Empowering the Future: Shahana Khan’s Vision for a Creative World
“You are magical, let the magic happen, Never Give Up”- Shahana Khan, Chief Product & HR Officer with over 20 years of experience. Shahana comes from a conservative Muslim family and has faced many challenges throughout her journey. Overcoming all these challenges, she is now a Chief Officer of a Fintech company.
Shahana's stories inspire many women, through her never give up attitude she makes her significant place in the field of Tech, Operations, and HR. This article delves into her life’s journey.
Introduction:
Shahana Khan, a dynamic Chief Officer with a renowned Fintech company in India and Heads Product, Tech, Operations, and HR for the organization. She is attracted to new technologies and mechanisms that can bring a boon to the country and give overseas exposure, that’s how she came up with Fintech to design products and solutions for the masses.
She started her career in 2002, with Airtel Telecom handling customer care calls, that’s how it began. She started enjoying her work and there was no looking back, she said: “Slowly how worked became my passion I didn’t realize”. She has worked in many domains, including Telecom, Banking, Insurance, Loans, Finance, Healthcare, Trade, Fintech and more.
Her turning point was after realizing that she wanted newness in the world around her, so she decided to plan her venture, which would be into Branding, Product Design and Enhancement, Marketing, etc. She added, “I want to paint the Whole World New”.
Challenges and Achievements:
Like any other girl, Shahana has also faced challenges in her life, being born in a conservative Muslim family it was not at all easy to cross the family rules & Restrictions and to do things that most of the people around her were unable to do. She said, “To convince the family and step out of the comfort zone was the biggest challenge and it still is”. Never to give up approach is her principle. However hard the task is she tries her best to learn and do the same. She has mentors who keep guiding her.
She has been honored and recognized with many awards in the past few years for the work she has done in her field. Some of them to list are Forever Asia Star Award in 2002 and 2023, Business Woman of the Year, Nationwide Awards in 2022, India Prime Award 2022, Influential Woman Award 2023, Woman Power Summit & Awards in 2023, Fox Story Woman face of the year 2023, Indian Woman Global Award 2023, GlantorX India’s Rising 50 Dynamic Femina 2023, Pride of India Award, Vishwa Ratna Award 2024, International Star Award 2024.
Personal Insights:
Talking about how to balance work and life, Shahana believes only a strong and smart woman can maintain the balance and pace between her work and personal life. Shahana manages her work schedule and meetings during her working hours and weekends are only for her mother.
Impact and Vision:
Shahana doesn’t want to be a leader for the name, she wants to create a people who can become leaders. She added “Instead of being a name-sake leader, I love to create more leaders who are working with me, to mentor, train and motivate them, so that they will be leaders of tomorrow and will pass on the same to their team members. I love to learn and gain knowledge from wherever I get it and to give the same to my pals”.
At present, working on various projects and brand creation assignments, focusing on our Hon’ble Prime Minister's moto “Local go Vocal”, developing toys and brands, Made in India but as per International Standards, and designing digital platforms for the Indian masses that will help in easier and smoother digital payment solutions.
She wants to set up her venture, which will cater to all the needs of the market—branding, marketing, Technology, product enhancement, etc at affordable prices.
Conclusion:
The advice she wants to give young women who want to pursue a career in any field, firstly, identify what they love to do, if that is of interest to them, get a mentor, and then go for it. Don’t do what others want you to do, do what you feel is the best.
