IN a society that celebrates men as leaders and initiators, she has always strived to break dictates of the norm.
Having spent her early years shuttling between the United Arab Emirates and Oman, Lamudi Phils. Inc. President and CEO Bhavna Suresh had always wanted to be “different and unique.”
Because of a special affinity with the waterfront, Suresh nurtured a desire to become a marine engineer at first—a profession that’s not really unheard of for women, but not exactly embraced by a male-dominated society.
The real-estate executive recalled, “My father was very supportive in what I do, so he suggested that, instead of marine engineering, I should take up mechanical engineering, because that can provide more opportunities for me in terms of career.”
The obedient child in Suresh acceded to her dad’s proposition. She enrolled in Visvesvaraya Technological University, one of the largest universities and considered as the best mechanical-engineering school in Karnataka State, India. There, the disparity in the number of male students to their female counterparts was 300-to-2 (the other one being Suresh herself).
“The men were very supportive, and they encouraged us to strive hard, too,” she said.
While studying, the aspiring mechanical engineer eventually fell in love with cars and vehicles.
After graduation, she worked for the largest automobile company in India, Interestingly, Suresh was its first female mechanical engineer. (According to her, the company decided to hire one only after its first 50 years of operations.)
However, she felt at that time a strong urge to step up in terms of her career.
Woman on top
WHILE on board, Suresh experienced a typical kind of bias or stereotyping, which harbored a mentality of her being more likely to be “comfortable working in a corporate setting” behind a desk and being clad in a suit.
“I did not want that, because I wanted to get ‘down and dirty;’ [that is,] to do what mechanical engineers do,” she disclosed. “So, that’s what I did. I fought my battles, and I told [my colleagues just that:] I wanted to work in the field, and not within the comforts of an office.”
It was not easy in the months that followed. “I was let go, and I began working out in the field; on the ground,” Suresh revealed.
“That was many years ago. But from what I heard, [the car firm now has] at least 20 percent to 25 percent women workers, because they realized that [they] are as hardworking and smart as men.”
Following her stint as a mechanical engineer in that company, Suresh set up an office from scratch, then a business unit two years after.
Subsequently, she met an inspirational start-up founder who prodded her to join his company, which was in an industry different from her previous one. So from being a mechanical engineer, she took a radical step and worked as a business development head for a digital-marketing entity.
Suresh admitted, “The transition was easy, because I was open to change. I had learned a lot from my former company, [and I thought, that] was the time to move on.”
After more than two years of working for the start-up company, she then decided to go back to school by taking up a Master of Business Administration course in Paris, France.
She told the BusinessMirror, “I wanted to know more about the elements that make a business tick. After a few months, I had a business idea and started my own company, which was into fashion.”
“It was interesting because, while I was in Paris, we met with investors. I also found a partner in India, so while I was in [France] building the company, she was setting up our local office.”
Her company, however, was short-lived because, according to Suresh, it was a little too early then to set it up.
It was during that time that she came across Rocket Internet, the mother company of Lamudi, where she met the global heads of the company.
“There was an opportunity at Lamudi to come [to the Philippines] and form a team,” she shared further. “They offered me the opportunity to come and grow the business, so I can’t say no to that.”
“In short, I said yes. These all happened in one week.”
Setting up local ops
AS an “online real-estate marketplace with operations in 34 countries [Wikipedia],” Lamudi started its Philippine operations in 2014. The company allows property seekers to scour the Internet for the best properties, either for renting or buying. Over 100,000 listings are made available for property seekers.
According to Suresh, real estate can be the biggest investment anyone could ever make. But [within an] e-commerce platform, it could pose “difficulties.” Not only does it entail a lot of research, but she also pointed out to a study that it takes a whole six months before one can find an ideal place.
She continued, “Indeed, the younger generation wants to get involved, and so that’s what we do online: give them pointers to understand and the opportunities to shop for houses—at the click of a mouse.”
For Suresh, the challenge had to do with maintaining the culture of a start-up, even if the company is slowly starting to make a name for itself.
“The minute we slow down, we would not have the passion anymore,” she admitted. “That’s the challenge: to keep that energy growing, and keep the team focused on being passionate about what we do.”
Lamudi Phils. Inc. has also ventured into housing fairs that bring together suppliers and consumers in one roof. Now on its third year, the company conducts these events at least every four months in different venues.
Part of Suresh’s future plans for Lamudi Phils. Inc. is to continue expanding and growing its clientele. Aside from the housing fairs, she intimated that the company also conducts leadership seminars for budding entrepreneurs and aspiring real-estate moguls.
For those planning to buy, rent or sell a place, Suresh has this piece of advice: “Real estate is a positive investment. Research more, then compare prices and costs. Ask Lamudi to help you out.”
Well said from a woman who continues to redefine the norm as she transitions the local real-estate industry: from the physical realm of the past, to the digital platforms of today and the future.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano