JOIN USShantha Martin may miss her home and the people back there. But this hasn’t stopped her from being an effective CEO and gathering awards, writes I J Saldanha-Shet
One hears and reads of many achievers reaching tremendous heights in every sphere. Women hailing from our country too have made it to the zenith of their respective fields. The dream ‘CEO’ tag that many of our brilliant female scholars dream of is achievable. The story of Shantha Martin, CEO of Allcargo Logistics, is one such inspiring story.
Shantha, who heads Allcargo in the Indian sub-continent, Middle-east and Africa, brings to mind Stephen R Covey, the world-famous ‘management guru’ who propounded the ‘7 habits of highly effective people’ through his adored book - it teaches that every individual has the potential for greatness. Being highly
effective is the aim towards achieveing greatness. Instead of reacting to or
worrying about conditions over which they have little or no control, proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can control.
Achieving goals
The unassuming Shantha who was born to a middle-class family in Mangaluru, recalls, “Eleven years in Allcargo
Logistics has seen me rise to a pinnacle. With responsibilities come challenges that shaped my success. For, if there is no challenge, there is no opportunity to prove one’s worth.”
Allcargo, too, bears its roots in Mangaluru. Allcargo happened when Shashi Kiran Shetty, a simple man from Dakshina Kannada came to Mumbai with his dreams and through his vision gave shape to what Allcargo is now – a billion dollar company with a global footprint. Shantha has many awards and trophies in her kitty, such as ‘The Bharat Vikas Rathna’, the International Forum’s
‘Leading Woman CEO Award’, apart from other awards gathered in the logistics sector. At the World Women’s Leadership Congress held in February this year in Mumbai, she was declared the winner of the ‘Business Leader award’. There were participants from over 83 countries.
The golden words of how she is such a great success in this male-oriented world, come into intense focus here – “Get to like your vocation and your vocation will like you. My philosophy of success? It is a simple law of reciprocity. And to reap the payoffs, one needs to work hard not just for oneself but for the others as well. This is what teamwork is all about. In this vein, I would suggest to the youngsters with a dream, to compete for success, for innovation, for honour, for pride; and compete not just for yourself; compete in a manner that exhorts others to compete. Life is a playground where you play to win.”
On the home front
Shantha is not only articulate, but deeply sincere in her speech. She narrates : “As I see it, marriage is the greatest mystery and children the greatest miracle. It was, indeed, a master design, meeting Dr Alexander Martin. It happened through our common connection of my sister’s medical college in Bengaluru. Amusing as it may seem, it was the tipping point of my life. Marrying a psychiatrist is a boon for it saves you from the clutches of stress. I am grateful that my husband has been my stress manager most of the time.”
“Our little girl Tanya has been our greatest miracle and it is she who inspires, motivates, intrigues and challenges us and is the greatest stress buster of our fast-paced lives. And above all, we see our childhood in her. She is a child who shows a lot of concern, a playful and joyful creation bequeathed to us; and we are ever grateful to the forces that bless us all the way.”
Shantha often dreams about her hometown Mangaluru. “Time has gone by and it is here we stand now, in a mini metropolis, gathering pace, buildings which could never dream of standing taller than the coconut trees, now competing with the stature of Burj Khalifa. Mangaluru city is clamouring to be heard and seen, beckoning to be remembered. And alongside, somewhere I too clamoured to be heard and seen; I am proud that I had a dream and I am filled with gratitude that I was allowed the freedom and offered the guidance to pursue my dreams.”