In today’s rapidly evolving corporate landscape, conversations around leadership are increasingly intersecting with themes of empathy, inclusion, financial awareness, and work-life integration. In this special Mother’s Day conversation for HR TODAY’s Leaders Speak section, Dr. Sunil Singh, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of HR TODAY, speaks with Vidhi Parikh, Whole Time Director and Chief Financial Officer at Jainam Broking Limited, about how motherhood has shaped her leadership philosophy, strengthened her long-term thinking, and influenced her approach to finance and people leadership. Vidhi Parikh shares thoughtful perspectives on balancing professional responsibilities with parenting, encouraging financial literacy among children, and creating more supportive workplaces for working mothers.
- Motherhood and leadership are both deeply demanding roles. How has becoming a mother influenced the way you lead teams and make decisions professionally?
Motherhood brings a different depth to the way you look at responsibility. It makes you more aware of the environment you create around people, the way you communicate during challenging situations, and the importance of consistency in leadership.
It also strengthens your ability to look at decisions more holistically. In leadership roles, every decision impact people, culture, and long-term direction in some way. Motherhood naturally makes you more thoughtful about those dimensions while remaining clear and decisive.
- Through your professional journey, there’s a strong emphasis on discipline and long-term thinking. Did motherhood strengthen those qualities in a different way for you?
Motherhood brings those qualities in a more grounded and intentional way. Discipline begins to evolve beyond routines and timelines, and becomes more about prioritising thoughtfully, managing time with greater purpose, and staying consistent even during demanding or unpredictable situations.
It also naturally strengthens long-term thinking. As a parent, there is always a stronger awareness of the future of the values being passed on, the example being set, and the kind of foundation being created over time. I believe that perspective reflects strongly in professional life as well, especially in leadership and finance, where sustainable growth, stability, and thoughtful decision-making matter far more than short-term outcomes.
- In finance, where speed and pressure are constant, how do you personally create balance between professional responsibilities and being present as a mother?
In leadership roles, there will always be phases that demand greater time and attention professionally. For me, balance has become less about perfectly dividing time and more about being fully present wherever I am.
At Jainam Broking Limited, my role involves continuous decision-making, strategic planning, and managing responsibilities in a dynamic environment. Over time, I have realised how important strong teams, clarity, and trust become in maintaining balance professionally.
At home as well, I value being fully present during family time, even if it is through simple everyday moments. Those moments help create perspective and grounding. I think balance evolves with time, and what matters most is being intentional about where your energy goes.
- You have actively engaged with conversations around increasing women’s participation in investing and financial markets. Why is it important for children, especially young girls, to grow up seeing more women in finance leadership roles?
Children understand the world largely through what they see around them while growing up. When financial conversations, business leadership, and decision-making become a natural part of their environment, those spaces begin to feel familiar and accessible.
I think that exposure is important because it shapes confidence very quietly. Children who grow up seeing diverse participation in leadership and finance are more likely to approach those spaces with openness and curiosity rather than hesitation or stereotypes.
As a parent, I feel financial awareness should become a more natural part of growing up. The earlier children begin understanding responsibility, decision-making, and the value of financial independence, the stronger and more confident their outlook becomes over time.
- Financial awareness is becoming increasingly important today. As a mother working in finance, how do you think parents should introduce conversations around money and investing to children?
I think financial awareness should begin through everyday habits and conversations rather than formal lessons. Children observe more than we realise, whether it is how families plan, save, spend, or make decisions.
I feel parents should involve children in small everyday financial habits and discussions. When children grow up hearing practical discussions around budgeting, goals, or saving for the future, they become more comfortable and confident with managing money later in life.
Over time, those conversations help children develop a healthier and more practical understanding of money. Financial confidence usually develops gradually through familiarity and awareness.
- Do you think motherhood makes women stronger leaders in ways that are often underestimated in corporate environments?
I think motherhood sharpens a leader’s ability to look beyond immediate situations and respond with far greater perspective. It teaches you that every situation does not require the loudest reaction, sometimes it requires the ability to stay composed and make balanced decisions.
That becomes important in leadership as well. In fast-moving professional environments, people often focus heavily on speed and outcomes, though the ability to create calm, confidence, and direction during demanding phases is equally important.
Motherhood also makes many women exceptionally resourceful. You learn to navigate multiple responsibilities without losing sight of what matters most. In many ways, it strengthens quiet leadership qualities that may not always be the most visible, though often have the strongest long-term impact on teams and organisations.
7. Many women hesitate to return to ambitious career paths after motherhood. What would you say to women navigating that phase today?
I would say that motherhood may change the pace of a journey for some time, though it does not reduce ambition, capability, or potential in any way.
Every career evolves differently, and there should be confidence in allowing that evolution to happen naturally. Professional growth is rarely perfectly linear, especially when people are balancing different responsibilities and phases of life.
In many ways, motherhood brings greater adaptability and patience, and , and those qualities become valuable in leadership roles. Women should continue to stay connected to their aspirations and move forward with confidence in their own journey.
8. From your perspective, what more can organisations do to genuinely support working mothers beyond policy-level conversations?
Real support comes from culture more than policies alone. Policies can create a framework, though the everyday experience of working mothers is shaped by leadership mindset, team culture, flexibility, and the confidence organisations continue to place in them during different phases of life.
I think organisations today need to move towards creating more trust-driven and outcome-oriented work environments. When people feel supported professionally during important personal phases, they are able to contribute with far greater commitment and continuity over the long term.
At Jainam Broking Limited, there is a strong emphasis on building a people-focused and growth-oriented culture. Workplaces that approach inclusion thoughtfully build stronger teams, stronger leadership pipelines, and much more resilient organisations overall.
Disclaimer: Investments in securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing. For more detail click on https://www.jainam.in/disclaimer/
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