World Bank’s CFO - Reflections from Treasury Summer Interns

One day, we were wrapping up our weekly deliverables when one of us had the idea of planning a "meet & greet" with Anshula Kant, World Bank MDCFO, followed by a one-on-one interview with her. We believed that this unique experience would allow us, young professionals embarking on our career paths, to meet with a senior leader in the World Bank and learn firsthand what it entails to work in finance at such a high level. With our supervisor in on the idea, we wasted no time contacting Anshula's front office. We were thrilled when word got back that Anshula was kind enough to spare an hour of her time.

Sixteen interns came from seven countries and five continents to embark on a career in finance through the World Bank Treasury's Summer Internship for college students. We know this program is highly competitive and the only one of its kind at the Bank. Although we are the fifth cohort, we are the first to meet with Anshula—an experience we will cherish long after our ten weeks in Washington, D.C. this summer. Armed with questions, we made the trip one day from the C Building to the MC to learn more about Anshula.

Anshula's Story & Our Takeaways

Anshula graciously shared details about her upbringing, including her educational background and family life. It was clear that education had been a priority for her, even from a young age. Her mother, unlike most women in India during that time, stressed the importance of quality education and financial independence for young girls—which instilled in Anshula a sense of self-sufficiency. Anshula looked up to her father, who taught her the importance of being honest and committed to any task she took on: "My father instilled core values that I hold to this day, such as honesty in whatever you do, hard work, and commitment. I relied on those core values as I progressed in my career," she reflected.

Speaking of her career, from Anshula's journey, we learned that having a good mentor who holds a leadership role can make a huge difference for a young professional. When we asked her if there had been a mentor in her career, she shared that there wasn't just one, but rather several people who offered her invaluable advice, from whom she learned various skills and life skills. She shared how one of her mentors—the first woman chairperson of State Bank of India—taught her the importance of empathy to inspire good leadership. "Keep that person in mind who you are trying to serve, to keep you motivated." From another mentor, she learned: "All anger and passion that one has, should be channeled to serving one's customers and mission." We thought that these were important skills and learnings, not just at her level, but also something that we could actively practice in our day-to-day lives.

As students who dream of returning to work at the World Bank, we asked for Anshula's advice on how to thrive at the Bank and make meaningful contributions to its mission. Her advice to "not get lost" in the sea of thousands of other professionals, even in seemingly intimidating circumstances, resonated most with us. She also emphasized the importance of fostering meaningful relationships with our colleagues not just to expand our horizon, but to create a safety net of individuals to lean on in the workplace. Finally, Anshula advised us to not let our passion fade away in our work or become robotic in completing everyday tasks. In her words, "One of the beautiful things about the World Bank is that on a daily basis, we are undertaking projects that allow us to follow our passion and, in the end, can make a lasting impact through our work."