This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on March 15, 2021 - March 21, 2021

Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia managing director Anamika Talwar believes flexible working arrangements play an essential role in bridging the gender gap within the corporate environment.

Talwar, who was speaking to Digital Edge in conjunction with International Women’s Day, says as a mother herself, balancing her personal and professional life was one of her biggest challenges while advancing her career — a challenge not uncommon among women in the workforce.

“Back when I was working as a consultant, I was travelling 80% of the time. It was difficult to sustain that lifestyle once the baby came along because I needed to be there for my daughter. So, I chose to work from home and was quite fortunate to have employers who allowed me to do so,” she says.

“Workplaces need to have these types of flexible working options for people who need them and allow them to fully return to the workforce once they are ready. It does not have to be solely female-oriented. There are male colleagues who are fathers and have family commitments as well.

“There is also a conversation about culture and mindset. There are companies that offer these benefits, but no employee wishes to take them. This is because of the perception that they are not as dedicated or committed as the other employees. Not only do we need the right human resources practices and policies, but we also need the right type of corporate culture that does not discriminate.”

Anamika points out that the work-from-home model popularised during the Movement Control Order (MCO) is an indirect win for women. It has proved that employees are able to have the same productivity level and output at home as when they are working full-time in the office, regardless of gender.

With schools closed during the MCO, both parents had the shared responsibility of caring for their children while juggling their day jobs and attending virtual meetings. More than once she saw children and toddlers roaming in the background during virtual meetings, and she finds it charming when it happens.

“When we look at the future of working arrangements, it will be a form of a hybrid working model, with a focus on flexibility. In the end, what the MCO has shown us is that it is possible to have productivity at home, and it will give more confidence to employers to offer such arrangements to their employees,” says Anamika.

Anamika has built the majority of her career around the Mercedes-Benz brand. She had served over 15 years under Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler AG since 2005, holding multiple management positions such as chief digital officer and head of sales and marketing of the Africa and Asia-Pacific branch, as well as head of strategy and business development in the Americas.

In May 2017, she transitioned into the managing director role at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Singapore, where she served for about 3½ years. She was appointed managing director of Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia last year in November.

Anamika says the automotive industry was male-dominated when she first joined the company. This is because the majority of employees come from technology and engineering backgrounds, which is reflective of the gender composition within colleges and universities that offer these courses.

She started out on the engineering track in high school, which prepares students for engineering college. She recalls being one of four female students in a class of 70 at the time. When she entered engineering college, there were only 10 female students out of a class of 300.

“These numbers are from a while ago. Since then, things have changed for the better when it comes to gender diversity. There is a worldwide emphasis on getting more women into STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields and industries, and Daimler has done a fantastic job in terms of making gender diversity a priority — from the board level at the top, all the way down to the employees,” she says.

Anamika first became interested in the automotive industry after graduating from business school. She joined a consulting firm and worked with a team of partners and consultants in the automotive practice.

“I became part of the move to Detroit, the automotive capital of the US. I was fortunate to have driven some of these wonderful Mercedes-AMG vehicles on a racetrack, coached by German Touring Car Masters (DTM) drivers,” she adds.

“The best experience I had was taking a G-Class off-road, and there was this almost 90-degree drop. It was scary to take a vehicle and go down that incline, but the G-Class handled it incredibly well. It was the thrill of a lifetime, but it was also the day that gave me so much respect for the engineering marvel that goes into these vehicles.”

At the time, Mercedes-Benz’s brand philosophy was “nothing but the best”, and the company mantra resonated with her. So, Anamika took the leap and joined the company.

The key to her career advancement, she says, has been having confidence and taking more risks. According to the latest LinkedIn Gender Insights Report published in 2019, women are more selective or hesitant when applying for jobs, being 16% less likely than men to apply for a job after viewing it.

In Anamika’s career development, each new role that she took on has been completely different from the one before, other than her current role as managing director. She was once part of the business strategy department but had the task of leading an insurance team in the US with zero background in insurance.

“We were conducting a greenfield operation from the ground up, which meant getting the agency licensed in all 50 states in the US, launching 25 new products, while running an insurance company,” she says.

“To do that without previous experience and background in insurance can be daunting and intimidating. But I think that is where we learn the extent of our capabilities, when we push ourselves to the limit. It was a lot of hard work, but it was such a wonderful learning experience. It is gratifying to have a legacy that you can look back upon.”

Anamika points out that having a strong support network has also helped her tremendously in her career development. For aspiring women in the workforce, she recommends seeking out mentors or sparring partners within and outside the workplace. 

“I have had great mentors, and many of them had been my bosses. I still seek them out for guidance. If having conversations with bosses is difficult, you could try talking with a colleague, or even someone from a different corporate environment.

“Do get to know people and build your own support network. All of us need our own support network and someone to reach out to when we need to.”

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