Vinisha Shrestha is a seasoned banking professional with over 28 years of experience at Nabil Bank, where she currently leads as the Head of the Treasury Department. Her journey in banking began unexpectedly, initially intending to pursue higher studies abroad, but her dedication and passion for the field kept her engaged, propelling her to a leadership role. Excerpts:

How would you define your banking career, from starting as a junior staff to becoming the head of a department, especially as a woman?

I began my journey in banking somewhat unexpectedly, as I originally planned to pursue higher studies abroad and took the job to gain some workplace experience utilizing my free time. However, I started to enjoy my banking job and found myself continuing till now. It has been more than 28 years since I joined Nabil Bank. My journey with the bank had its fair share of opportunities as well as challenges. I had always been a dedicated and hard working person but despite hard work and best efforts, sometimes results did not come in my favor. It’s human nature to feel disappointed in such a situation and I was no different. However, I kept my spirit high and always gave my best to the organization and when next opportunities came I tried harder and today I am in the position of leading a department.

How do you manage to balance your professional responsibilities and personal life?

Managing professional and personal responsibilities and maintaining a balance is definitely a challenge, especially for a woman in a patriarchal society like ours where a woman is expected to take on more family responsibilities. While you cannot compromise on professional responsibilities, you are expected to manage household chores, kids, family and other social responsibilities as well. These things add an extra layer of pressure to perform your professional duties. Fortunately, I have a very understanding, supportive and encouraging support system at home, which makes it easier for me to balance my professional and personal life. I think it is a matter of firm self-determination toward your career goal and setting clear boundaries where sometimes you need to learn to say “no” as well.

Given that women are underrepresented in senior banking positions, what steps do you think should be taken to address this gap?

It is not just in banking, women are underrepresented in senior positions across all professions. Generally speaking, despite having the same education and skills, women often face barriers like unconscious bias, societal expectations and a lack of mentorship and adequate opportunities that hinder their career progression. In order to address this, there should be policy level interventions to promote equal opportunities, implement flexible work policies to support work-life balance, encourage mentorship from senior leaders and provide training to prevent unconscious gender biases. 

Women themselves should also not lose their focus toward their career goal and remain driven and determined to achieve their career dreams. 

In many cases it can be observed that women become submissive to societal pressures and give up on their career dreams and remain content after reaching a certain level. Why I am saying this is because at entry and mid levels, women outperform their male counterparts however they are left behind in the race to top management positions which proves that it is not because of lack of capability but due to lack of determination and drive to succeed professionally.

What is your advice for young women who aspire to build a successful career in banking?

Young people should understand that there is no alternative to hard work and there are no shortcuts for success. Young women aspiring to build a successful career in the banking sector need to be ready to work hard and continuously invest in gaining relevant qualifications and skills. The world around us is extremely competitive. Gaining advanced degrees or certifications alone won’t be enough to get success, you need to have required soft skills like communication, networking, rapport build up and must have a learning attitude. Challenges and setbacks are a part of the journey so you need to stay resilient and never give up on your goals.