06 March 2018 | Features
Suneela Thatte, VP Global Operations, IQVIA, India
At times, when the Indian clinical research industry was passing through turbulent and bumpy weather Ms Suneela Thatte, who was leading the Indian Society for Clinical Research (ISCR) as president, played a key role in bringing new reforms and in positioning India as a destination for clinical research. Besides, during her leadership, the society played a catalytic role in building awareness of clinical research as a specialty in India. She was at the helm of the ISCR for two terms - 2013-15 and 2015-17. Now the CRO industry is seeing bright future with government making changes and bringing in amendments.
On the occasion of International Women's Day, Suneela Thatte shares her personal side with BioSpectrum-
My Daily Routine-
On week days I am up by 5.45 am as I believe in starting my day early. On weekends it is a bit more relaxed and I wake up by around 7.00 am. The first task that I do is to pack breakfast for my son as he leaves home at 6.30 am. Then it’s “me time” where I focus on my exercise. Once back, I have my breakfast, get ready and leave for work at 7.45 am.
My idea of fitness and nutrition-
All professionals need to understand that they can perform well in a demanding job only if they enjoy good health. I exercise daily and am careful about my nutrition intake too. I certainly don’t believe in starving myself but I ensure that I “eat right”.
My favourite cuisine-
I like to enjoy the local cuisine of a place when I travel. I enjoy Asian, especially Thai, food.
My favorite holiday destination-
I like to go to places where I can connect with nature. One place that I can never tire of going to is the wildlife reserve of Ranthambore in Rajasthan.
My idea of balance between personal and professional life-
In my view it is very important to have the right balance between one’s personal and professional life and both must complement each other. When it comes to my family, I am more particular about the quality of time that I give to them rather than the quantity. I also share with my family my challenges, my achievements and, at times, my frustration which has helped them understand what my profession means to me. My family has, in fact, acted as a solid anchor for me in challenging times. This, in turn, has ensured that I give more than 100% to my professional life. My present organization, QuintilesIMS has also played an important role here because at QuintilesIMS we believe in offering flexibility and supporting employees in time of need. Needless to say, our organization has employee-friendly policies and the infrastructure to ensure that this is managed effectively.
A tip I would like to also share here is that whether it comes to your personal or professional life, one must identify the tasks that you must do yourself and those you can and should delegate. Once you know what you need to do, the next step is to have a plan in place to address one’s tasks based on priority and criticality. These simple steps can go a long way in achieving that magic word “balance”.