From Banking to Boardrooms with Rupam Tandon

Gayatri Kalyanaraman is in conversation with Rupam Tandon,  Financial Executive with 30 years of experience across banking, asset management, and insurance. She’s also a certified Independent Director (IoD), ESG specialist, and startup mentor. She talks about her journey starting in a small town to traveling the globe and literally spreading her wings. Gayatri Kalyanaraman, Host for Software People Stories podcast and co-founder Sangatna Angels welcomes Rupam Tandon and sets the tone for an inspiring conversation about leadership, resilience, and governance. Highlights of the conversation are here01:00 – Early Career and Foundations in FinanceRupam shares her beginnings in Dubai’s financial industry during the 1990s — a period of rapid banking expansion — and lessons on trust, relationships, and financial discipline.03:00 – London Years & the Global Financial Crisis She moves to London to work with asset managers and hedge funds, witnessing firsthand the subprime crisis and collapse of major institutions like Lehman Brothers and AIG.07:00 – Return to India & Setting Up Global Operations Rupam explains her decision to return to India for family reasons and how she helped transition a major bank’s operations from Ireland to Bangalore — navigating SEC and FCA audits successfully.10:00 – The Shift to Insurance and Building Communities She discusses moving from investment banking to insurance, leading initiatives in Risk, ESG, and Cyber, and mentoring senior executives.13:00 – Reflections on Technology & Automation From manual processes to automation and bots — Rupam contrasts the early years of finance with today’s data-driven governance and the rise of straight-through processing (STP).16:00 – Navigating Change and Cultural Adaptation Growing up in Lucknow and moving across continents, Rupam reflects on adapting to different work cultures, continuous learning, and seizing opportunities.20:00 – Decision-Making and Balancing Life & Work Rupam shares personal stories about taking career risks, balancing motherhood, and receiving mentorship and compassion from colleagues during turbulent times.24:00 – Continuous Learning & Board Readiness She outlines her professional upskilling journey — courses from ISB, IIM Bangalore, and IoD — and her belief in lifelong learning as a foundation for effective governance.27:00 – Second Innings: Purpose and Governance for the Future Rupam shares her vision for the next decade — mentoring startups, strengthening governance frameworks, and shaping ethical, transparent organizations. Memorable Quotes:“Success without ethics is incomplete.”“Governance isn’t about control — it’s about responsibility.”  “It’s time for stewardship — to give back, guide, and help the next generation grow with integrity.”“Even the strongest institutions can collapse if governance, risk, and culture are not aligned.”https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupam-tandon/After nearly three decades of experience across industries and markets, She is now embarking on my second innings with a focus on startup governance and scaleups. Her journey has been a diverse one, spanning Global roles (in UAE & UK, India) in business strategy, branding, communications, and stakeholder engagement. She is passionate about helping companies build strong, sustainable foundations for growth. As an alumnus of Lucknow University and the Indian School of Business (ISB), where she specialized in Negotiation as part of an Executive Management Program, I’ve honed my ability to adapt and thrive in fast-moving, high-pressure environments.My Core Strengths:- Strategic Oversight: Managing boards/foundations and aligning teams with business goals- Business Model Innovation: Identifying opportunities at the intersection of strategy, branding, product development, and customer experience- Start up consulting , Fintech, Finance based business.- Reputation Building: Creating narratives that enhance corporate reputation and build trust- Communications Strategy: Developing integrated communication plans to engage stakeholders and drive impact- Mentorship & Coaching: Supporting founders, leaders, and teams to grow through personalized guidance and coaching- Crisis Communications: Navigating through challenges to protect and strengthen brand reputation- Networking & Ecosystem Building: Cultivating strategic partnerships and growing influential networks- CSR & Sustainability: Defining and driving impactful corporate social responsibility initiativesRupam Tandon is a certified board director and former investment banker with expertise in governance, risk, and sustainability. She advises startups and SMEs on ethical leadership and board resilience, teaches ESG and stakeholder strategy to executives, and mentors emerging leaders. She advocates for policy-led reforms in India’s entrepreneurial governance landscape.