Petula Thomas: CEO, visionary, leader

By Zara Dewing

When I saw that the theme for this Indigo edition was ‘South Asia’ I immediately wanted to interview my Aunt, Petula Thomas. She has had such a varied and interesting career in India – she started out working with British Airways, then Austrade, then the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office and most recently she was the first female Director and Inaugural CEO of the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce, an organisation which advances economic & commercial relations between Australian and Indian businesses. I asked her about becoming a successful woman in a male-dominated workplace, her experiences of travelling across India and Australia for her work and the unique cultural identity of being ‘Anglo-Indian’.

How were you able to break the glass ceiling and become the youngest and first female CEO of the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce?

Through a combination of sheer hard work and continuous learning, challenging any unacceptable behaviours or processes that had previously been in place and building a strong leadership network of both women and men. I was strong in advocating for my team and myself, striving to be a positive role model. Looking back, what also helped was being quite fearless and relentless when it came to chasing the vision and goals I had in mind to transform the organisation, not letting COVID-19 or other challenges slow us down.

How do you think the workplace has improved for women in India, while you’ve been working, and what more do you think could be done?

Since I started working in 2000, there has been significant improvements for women in the Indian workplace. There have been national and regional legislative changes for more maternity leave, anti-sexual harassment laws and mandatory diversity policies which have contributed positively. Within my own organisation, we increased female representation on our Council six times what it had been in 2019 and revised our ‘Articles of Association’ to make female representation mandatory. I also found it important to ensure that female staff with children were offered flexible working options and found it rewarding to personally mentor many to rise in their careers.

However, I still think more can be done to promote a culture of inclusivity, especially at the leadership level – less than 40% of women are in senior management positions in India and only 5% of CEOs are female. Furthermore, even though the diversity policy has started to see more women in the room, it is also important that they are being actively listened to – a culture I championed in my time as CEO.

Within your internationally linked work experience, what have you noticed about India’s changing global connections?

I’ve noticed that India has definitely risen in confidence and global economic standing across my career. It is now among the top markets that most countries want to do business, have strategic partnerships or trade agreements with; we are also the fastest growing economy. The world looks at India with more awareness than before: India is active in global discourse such as climate change discussions, G20 and QUAD (Diplomatic Dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and The US).

What is a memorable experience you’ve had when travelling for your work?

I got to meet the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, when I led a delegation of Indian business owners to Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra in 2024. I’ve also been at events where I’ve met Australian cricketers like Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh.

What are the top qualities that you believe have helped you succeed professionally?

I’ve always had the mindset of aiming to be the most hard- working person in the room: being over-prepared for meetings or events and having a no-excuses attitude in the work that I do. I’ve also sought to cultivate a kind and authentic leadership: putting the people I work with first and building a strong network with colleagues and stakeholders. I’d say that the key qualities overall are being visionary, courageous, curious and charismatic.

Another unique element is our ‘Anglo-Indian’ ancestry – could you explain what it means and how it has impacted you?

Anglo-Indians are a minority community in India who have European paternal heritage, meaning that our ancestors were both Indian and European (Mostly British and often Portuguese). We grew up in the Christian faith, with English as our first language; the culture also includes European music, dance and clothes. I’ve enjoyed embracing this unique cultural background in my life – although the question ‘which Indian state are you from’ can
be difficult because we don’t belong to a particular one. I believe it has helped me to better navigate cultures and appreciate the blending of traditions, especially as my work has involved making connections between India, Britain
and Australia.

What part of Anglo-Indian culture do you like the most?

I think the most charming part is the blending of European and Indian influences across many parts of the culture, be it the cuisine which includes dishes like ‘Mutton mulligatawny soup’ or the fashion (I love being able to rock a western suit or saree with equal confidence). I also enjoy the emphasis on dance and music in Anglo-Indian culture – by thirteen years old I’d already been taught to waltz, foxtrot and jive and we would listen to so many genres, like
country, jazz and pop music, in our house.

Since being a Christian is also something that comes from being Anglo-Indian, could you tell me a bit about how faith has made a difference in your life?

The Indian constitution describes India as a secular country and Christians make up only around 3% of that population. Although my faith brings me peace and joy, I believe that you don’t have to be religious to lead a kind and exemplary life. When reflecting on the most challenging times in my life, both personal and professional, I realise that God was always with me – bringing the right opportunities and guiding me to deal with success and adversity with humility and courage.

As a last question, out of interest, could you tell us what kind of student you were when you were at university and what advice you’d give to your past university self?

I would describe myself as someone who was playful until I got to university, where everything changed, and I became quite serious about topping the class and excelling in academics. That passion to strive for excellence stayed with me as I went on to join the workforce but also completed a Master of Science and an MBA. In hindsight, I would say to not be so focussed on perfection as there’s no such thing; instead to ask for help when you need it and have some fun along the way. In the end, things happen for you and work out just fine – don’t sweat the small stuff, but give energy to all the main areas of your life! I also think that as a student you should make sure to surround yourself with people who lift you up, who you can also learn from.

Illustration credit: Chahat Garg