In Tumakuru, a town where tradition whispers through temple corridors and modernity hums in engineering college classrooms, a young girl once sat at the window of her family’s home, watching the world pulse with possibility. The streets below told stories of transformation: bullock carts sharing space with motorbikes, old bookshops standing beside computer training centers, a town caught in the beautiful tension between what it was and what it was becoming.
Sushma Krishnappa belonged to that same liminal space. Born into a sprawling joint family where aunts, uncles, grandparents, and siblings formed an ecosystem of support and expectation, she grew up surrounded by voices that championed education, financial independence, and resilience. Yet for young Sushma, these values remained abstract; wisdom written in a language she hadn’t yet learned to read. She was, by her own admission, an average student at Vidyaniketan, moving through her early school years with pleasant indifference.
Then came the catalyst. Her sister’s decision to pursue engineering wasn’t just a family milestone; it was a mirror held up to Sushma’s own possibilities. Watching her sister prepare for entrance exams, witnessing the focus and determination required, something fundamental shifted. The transformation was gradual- a student finding her stride, discovering that capability had been there all along, waiting for purpose to call it forth.
Sushma pursued a degree in Science from Bangalore University, later earning a Master’s in Computer Applications from Indira Gandhi Open University. These weren’t just degrees; they were keys to doors she couldn’t yet see, preparation for battles she hadn’t yet fought.
The Crucible of Rejection
If small-town dreams are forged in hope, they’re tempered in the unforgiving heat of big-city reality. Bangalore, the city of opportunity and ruthless competition, didn’t roll out any welcome mats for the young graduate from Tumakuru. The rejection came in waves. Interview after interview, door after door closing with the soft click of “we’ll get back to you” that everyone knows means no.
She could have returned home. Many did. But resilience, that quality her parents had modelled without naming, held firm. Her first opportunity came at GIT Infotech, followed by a walk-in interview at Accenture during what she describes with characteristic understatement as “a challenging time.” That walk-in wasn’t just a job interview; it was a door cracking open just wide enough for someone persistent enough to push through.
What followed was nineteen years at Accenture, a tenure that would see her evolve from a nervous newcomer to a seasoned leader in Financial Services. “I remain deeply grateful for that chance,” Sushma reflects. “It allowed me to grow professionally in a role aligned with my aspirations.”
The Roads Not Taken
Here’s where Sushma’s story takes an unexpected turn. As a young girl, she had gravitated toward fashion with natural enthusiasm, selecting fabrics and designing clothes for family members. For a time, the dream of becoming a fashion designer felt inevitable.
Simultaneously, another passion quietly took root. She found herself managing household budgets with surprising satisfaction, overseeing monthly expenses, planning savings strategies, organizing family outings with an eye toward both enjoyment and fiscal responsibility. While others saw chores, Sushma saw patterns, systems, and the elegant logic of financial planning.
Instead of abandoning fashion entirely, she integrated it as a cherished hobby. Instead of pursuing finance academically from the start, she let her natural aptitude guide her toward it professionally. This duality, the creative and the analytical, would become one of her greatest strengths. In financial services, where many see only numbers and regulations, Sushma brought creativity to problem-solving, viewing challenges through multiple lenses.
Those nineteen years at Accenture became a masterclass in the financial services industry. She worked with leading banking institutions, accumulating not just technical expertise but strategic vision- the ability to see patterns across organizations, to anticipate challenges before they materialized, and to lead teams through complexity with clarity.
When she made the pivotal decision to join Capgemini India as Senior Executive Director in Financial Services, it wasn’t a departure but an evolution. It was a new chapter with fresh challenges that continue to fuel both her passion and her growth.
The Price of Success
Corporate success stories often gloss over the personal costs. Sushma’s story refuses that sanitized narrative. The demands were relentless: long hours, frequent travel, and meetings bleeding into weekends.
Behind every accomplished professional, there often stands the Silent Pillars —family. For Sushma Krishnappa, her remarkable career spanning over two decades in technology and leadership was not a solo endeavour. It was a shared journey, strengthened by the unwavering support of her siblings. Her sister Sheema Krishnappa and brother Chandan Krishnappa were more than family; they were the backbone of stability and strength.
While Sushma navigated the demanding corporate world, they ensured the home front remained steady. From managing responsibilities to offering encouragement and motivation, their role was pivotal in creating an environment where ambition could thrive without compromising family harmony.
But there was one thing no family support could compensate for: her own neglect of her health. The weight crept on gradually- stress eating, irregular meals, endless sitting, exercise perpetually postponed. Before she fully realized what was happening, she had become severely obese.
“I tried hitting the gym, hoping to shed the weight, but saw little to no progress,” she admits honestly. The turning point came through Vijaykumar from VFX.FIT, who offered something radical in its simplicity: online physical transformation coaching accessible from home, focused on sustainable results, with consistent follow-ups.
