Married or not, always ensure your own financial security: Bekxy Kuriakose, Principal PNB AMC

When Bekxy Kuriakose is not busy being the Head of Fixed Income at Principal PNB Asset Management Company, she spends her time travelling and reading. When asked her how she manages to strike a balance between her personal and professional life, she quickly gave the credit to her husband. She said that he not only pitches in with the housework, but is also supportive of what she does.

And, that, she says is extremely important to be able to increase the number of women in boardrooms.

Another thing that she feels can help improve the gender diversity score is organisations taking steps for safety of their female employees. She is also a staunch believer that companies should invest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that target skill empowerment for women and provide scholarships for higher education.


Talking about education, Kuriakose says that encouraging girls at primary and secondary schooling levels to take up subjects like math can help more women to eventually enter industries like finance and technology that are till now known to be male dominated.

However, on the topic of women dropping out mid-career, she feels every woman should decide and prioritise for herself. And that women shouldn't feel guilty about making a practical compromise at times. They need to make the effort to stay on despite the challenges.

The one other thing that Kuriakose believes women need to be aware of is financial security. As far as investment is concerned, this top boss says a big no to jewellery and feels women need to invest more in mutual funds striking a balanced allocation between debt and equity funds keeping in mind the returns and risks.

"Don’t be ignorant of money matters assuming it’s your husband’s responsibility," she adds stating that married women should review their finances at least once a month with their spouse.

She goes on to add, "Ensure that all savings and investments are done jointly and that cross check nomination details for all investments."

This boss wants women to maintain records of bank accounts, property, tax returns, investment details, and know their financial rights.