Becoming a career role model: Vidhya Ganesh’s inspiring journey

“Every opportunity I received at Cognizant was a blessing and I gave it my best” says Vidhya Ganesh, Senior Director of Delivery Excellence and winner of the Career Role Model award at the 2025 Impact Awards. Let’s hear from Vidhya on the values that have shaped her 20-year Cognizant career. 

Putting clients first—always

In my initial days at Cognizant, I developed a decision-making mindset that helps me navigate any uncertainty with clarity. Here’s how I approach a problem:

Client’s interests > Cognizant’s interests > BU’s (business unit) interests > Delivery Excellence’s interests > My team’s interests > My interests 

I try to follow this order every time I make a decision. It helps me in making balanced decisions and ensures that even in tough moments, I stay aligned with Cognizant's and my own values.

Joining Cognizant: The start of a shared journey

My entry into Cognizant was purely incidental. I was staying in Kolkata for some time on a career break after the birth of my daughter. My husband, Ganesh, got transferred to Chennai and we moved there. He encouraged me to resume work and through an industry acquaintance, I landed an interview at Cognizant.

I still remember that day vividly. I went to the office early and saw a dynamic young lady assisting others with poise. I admired her charisma instantly and said to myself that when I retire, I should be at least like her. That lady was Rajshree Natarajan, the then Quality Director, who interviewed me for the role.

Who knew that exactly 10 years later, I would be the Senior Director of Delivery Excellence? Whenever Rajshree and I meet, she jokingly reminds me that I should have aspired for something bigger.

A career built on intent and evolution

While my entry was incidental, my journey has been full of intent and evolution. After every three years in a role, I make a deliberate effort to change my role and take up something more challenging. I have a conversation with my manager conveying my desire to take on a new challenge, and it’s opened doors to new opportunities that have propelled my career.

Another principle that I’ve developed for myself is that in any new role, I learn and do justice to my primary responsibilities in the first year and in the second year I take up additional responsibilities that create a parallel learning path. I’ve supported global certifications, led delivery award processes, been on local committees and more, which helped me grow my professional network and expand my skillset.

A culture of trust and empowerment 

A moment that deeply shaped me was during my initial years with a banking client. The client expressed dissatisfaction with an ongoing project. A team was created to address this and I was asked to travel to London. I approached one of our leaders, hoping that I’d be given technical inputs to analyze and create presentations. Instead, she put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Vidhya, your only job is to give the client confidence that every dollar that they have spent has delivered value.” 

That one gesture said it all. I boarded the flight feeling like the CEO, when I was just a Senior Manager, and we managed to change the client’s perception. That’s the kind of trust and empowerment I’ve been given here, and it’s made all the difference in unlocking my potential. Today, I do the same for my team members

Learning from leaders, walking the talk

I’ve been fortunate to work with many great leaders at Cognizant that have made me a better person—and leader. They helped me raise the bar and find solutions to complex problems. I learned the importance of generous communication, being empathetic, owning up to my responsibilities, advocating for the company’s interests and much more.

While I learn a lot from my leaders, my team members inspire me too. When I won the Career Role Model, I remembered my first two reportees and spoke to them. I owe my success to all my teammates, peers and managers with whom I worked closely for many years.

Work and life—together

I have a loving and supporting family. I never tried to balance work and life in the conventional sense. When work demands more, I give it my all, and when my family needs me, I am committed to them. My mother-in-law is proud of me in a way that is quiet yet strong and full of faith. She sees her aspirations coming true through me. She believes that I’m hardworking, respected and that I work in a great company.

For those just starting out in their career

Here’s my advice to you:

• Job vs career. Learn the difference between the two. A job pays you whereas a career shapes you. 

• Be patient. Growth is not always visible, but it’s always happening. Trust the process. 

• Stay committed. There are no shortcuts to hard work; keep pushing your boundaries. 

• Learning is earning. Chase learning instead of chasing titles in your initial days; have a big vision. 

• Build strong values. What’s lucrative now, could be short-lived; build your career on integrity. 
  

Looking back, I feel that staying true to Cognizant's and my own values, owning up to my responsibilities and being intentional with my career has been my secret sauce. As I stand at this exciting point in my journey, I feel things could not have unfolded the same way anywhere else. The culture of trust, empowerment and purpose at Cognizant has made the difference.