and Leadership" during May 2015. On her return she is getting ready to take a top assignment in General Insurance Corp of India at Mumbai.
Her resume' on the Global Bloomberg Executive listing as CFO of GIC Corp of India.
A youtube video where she talks of GIC Reinsurance (GIC Re) emerging as one of the top players in the global reinsurance market.
A youtube video where she talks of GIC Reinsurance (GIC Re) emerging as one of the top players in the global reinsurance market.
Wishing
her all the best in her life pursuits and may she continue to do well
in her life and for the country (my b-i-law Dr Vaidyan is presently the
Dy. Managing Director of State Bank of India based in Mumbai).
Even though sometimes I feel that she should have entered the medical profession very early in life, the boldness with which she set aside that choice to start it afresh, was never a mistake, but a bold step. She has achieved much more, than anyone of her age and intellect would have gained in a country like India. She has in addition influenced society and is an inspiration to all of us ..
ge..
Even though sometimes I feel that she should have entered the medical profession very early in life, the boldness with which she set aside that choice to start it afresh, was never a mistake, but a bold step. She has achieved much more, than anyone of her age and intellect would have gained in a country like India. She has in addition influenced society and is an inspiration to all of us ..
ge..