This installment of the IFS employee spotlight showcases Aakanksha Gavali. Aakanksha is a Project Manager for IFS Readiness and IFS Cloud. She is a member of the product marketing team and has been with IFS for a little over two years.
Get to know Aakanksha a little better as she shares what she likes to do in her free time and what she likes most about being at IFS.
What brought you to IFS?
Although originally from a non-technical background, I have worked in event and project management for more than 10 years. I worked with organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Be the Match, and Make a Wish, driven by the desire to make a difference in my community. During this time, I also worked as an administrative assistant for various healthcare clinics. I was well on my way to applying to physical therapy schools when I came to the realization that it was the project management aspect of my roles that I loved more.
This realization eventually took me away from healthcare and drove me to explore other fields. I got involved in the entertainment industry, where I worked as an Executive Assistant for an artist management firm and worked as an artist relations manager for music festivals and events.
As I gained more experience in the corporate world, I started looking into other fields where I could transfer my project management knowledge. I accepted a contract role at Microsoft, and during this time, I was recruited by IFS. What initially attracted me to IFS was their commitment to giving back to the community through the IFS Foundation and encouraging their staff to do the same through their CSR days. I have been at IFS for more than two years now and every day I am grateful to work for a company with such a global and diverse network of brilliant and supportive people.
What has been your most rewarding project so far?
The most rewarding project that I’ve worked on so far has been the establishment of IFS’s very first Readiness Week in the Fall of 2019. The work was fast-paced and challenging. It led to the creation of a program that IFS will benefit from for years to come. As the project manager for the IFS Cloud launch, I’m also very excited for our launch coming up in March and seeing everyone’s hard work come to life!
What do you wish you knew at the beginning of your career?
Follow your heart and do more of what you’re passionate about, never stop learning, and never be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help.
Tell us about which of our core values is most important to you: agile, collaborative, or trustworthy. Why?
Trustworthy. To me, trust is the most important of our core values. Knowing that I can trust my organization and team members – and that they too can trust me – to be conscientious, honest, and supportive is so critical! Successful businesses are built on relationships. And a business that inspires trust can operate far more efficiently because those strong relationships are what empower us to increase our engagement and productivity to work together towards our collective goals.
Where is your happy place in the city where you live?
My favorite place would actually be outside of the city – I am in the mountains every chance I get! There are few things that can compare to the feeling of reaching a summit or watching the sunrise in the mountains.
Thanks for reading! Connect with Aakanksha on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram to keep up with her outdoor adventures.
We hope you enjoyed this IFS Employee Spotlight. We invite you to learn more about IFS careers.
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Izaac
Where was this photo taken? Looks great!