What followed was a three-year journey that transformed not just Sushma’s body but her entire relationship with herself. Sixty-five kilograms shed through consistency, patience, and determination. Energy returned. Mental sharpness increased. Confidence bloomed. She noticed immediate shifts in her work: enhanced productivity, clearer communication, and creativity flowing more freely.
Pandemic Lessons
When COVID-19 upended the world, Sushma faced multifaceted challenges: business constraints as remote work became mandatory, dissolved boundaries between professional and personal life, and the absence of face-to-face interaction.
She responded by creating a structure: establishing a sustainable work-from-home setup, physically separating personal and professional spaces, and scheduling meetings with empathy and flexibility. Prioritizing employee well-being, fostering virtual connections, and injecting moments of fun helped maintain team spirit and even boosted productivity.
Then the pandemic became personal. Sushma contracted COVID during the devastating second wave. The desperate search for a hospital bed, the fear, the slow recovery- these were visceral reminders of fragility.
“The pandemic reminded us of a simple truth: life is short,” she reflects. “Let’s keep it simple, stay connected, and find joy in the everyday.”
Recognition and Legacy
Over twenty-two years in financial services, Sushma has accumulated impressive recognition: the Leadership Excellence Award, Innovation Award, Team & Delivery Excellence Award, and the Executive Award. Yet when asked which recognition means the most, she doesn’t hesitate: the Voice of the Customer recognition.
“Knowing that our work has made a tangible difference in people’s lives is the most rewarding recognition of all,” she shares.
Her personal accomplishment, that sixty-five-kilogram transformation, stands alongside professional achievements as integral to her story. It represents the same qualities that define her professional success: resilience, consistency, and the unwavering belief that no goal is too far-fetched when pursued with dedication.
A Philosophy for Aspiring Leaders
Sushma’s advice to aspiring leaders cuts through conventional wisdom with refreshing directness: “Leadership is not reserved for those with titles; it begins the moment you take ownership of your journey.”
This democratization of leadership empowers individuals at every level. Leadership means showing up fully, taking responsibility not just for assigned tasks but for your own development, and embracing challenges with courage rather than waiting for perfect conditions.
“Seek out mentors and sponsors within your organization or community,” she advises. “Mentors provide guidance and perspective, while sponsors advocate for your advancement.” The distinction matters. Mentors help you grow; sponsors help you go.
The Three Es
When asked about her mantra, Sushma articulates what she calls the “3 Es”:
Energy keeps you active and focused, providing the fuel for sustained effort. Without energy, physical, mental, emotional, even the best strategies falter.
Enthusiasm drives passion and positivity, transforming work from obligation into opportunity. It’s contagious, inspiring teams and influencing outcomes in ways that pure competence cannot.
Empathy builds meaningful connections and understanding, acknowledging that we’re working with humans, not resources, leading teams composed of individuals with their own challenges and aspirations.
Together, these qualities create a strong foundation for growth, resilience, and success.
Full Circle
From that window in Tumakuru where a young girl watched the world transform, to the senior leadership offices where she now shapes strategy for Capgemini India, Sushma’s journey embodies a particular kind of success. It’s measured not just in titles but in transformation, resilience, and the courage to keep evolving.
Her story resonates because it’s honest about the costs and struggles, the weight gained and lost, the rejections faced and overcome, the risks taken, and the lessons learned. It honours the support systems that make individual achievement possible- family who held things together, mentors who opened doors, and coaches who guided transformations.
But ultimately, it’s a story about ownership- taking responsibility for your journey, refusing to be defined by circumstances, choosing growth over comfort, embracing risk as opportunity, and viewing setbacks as data rather than defeat.
Her message carries the weight of hard-won wisdom: “Success stems from continuous self-development and learning. Your career is your responsibility; stay open to growth, invest in yourself, and embrace new opportunities. Be ambitious, not desperate. Support others’ growth, build strong connections, and stay loyal. Balance work with personal passions. Never give up. Adapt and find alternatives.”
These aren’t empty motivational phrases, but principles tested over two decades of navigating one of the most demanding industries, surviving personal health crises, weathering global pandemics, and emerging stronger.
As Tumakuru continues its transformation, as new generations look out their windows and wonder about possibilities, Sushma’s journey stands as testament to what becomes possible when resilience meets opportunity, when talent meets dedication, and when someone decides that their circumstances are a starting point, not a destination.
The story isn’t finished. New challenges await; fresh opportunities beckon. But the foundation is solid: energy, enthusiasm, empathy, and the unwavering belief that growth, in all its forms, is not just possible but essential. In the end, perhaps that’s the most valuable lesson: that transformation isn’t a one-time event but a continuous process, that success isn’t a destination but a direction, and that the most important journey is the one that helps you become not just professionally accomplished but fully and authentically yourself.
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