Anjali Sud, who took over as Vimeo CEO in 2017, believes diversity of opinion is good for business

Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud warmed many hearts on Tuesday when she shared a photo with her son on social media, just before the streaming platform's big announcement of going public on Nasdaq.

"He's two-and-a-half years old. So honestly, he was more excited about playing with his toy car! But kids are quite perceptive, and I know he could sense my joy. I can't wait to tell him more about this experience when he's older," Sud told TIMESOFINDIA.com from New York City when asked about her son's reaction on the big day.

On Instagram, Sud describes herself as "Vimeo CEO" and "Saavi's mom" - referring to her son. And as a working mother, she aspires for a work-life integration rather than balance. "I would like for Vimeo to be a place where you can be a parent at work, and I try to bring as much of my motherhood experience to the office as I can," she had said in an interview in 2019.



An MBA from Harvard Business School, Sud took over as the CEO of Vimeo in 2017. On May 25, she shared a message on social media about the company's debut on Nasdaq, which, according to her, was rooted in belief in the power of video. Of course, there are tough challenges ahead.

"Vimeo has an ambitious goal - to be the professional video software solution used by every business in the world. We are in the very early innings of a large market, with so much opportunity ahead. So, I am focused on how we stay a fast-moving, innovative company as we grow with this market," she said. "There will always be competition and challenges as we scale, and it's my job to keep Vimeo focused on fulfilling our mission, delivering for customers, and building for the long term."

On the day Vimeo went public, her message to her team was - the only validation that matters is from users, and the only way to succeed is to relentlessly focus on building more value for them every day.

One of the few Indian American women in the C-suite in corporate America, Sud was born in Detroit to Indian immigrant parents, and grew up in a tight-knit immigrant community in Flint, Michigan. She was raised to believe she could achieve the American dream. "To get there, I had the benefit of a great education, followed by a windy, unexpected career path and a wide range of jobs. I don't have the typical background of a tech CEO, and I don't look or act like most other CEOs," she explained.

But she believes that diversity of opinion and background is good for business and leads to better decisions. "And better decisions, made consistently over time, increases shareholder value. So, I embrace what makes me different and view it as an advantage."

Sud believes that US Vice President Kamala Harris exemplifies women on big stages. "I have been inspired by her and by women like her, and I hope to play my part in demonstrating what is possible for others to pursue their dreams," she added. Proud of her Indian roots and heritage, the CEO feels that she has benefited from the support of her local Indian community and the inspiration that comes from being raised in multiple cultures and learning how to move between them. "Vimeo today has offices and teams around the world. I credit my multicultural upbringing with making me a more globally-minded leader."

While congratulatory messages flooded in for the 37-year-old CEO who has earned laurels for reinventing Vimeo and keeping it relevant in the fast-changing digital landscape, the journey after being spun off from parent IAC and the Nasdaq listing will not be an easy one.

"As CEO of a public company, I now have many additional responsibilities and constituents, as well as more scrutiny and short-term pressure. I have a stressful job and it is rarely easy, but it is an immense privilege to lead Vimeo and represent the talent and passion of our global team," she said. She feels grateful, and energized by the challenge and the opportunity that comes with it. "When I look in the mirror each morning, I say to myself: 'You don't have to do this job. You get to do this job. So, make the most of it.'"

While the numbers may be small, women of Indian origin are breaking the glass ceiling and rising to positions of leadership in corporate America. "There are more enabling factors now than ever before given that we have role models in Indra Nooyi (former CEO of PepsiCo), Jayashree Ullal (CEO of Arista Networks) and others combined with the natural immigrant hunger to out-perform. We are definitely noticing a swell of ambition amongst Indian American women and their families," said Seema Chaturvedi, managing partner of AWE Funds - a US-based fund that invests in companies owned or led by women.

For Sud, the challenge is not only being a woman of colour but also being in the tech industry where there are very few women in the workforce and leadership, feels MR Rangaswami, Silicon Valley-based investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

He adds that there are a few Indian American CEO role models such as Reshma Kewalramani (CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals), Sonia Syngal (CEO of Gap Inc), Shar Dubey (CEO of Match Group) and Jayshree Ullal, who are running public companies. "We also have many others who have demonstrated success as CXOs such as Dhivya Suryadevara (earlier General Motors and now Stripe) who are waiting in the wings," he added.