Harninder Bassi ─ multi-tasking leader who juggles data, processes and people to drive results!
January 19, 2021 • 3 Minute Read
Updated June 3, 2022
Harninder Bassi
Vice President & Chief
of Staff to the CEO
Pindrop
(Previously—Senior Director of Global Strategy & Planning,
Rubrik, Inc.)
Are you looking for a finance professional and business leader with international IT experience and adept at translating analytics, business processes and people behavior to drive results? We know just the person—Harninder Bassi!
Harninder is the Senior Director of Global Strategy & Planning at Rubrik and is currently focused on accelerating sales through its partner ecosystem. She brings to her position a background in finance, sales operations, strategy and planning. Her tireless advocacy for diversity and inclusion are essential hallmarks for all leaders of today and tomorrow.
Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™, Harninder Bassi!
Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.
Fun Facts
1. What’s the one thing about you that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
I jumped out of planes and flew planes for fun.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
50k to 100k miles.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
Haggis at my ex boss’s house in London. Haggis is sheep’s heart, liver and lungs minced and mixed with onions, oatmeal, suet and seasoned with salt and spices cooked inside the animal’s stomach.
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
I was asked to lead a project in The Netherlands early in my career and I was the only female, only Indian and youngest by far. After a rough start I realized I was asked to do this assignment exactly because I was different and had a different perspective. I learned quickly that diverse teams deliver stronger results and the importance of being an inclusive leader.
Having worked in different countries, segments and functions has given me a greater understanding of different parts of the business that helps me to create strategically relevant, fiscally responsible and operationally feasible strategies in my global remit.
5. Did you have a mentor in the early part of your career and, if so, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your mentor or influencer?
I was fortunate to have a diverse group of mentors. One of the greatest lessons was to always continue learning ‘what got you here, will not get you there’.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Know your unique value and what you bring to the table as this is your competitive differentiation.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
I enjoy mentoring, championing and celebrating young talent one-on-one and sharing my perspectives to a wider audience through panel discussions and talks.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
I was fortunate to be part of creating the Cybersecurity sales organization at Cisco, through acquisition and legacy sales teams. More recently, I’m excited to help build out Rubrik’s ecosystem.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
I am a firm believer that the quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life, whether at work or at home. With that said, I am spending a lot of time thinking about how to build relationships and a culture remotely when teams are Zoom fatigued.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
Managing the transition to software.
