Do glass elevators matter?

In a world where women have to work hard on self-advocacy, face high expectations, manage tight timelines, cruise through a little margin of error, work around corporate politics, handle biased judgments, and battle unequal recognition - how fair and comfortable is the view from the top? Why are second innings and non-linear career paths important for women? Let’s sit besides Purvi Shah, an impactful CIO, with a métier that spans Real Estate, Banking, Telecom, Vehicle Finance, and Paper Stationery Exports). She helps us see this all from a window that is not gilded, not blocked with heavy curtains and bravely adorns a lighthouse.

- Pratima H

What makes you the most proud when you look back at the last 19 years of your professional life?

What makes me most proud when I look back at the last 19 years is the consistent ability to adapt, grow, and create impact across diverse industries and roles. From banking to real estate, I’ve embraced every opportunity with openness and resilience, allowing me to lead several digital transformation initiatives from the ground up.

But beyond systems and technology, what truly fulfills me is the human side of leadership—mentoring teams, nurturing talent, and helping individuals discover and realise their potential. Watching both the organisation and its people thrive together has been truly rewarding, and knowing I’ve played a role in shaping both, is incredibly rewarding.

Through every phase of this journey, I've held onto one core value—integrity. Upholding strong ethical standards, even in challenging circumstances, has helped build trust, foster lasting relationships, and deliver outcomes that I can stand by with pride.

A lot is said about Glass Ceilings for women business leaders. Does it also apply to women IT leaders?

Yes, glass ceilings do exist for women in IT and in fact women in leadership roles, and I've experienced how subtle and structural these barriers can be. While I’ve been fortunate to work in organisations that recognised merit, there have still been moments when access to strategic roles or decision-making forums required more than just performance—it required persistent self-advocacy. For example, early in my career, despite delivering strong outcomes, I realised I wasn’t automatically considered for cross-functional or leadership roles until I explicitly asked for them and even then, it didn’t happen for years.

What about ‘glass cliffs’? Are there any ‘glass elevators’ that women forget/neglect?