We need to set our mind to win, the ecosystem will fall in place, says Priya Athreyee of Accenture

“The power of belief leads to success,” says Priya Athreyee, about her illustrious career at Accenture, spanning around two decades.

Priya currently leads the Automation Delivery team for Technology for Operations globally. She delivers automation solutions to clients across industries in Accenture Operations. Prior to this role, she was working as global deployment and change management lead for Accenture’s automation platform myWizard as part of Accenture Technology.

In the past 18 years, Priya has played diverse roles within the organisation. She has a deep and long experience in leading large-scale changes in systems and processes both in India and globally as well as in driving automation journeys for several diamond clients. Alongside this, she passionately drives inclusion and diversity and leads the I&D teams in various roles at India and market levels.

In a conversation with HerStory, Priya gave us a sneak peek into her journey at Accenture and what it truly means to be a woman in operations.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

HerStory (HS): You’ve spent over 18 years at Accenture across departments. How have you dealt with challenges along the way?

Priya Athreyee (PA): It’s OK to be thrown into the deep end. That’s how one learns to adapt to the changing environment.” These wise words from a leader pretty much sums up how I navigated the unfamiliar avenues in my career journey over the last two decades. I believe the power of belief leads to success.

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HS: A journey of two decades comes with a box full of lessons. Tell us about your 18-year-old stint.

PA: In these 18 years at Accenture, I have been persistent in terms of learning, shifting gears, and changing roles - it puts you in charge of what you want to achieve in the long run. Even though I come from a non-engineering background, I broke new ground, often picking up roles that did not conform to the desired skills and knowledge parameters. My leaders have pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and take a crack at varied roles.

Experimenting without fear is our cultural DNA and we are all nurtured that way. Today, as the Lead for Automation in Technology for Operations, I look back with pride at all my career-defining roles. Right from quality assurance and delivery excellence to sales, change management and brand communications – I was able to acquire critical cross-functional skills over the years. Each experience helped my mind to grow. From early on in my career, I picked up areas that were not fully evolved; and this helped me harness my full potential and grow along with the people in my journey.

HS: Why is it essential to have more women in the workforce today, and how can companies attract them?

PA: Diverse teams lead to stronger strategic muscle. The fact that both my kids came along with my promotions reflects Accenture’s commitment to grooming and retaining high-performing talent. We just need to set our mind to win – the ecosystem will fall in place with incredible opportunities coming our way.

Speaking about Accenture, the company has been ensuring that every invisible barrier that holds women and other diverse communities back is tossed away. Together, we participate in designing the future of work.

HS: What have been some of your biggest accomplishments at Accenture?

PA: Thankfully, I did not face the notorious “broken rung” while climbing my way up and worked on several marquee projects that I am extremely proud of.

Deploying a robust delivery governance system across technology delivery of 3,000+ client engagements to driving automation journeys for our diamond clients and creating deep insights through data analytics to wow our clients are some of my career milestones.

HS: What advice would you give to people aspiring for a career in technology, especially women?

PA: Little did I know that automation would be my chosen career path when I graduated in 1997. Today, every business is a technology business. Sooner than expected, the world is getting digitised and automated, wherever possible. I tell my younger colleagues to be open to change in this fast-evolving environment.

Keep an ear to the ground to know about the latest tech trends. Also, before exploring options outside, look within the organisation for opportunities. Finally, remember success never comes to us, we chase it. So, stay the course. I did, and over the years, global accolades and due recognition have come my way.

HS: When not working, what are your favourite things to do?

PA: As an avid reader, the words of the dazzling Yuval Noah Harari resonate very well with me. He says, “Lasting happiness comes only from serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.” I couldn’t agree more and get to boost my happy hormones by pursuing activities that add meaning and magic to my life.

From being a performing Bharatnatyam artist earlier to now voluntarily helping in a dance school with 300+ students, I find my joy in simple pleasures. Travelling, writing, yoga, and watching my kids bloom as responsible citizens make it all worthwhile. As a passionate advocate for Inclusion and Diversity, I also do my part in helping the team accelerate equality for all at Accenture.