Padmini Rajan - Most Inspiring Women Leaders 2025

Leader at a Glance

Saved an $84M banking deal from penalty disaster, turning crisis into renewal through empathetic leadership and AI innovation and scaling teams 20x while driving 19% growth across 170 countries with unshakeable people-first tenacity, Padmini Rajan is redefining leadership.

Name: Padmini Rajan
Designation: Vice President Projects
Company: DAPL IT Services Sdn Bhd
Industry: Software Development
Country: Singapore

Padmini Rajan - Most Inspiring Women Leaders 2025

A biology graduate in 1990s India, Padmini Rajan was captivated by technology’s promise for good in the early era of personal computers. Drawn to C and COBOL, she began a threedecade journey spanning continents and industries. Today, serving as Vice President -Projects, South East Asia at DAPL IT Services, she has led ~$80M P&L, delivered award-winning AI-driven solutions for 900,000+ users across 170 countries, and pioneered GIS and telemedicine platforms in India. Her journey reflects curiosity, adaptability, and a belief in uniting people, strategy, and technology for lasting impact.

Can you guide us through your professional journey and highlight key moments or decisions that shaped your leadership?

After completing my biology degree, I was drawn to computing, a field that became a lifelong adventure in learning how humans and machines can collaborate to transform lives and businesses. What kept me going in those uncertain early years was a quiet belief that learning could open any door, even those I didn’t yet know existed. That same curiosity now fuels my work in emerging areas like GenAI and Cybersecurity. My career has evolved through roles in Programming, Testing, Project/ Program management, Operations, Professional services and Customer support. Transitioning from technical to managerial and then executive roles taught me adaptability, accountability, and my entrepreneurial journey spawned an ownership mindset that values both innovation and human-centered progress.

Having worked across various geographies, were there challenges or opportunities that transformed your leadership perspective?

Every region brings its own lessons. Working across India, Europe, the US and SE Asia has shown me how local values shape collaboration and success. European workplaces emphasise precision and longterm trust; Americans- directness and pace, India’s entrepreneurial resilience fuels agility; while SE Asians blend cultural pride with pragmatism. These experiences taught me to adapt my communication and leadership style to different mindsets while holding fast to the universal principles of respect and accountability. I encourage professionals to work across cultures, it’s the best way to broaden perspective and deepen global ethos.

Transitioning from hands-on work to leadership, what was hardest to let go of, and what new mindsets did you embrace to succeed?

Career progression demands evolving perspectives. As a manager, I focused on processes and deadlines; as a leader, my focus shifted to enable others to expand their potential. For instance, I once mentored someone who inspired others but struggled with structure. Assigning them to a people-facing leadership role allowed them to flourish. Another colleague thrived when given project ownership rather than managerial duties. Aligning roles with individual capabilities and value drivers is essential; not everyone needs to lead to make a meaningful impact. Empathy is equally crucial. When I co-founded and led a company, I realised top level decisions affect entire families, 400 employees meant impacting 1,600 lives. Leadership, to me, is humility, recognising strengths and uniqueness in others and advocating the collective vision above personal ambition.

“Leadership, to me, is humility, recognising strengths and uniqueness in others and advocating the collective vision above personal ambition.”

How do you balance technical expertise with leading a large team?

I follow a simple three-is-key framework:

Prioritise – focus on the few actions that matter most.
Delegate – empower others who can excel in their domain.
Reflect – reassess goals, celebrate progress, and recalibrate.

Leaders need a “T-shaped” skill set, deep expertise in some areas and broad cross-functional insight. Recognising strengths and leading with conviction drives motivated teams and lasting success.

Which project stands out as memorable, and what made it special?

Two milestones define my journey so far. The first was co-founding a startup in India at 30, navigating the dual challenges of entrepreneurship and motherhood while achieving 19% CAGR despite early skepticism. In those long nights balancing deadlines and bedtime stories, it was my faith that purpose matters more than perfection that kept me moving forward. The second was a corporate turnaround in a recent role, scaling a vertical 20x and converting a multimillion-dollar penalty into a multi-year contract renewal. These outcomes resulted from realigning priorities, energising teams, and rebuilding trust, reaffirming my conviction that people-centered leadership creates enduring results.

How do you handle resistance when driving change or new technology?

Change is inevitable, but resistance to it is natural. I again rely on three guiding principles:

Critical thinking – analyze both details and the broader picture.
Cross-functional collaboration – engage the right partners and build alignment early.
Forward focus – balance business goals with people engagement, leveraging automation and emerging technologies to enhance value.

Thoughtful execution and timely recognition of both small wins and big successes foster resilience and creativity.

How do you mentor the next generation, especially underrepresented professionals, and what values do you instill?

Mentorship applies to everyone, though I actively champion diversity and inclusion. Throughout my professional journey, I’ve believed impact lasts longer when it uplifts others. Empathy, kindness, and shared success are central to my philosophy. My guiding mantra is simple: believe in yourself, believe in others, and stay true to your purpose. Confidence, compassion, and conviction, together, form the foundation of meaningful and enduring success.

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