A client a day: Vedika Bhandarkar

Vedika Bhandarkar
42, Vice Chairman, Credit Suisse India
(Number of times in BT's Most Powerful list: 3)

Along time ago, one of Vedika Bhandarkar's bosses barked at her: Meet at least four new clients every week. In a career that has spanned 20 years - which includes 12 years at J.P. Morgan India - and taken her to the post of Vice Chairman and Head of Investment banking at Credit Suisse India, Bhandarkar peeps into her diary every Friday to see if that happens.

"Am happy to note that it does happen," says Bhandarkar with a smile. "That is the test for me and my colleagues as well," she adds. It is a test she obviously enjoys. Almost 90 per cent of her day - which begins at 8.45 a.m. - is spent in client meetings. "That is the most fascinating part of my job. And it also gives me a huge kick,"says Bhandarkar. In addition, Bhandarkar tries to spend quality time with her team and individual members to ensure holistic growth.

Biggest achievement in 2010: Left J.P. Morgan after 12 years to join Credit Suisse as Vice Chairman Being a powerful woman is important because: I can advise my clients on which deals not to do Tip for work-life balance: Be systematic, delegate and do not hesitate to ask for help A workplace without women is: As good as life without women

She also enjoys taking up challenges. The current one: to take Credit Suisse onto a larger platform. "I have to build the business and take it to a much bigger size," says Bhandarkar. Within Credit Suisse, the comparison metric in place is the share of wallet - the proportion of fees it earns vis-à-vis the fees paid across the investment banking industry.

Over the next three years, Bhandarkar aims to be among the Top 5 in terms of the share of wallet. "We are not in the top 10 in terms of the share of wallet right now," she says. If Bhandarkar keeps looking into her diary at the end of every week - with satisfaction - the chances of her reaching her goal are bright.
-Rajiv Bhuva

The 30 Most Powerful Women
1.Schauna Chauhan 2.Zarin Daruwala 3.Lynn de Souza 4.Tanya Dubash 5.Shyamala Gopinath 6.Vinita Gupta 7.Kaku Nakhate 8.Vedika Bhandarkar 9.Manisha Girotra 10.Lalita Gupte 11.Usha Narayanan 12.Akhila Srinivasan 13.Leena Nair 14.Vinita Bali 15.Chanda Kochhar	16.Roopa Kudva 17.Naina Lal Kidwai 18.Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw 19.Zarina Mehta 20.Zia Mody 21.Kalpana Morparia 22.Vishakha Mulye 23.Swati Piramal 24.Meher Pudumjee 25.Madhabi Puri Buch 26.Chitra Ramkrishna 27.Preetha Reddy 28.Shikha Sharma 29.Mallika Srinivasan 30.Sangeeta Talwar