Dr Puneet Kaur Kohli
Information Technology
Group Technology Officer and Chief Information Officer | Manappuram Finance Limited | Thrissur, Kerala (INDIA)
Ancestry
Rawalpindi (undivided British India)
Birthplace & Residence:
New Delhi (India)
Fly High… Unstoppable!
A digital icon, contributing to the Indian IT field for over 25 years, has not only strengthened the infrastructure of some leading and tall-standing organisation, but has also placed India on a very high pedestal globally when it comes to digital supremacy.
My parents, Sardarni Mohinder Kaur and Sardar Raghubir Singh Kohli, couldn’t feel luckier to have given birth to the first girl after so long! My family had longed for a baby girl for 75 years before I was born on 1 June 1972 between two brothers, Gurvinder Singh and Jasmeet Singh. My parents believed that I was their true Laxmi to bring them good fortune. I was told that after my birth, my father was promoted, my grandfather was able to reclaim his lands, etc. My taaya ji had three sons, my father had three of us and my chacha ji had two sons; I was the only daughter in three families until my chacha ji was blessed with one 11 years later. I was the child whom people, family and saints liked to gift things; a pampered child I was. My footprints were taken on a blank paper, framed and hung on a wall like a certificate of pride!
Growing up amid seven brothers, I became a tomboy – I played all the ‘boy’ games with them and also fought a lot while playing – which made my family put me in an all-girls’ school. It turned me into such a staunch feminist that I did not like talking to boys except my brothers! A bright student, who preferred smart work over hard work, I especially loved Mathematics.
My father my mentor, my mother and grandmother my ideals
As I grew up, I started looking up to my father as my role model, the one who gave me many life-principles. I saw him being the best father, the best husband, the best son and the best brother. He worked in Life Insurance Corporation, India, and was handling all the overseas operations. He was very studious and gregarious; his passion for academics, broad outlook towards the world, responsibility towards his family and his love in associating with different people always inspired me. He wanted us siblings to have the best possible education and sent us to the best possible English-medium schools. I thus had a good flair in English, Punjabi ran in my blood and I couldn’t understand Hindi the least bit. It infused in me the qualities that made me the person I am today. Although he gave me wings, it were my mother and grandmother who gave me values that kept me close to my roots. Life was perfect. But probably God doesn’t like everything so perfect. A car accident took my father away. I was still in grade 8. I missed my light and fun moments with him: how he prioritised me over my brothers or gave me the equal amount of money I had managed to save in my small piggy bank. He till date is my biggest inspiration.
Things for the entire family suddenly stood still; but my mother, still grieving, took charge of the responsibilities he had left behind and started working. She balanced both her family and her work and I started spending a lot more time with my grandmother. Roles in the family were shuffled. While my mother was now my father and mother, my grandmother was my mother and grandmother. My grandmother guided me to take inspiration from the way she was balancing home and family, pushing me to learn to drive when I was in grade 12 and later to fly. She taught me every Sikh principle, narrating stories of every guru. She converted me from the pampered daughter to a responsible son.
I believed living life to the fullest. I had a lot of friends and we often went for movies and would often hangout together. My father wanted at least one of us to be a pilot, and thus, when I started my BTech (Computers) from Delhi College of Engineering (1989–93), I also started learning to fly, though I couldn’t take a certification as I got married to Manpreet Singh Kohli on 9 February 1994. He was a businessman dealing in pre-owned cars at that time.
Behind this successful woman was a man
Manpreet was originally from Iran, who went to London to study Automobile Engineering. He realised I had some aspirations and had ‘it’ to prove myself; he became my pillar. He well-supported me when I started to work with Arya Communications Limited and studying for an executive MBA in Operations and Marketing and Computers from FMS, Delhi University in 2000. His understanding and support were a blessing to me as when I went for my classes, he’d look after our sons, one of whom was a 5-year-old. He didn’t lose his patience with me when I joined Microsoft and later Cisco and worked enthusiastically. Working with Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB, now BSES) left me exhausted. Our work and our families in different locations took us travelling to newer places. Had it not been for him, I wouldn’t ever have walked on a tightrope balancing work and family. And like my grandmother and mother used to tell me, “9 to 5, you are a hardworking professional, come home and you are a daughter-in-law, a mother, a wife.” I’d wake up early, cook, drop the kids at the crèche, pick them up and drop them home, which is when Manpreet so willingly took over my responsibilities at home. He would often introduce me as Proactive & Unstoppable Puneet.
I was so much in love with the computers and the systems around it that I went on to gain final level certification in Routing, Switching and Security from Cisco. I was among the very few women in India to opt for this specialisation. After that, I opted for my post-MBA from Wharton Business School.
Around the same time, however, we decided to put the kids in a boarding school. They’d come home every vacation, but a certain gap started to grow between us. This made us realise the importance of vacations; every time the kids were back home, we’d take a week’s break and go on a vacation together. Nothing could have been better than this!
And then suddenly something happened which was not supposed to happen. I lost my husband. And, with him, I lost my energies. Thinking about what made my mother stand up again and looking at my sons, I started to get back on my feet again. My family, including my in-laws, made me realise that I needed to get back to life for their education and well-being. Prabhmeet, my son, completed BBS from GD Goenka University and plans to go for a specialisation in film production from Canada. Harmanan, my nephew who has grown up with Prabhmeet, studied BTech at Amity and plans to pursue MBA from the USA. Since my parents-in-law are settled in the Iran, the two will have their chance to gel with their grandparents too whenever required.
Life is to enjoy: The key to peace
In my long-standing career till now, I have won numerous awards such as being named in the Hall of Fame for IDC India and being recognised by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. I always find my solace in assisting society. Along with creating videos for Anganwadi teachers, I often teach their children. I have created a forum for Cyber Education and personally educate kids on it.
Believing in living to the fullest, I extract the elixir of happiness from the smallest of things I do. Eating street food, cooking for my family, or shopping, everything gives me happiness. A stroll on the beach or being in nature gives peace to my soul. Movies like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and The Man who Saw Tomorrow inspire me.
In professional life too, I always have maintained balanced relationships with my colleagues. I try to be their mentor and give them enough space to work and develop their skills to the utmost along with staying professional.
Be it my younger ones in the family or at work, I always tell them, “if the road ahead is not easy to walk, rebuild the road and keep walking… for yourself and for others who are following you as their LEADER.”
Philosophy
Do good and forget it. Be a good listener. Be humble.
I love…
Cooking, driving, flying and socialising.
I’d suggest the youth…
To respect their parents. Parents don’t need your support but had they not supported you, you would not be the person you are today. Don’t forget their contribution to your success and take care good of them.
Success Mantra
Be coachable and adaptable. Maintain a good work-life balance. You should be a blend of both the modern and the old school of thoughts.
The world doesn’t know that…
I almost became a certified pilot! My dad wanted one of his sons to be a pilot so I took it on me to fulfil his dreams. But things didn’t go as planned.
Gallery
ISBN : 9788193397695