(Image source from: CNBC.com)
An Indian-origin banker and musician Chandrika Tandon, also a Grammy-nominated artist, has become the winner of the prestigious Horatio Alger Award.
Born in Chennai, Tandon, fought her way through to not only turn out to be a distinguished businesswoman in the United States but as well a musician.
Horatio Alger Award is bestowed to those American nationals who overcome hardships to attain professional and personal success.
"Though she dreamt of making music her life’s work, she was discouraged, as it was not considered a respectable profession at the time. Ms. Tandon instead pursued business, not knowing that music would find her again later in life," Horatio Alger Association said in a statement.
Tandon, Chairperson of Tandon Capital Associates, studied business and went to Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. Tandon is PepsiCo Chairperson Indra Nooyi's sister.
Tandon went on hunger strikes to get her family to allow her to attend college and business school. She migrated to the United States at the age of 24, where she became the first Indian woman without American education to be employed by McKinsey and Company. She also turned out to be the first Indian-American woman to be elected partner at McKinsey and Company.
"In 1990, she risked her life savings to found Tandon Capital Associates, a financial advisory company, restructuring preeminent financial institutions worldwide, and creating billions of dollars of market cap," Horatio Alger Association added.
Tandon went on hunger strikes to get her family to allow her to attend college and business school. She migrated to the United States, at the age of 24, where she became the first Indian woman to be employed by McKinsey and Company without American education. She also became the first Indian-American woman to be elected partner at McKinsey and Company
"In 1990, she risked her life savings to found Tandon Capital Associates, a financial advisory company, restructuring preeminent financial institutions worldwide, and creating billions of dollars of market cap," Horatio Alger Association added.
With her first pay-check, she brought Martin Guitar and started playing music. Later, when she became a partner at the firm, it helped her grow her skills as a musician as she would travel and strive to learn local music from other countries.
Trained in Hindustani, Carnatic, and Western Traditions, Tandon released Soul Call which not only topped world's music chart but also won her Grammy nomination. She also serves on the Boards of the NYU Stern School of Business and vice-chairman of the board of trustees at the New York University.
-Sowmya Sangam
