Vishakha Mulye, 40, MD, ICICI Venture Funds Management

From doing project appraisals for a financial institution (then ICICI Ltd) to managing treasury funds to raising a billion dollars through stock sale (for ICICI Bank) to picking up stakes in companies as a private equity (PE) investor, Vishakha Mulye has virtually seen every facet of the financial services business. Six months into her new job, she is already showing her fund-raising skills, netting $250 million from domestic investors for a new PE fund. But money or just raising funds is not what she is aiming for. "Once you achieve consistency in performance then assets under management is really just an outcome, she says. That's quite a shift from its parent company, ICICI Bank's philosophy of going for growth. Mulye took over from Renuka Ramnath, who ran ICICI Venture for almost a decade and helped it become a dominant PE player. She then rebuilt the team and restructured the way it functions, and plans to follow a more hands-on approach with its investee companies. It helped that Mulye had built relations with investors and companies during her stint at ICICI Bank.

what does power mean to you?
To have the strength to make people believe in my vision.

My most memorable experience at workplace.
When our team raised $5 billion from an equity issue in just 57 days in 2007.

The turning point of my career.
In 1997, when I moved from the zonal office of ICICI Ltd to the corporate office as an Executive Assistant to Head (Corporate Banking). This helped me participate in the transition of ICICI Ltd to ICICI Bank.

New lessons learnt in 2009.
Don't take anything for granted.

New frontiers conquered in 2009.
Launched a $500-million private equity fund within six months of joining ICICI Venture.

What next?
Take advantage of the opportunities in the private equity market and deliver consistent returns to investors. - Rachna M. Koppikar

Resource: Business Today