Swati Dave always thought she’d be a surgeon.
As a small girl growing up in India, she’d seen her father transform the lives of the desperately poor by providing medical care that was previously unavailable to them.
She was determined to follow in his footsteps.
But there was a downside: her father worked so hard for others that she rarely saw him, and Swati questioned whether she really wanted to lead that kind of lifestyle.
So, after completing her schooling in Australia, she opted to study a Commerce degree instead.
This proved to be a good decision, and one that would allow her to implement many of the lessons her father had passed on – such as the importance of becoming financially independent, and contributing to society in a meaningful way.
After a long career that began with a graduate position in a bank – where she often found herself as the only woman – Swati is now the Executive General Manager, Specialised Finance at National Australia Bank (NAB).
She describes this role as the pinnacle of her career, and she relishes the fact she can see and appreciate the benefits her work brings to others.
“I love it because everything we do is tangible,” she says. “If we are financing a wind farm or a hospital or a school, you can actually see it. You get a sense that you are doing something for the community, feel a sense of purpose, and feel that we are connected to the broader community.”
The role also allows Swati to put into practice all that she has learned about business and leadership over the years – though she acknowledges that the latter is a constant learning curve.
“This role has been wonderful because it has developed me as a leader,” she says. “But it’s an evolution. I don’t think it’s something you ever feel you have got right. I think we all need to evolve and learn.”
For Swati, learning is a constant in her life, and she sees it as one of the most important facets in any successful career.
“I am very focused on learning and developing and evolving as a person,” she says. “Learn about people, learn about leadership, learn about yourself … Develop your self-awareness so you know what’s important to you and what impact you can have.”
One particular lesson Swati has learned during her career is that patience can sometimes be as important to a career as ambition. This is something that became apparent when Swati was juggling her career with three sons under the age of three.
“It was quite a handful,” she laughs. “We used to have a very structured routine, because having to get all three of them to daycare before going to work had to work like clockwork. Looking back on it, I’m not sure how we did it.”
The key, she says, was having an incredibly supportive husband who was a true partner in the parenting stakes, and also the wisdom to know when to step back.
“Throughout my career I have been completely prepared to step back from roles, take roles that are sideways, or do whatever I felt was necessary, at that point in time, for my family,” she says.
“When my children started to become more independent, then I would take on more leadership roles or more significant roles. I started to think of my career as a 30- or 40-year horizon. I didn’t get concerned or upset about short-term fluctuations. I always knew I would have a good career. I didn’t worry about how I got there and within what timeframe.”
With her three sons now young adults, Swati is fully embracing a career she says invigorates and drives her. As well as her role at NAB, Swati is a board member of Australian Hearing.
“I always had a desire to be on a board that was community based. I am very passionate about it,” she says. “I love the fact I can translate the experiences I have in my role at NAB to what is going on there. I can look at it from both sides. It’s been really fun. The people in the organisation are so passionate and motivated and care so much about what they do. I find it really energising.”
And while Swati has faced a fair share of challenges throughout her career, she says the key to ending up where you want to be is to feel that you have a sense of purpose in what you’re doing. If you can achieve this, she says, it doesn’t feel like hard work – it actually feels like fun.
The other key, she says, it to be determined.
“Be determined to want to get there, and then be resilient,” she says. “There will be many ups and downs and setbacks. There will be things you don’t get and things you thought you deserved. You need to get through that. Feel the pain, but move on. And keep going!”