From the first woman chairperson of SBI to first CEO of Salesforce India, Arundhati Bhattacharya has a 40-year career under her belt. She blends sage-like wisdom with youthful exuberance of running new-age firm Salesforce India with one eye on the long term and one on the short term. The company grew APAC sales 24% YoY in constant currency, outpacing global growth of 18%, in fiscal ended January 31, 2023. India was one of the fastest growing markets globally. Salesforce gives back to society with a 1-1-1 policy wherein 1% profits or equity (2% in case of India), 1% products and 1% time is earmarked for the non-profit sector. The company has just started its ESG journey in India. This year, it announced $1 million for supporting education, economic opportunity and climate resilience. Plans include conservation, restoration and growth of 100 million trees by the end of 2030. Bhattacharya perceives power as the ability to empower people. She also believes in continuous learning. “The ideal combination would be to get theory behind the practice,” she says. — Urvashi Mishra