Leaders

In today’s business world, the rise of women entre­preneurs has been a remarkable and empowering phenomenon. As we navigate through the 21st cen­tury, women have emerged as strong and visionary leaders in every department and sector. One such lead­er is Nauka Saxena, Head of Sales and Account Man­agement – Emerging Markets at Perfios, who has been achieving remarkable milestones each passing year in the field of sales and account management space. Backed by 18+ years of experience in sales and key account man­agement, Nauka Saxena is relentlessly working toward helping Perfios, India's largest B2B SaaS Fintech, reach greater heights. She began her career journey as a Sales Executive and later worked in reputable banks such as Standard Chartered, ABN Amro Bank, Dhanlaxmi Bank and Axis Bank.

In this interview with Women Entrepreneurs, Nauka Saxena shares her insights into her professional journey and her secret mantra to success.

Can you please give a brief overview of your career journey?

Born and raised in Delhi, I pursued Political Science hon­ors at Delhi University, achieving merit recognition de­spite not following a tech-related path.

Ironically, despite my academic background, I found myself navigating the technology sector. My growth has been nurtured by hands-on experiences, extensive train­ing, and invaluable guidance from my mentors across various roles.

My career has deep roots in sales. It all began with a stint as a Tele Sales Executive for Tata Finance's co-branded credit card with Amex. During this time, my leadership skills were noticed, leading to a managerial role at ABN AMRO Bank and Axis Bank. Banking became my terrain, spanning roles at a few large banks, primar­ily focused on Business-to-Customer (B2C) sales. My ex­pertise covered diverse sales channels like voice, direct sales, channel partners, field operations, and call centers.

My tenure at Axis Bank lasted over five years, marked by consistent excellence recognized through numerous awards for outstanding performance throughout my stint. In 2017, I embarked on a new journey at Perfios, as­suming the responsibility of Account Manager for B2B Sales based in Delhi & within a few years was promot­ed to Head of Sales & Account Management– Emerging Markets.

It's been an evolving journey and landing the leader­ship role at Perfios marks a milestone of this enriching trajectory. To sum up, my journey is a combination of resilience, adaptability, and proficiency in steering sales strategies across diverse sectors.

Could you share an example of a significant lead­ership decision you've made previously and its im­pact?

One of the most impactful decisions I made was join­ing Perfios, and it happened fairly recently in 2017. The growth path from then till now has been phenomenal. When I joined, Perfios had embarked on its ambitious growth trajectory. Today, we work with 1000+ financial institutions across the BFSI sector. At Perfios, we pow­er the end-to-end customer lifecycle for all financial institutions and help them drive financial inclusion to the last mile. It was a life-altering decision for me, tran­sitioning from the banking sector to the fintech indus­try was a bold move. I was confident in leveraging my sales expertise, which has always been my forte. So far, it has proven to be an excellent decision, steering me in the right direction and continuing to yield positive results.

What are the challenges you've faced, and how have you navigated through those challenges?

When reflecting on our journey at Perfios, from being a new startup in the SaaS space, trying to create a new category and make a dent in the financial sector to now having a global footprint in 18 geographies with a pro­jected ARR of approximately $100 million, it has been a challenging and exhilarating ride! Transitioning from larger, structured organizations to a startup where roles are diverse, and dynamic was a significant shift. Joining Perfios as the first employee from Delhi, I encountered the challenge of adapting from my expertise in banking product sales to technology sales, an entirely new do­main for me.

Navigating through this required me to delve into multiple departments, as our headquarters are in Banga­lore. I undertook extensive self-training to comprehend the nuances of these technologies. Previously, in bank­ing, my experience mainly revolved around front-end processes, unaware of the intricacies behind the scenes. Despite the initial teething pains, I underwent significant growth, from being the only employee in Delhi to a team of 100+ now. I believe in the strength of teamwork and understanding that a united team perseveres together. Staying committed to my work, both personally and pro­fessionally, has also been crucial in propelling me for­ward.

Could you tell us about your leadership approach?

I nurture a positive and friendly atmosphere within my team, emphasizing the adage, 'A team that eats together stays together.' We work diligently and celebrate togeth­er. Fostering a sense of belongingness and granting au­tonomy for decision-making cultivates an office culture where work is not the only reason to be there. At Perfi­os we try to inculcate a founder’s mindset in every em­ployee and that is something I personally value as well. Which is why establishing growth paths, empathizing with their challenges, being a sounding board, and pro­viding constructive feedback, are integral for me as a manager and a mentor. Recognizing and acknowledging their efforts has been key. I'm proud that many individ­uals I've worked with have stayed with me for five to six years, a testament to the culture we've fostered. It's about investing in people, creating a conducive work environ­ment, and granting them the freedom they need for a healthy professional relationship.

What advice would you offer young aspiring entre­preneurs?

Not everyone gets the opportunity to pursue their dream job in the first go! However, it's crucial to continue seek­ing something that brings happiness and contentment, at the end of the day it's perseverance that pays off. And even when you finally get that dream job, it's not all rosy! Jobs can be inherently stressful, irrespective of the field. If you don't derive joy from your work, sustaining it be­comes difficult. The key is to be aware of your strengths and limitations, embrace change, and consistently work on yourself. Focus on the direction that you are moving towards instead of where you are at present. Stay your authentic self and you will never feel defeated.

Nauka Saxena, Head Of Sales & Account Management – Emerging Relationships, Perfios

Backed by 18+ years of experience in sales and key account management, Nauka Saxena is relentlessly working toward helping Perfios, India’s largest B2B SaaS Fintech, reach greater heights. She began her career journey as a Tele Sales Executive and later worked in reputable banks such as Standard Chartered, ABN Amro Bank, Dhanlaxmi Bank, and Axis Bank.