Building a Relationship of Equals

For Amazon Web Services (AWS) global program manager, Vandy Gyandhar, a global mindset is more than traveling around the world or working for an international company. It is about being able to build relationships of understanding and respect no matter where you are in the world. “I've lived in and grew up in multiple countries. I am a global program manager. I work on projects that span across the globe. I am in India right now and I have a call in an hour with team members in Australia, Ireland, the US and Sweden. So I thought I have a global mindset. However, once you really think about it, it is more than that. To me, having a global mindset means having multiple qualities, so that regardless of where I am in the world, I am able to influence and work with individuals who feel respected and honored for their individuality,” Gyandhar explains.

Of the global mindset competencies, Gyandhar feels that relationship building through mutual respect is hands-down the key, especially at AWS, where customer service, business savvy and curiosity are evident. “I work with professionals who are typically at the top of their field and are passionate about what they do. So, even if all the traditional professional competencies are present I feel that being able to build a relationship of equals is the biggest competency one could have,” she states.

Gyandhar recalls her own experience working with team members in China on a large project that was delayed during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic before it had reached other parts of the world. “It was only when I had a heart-to-heart conversation with the team in China that they told me what was going on and that the COVID-19 infection was spreading, people were being quarantined and the team could not do anything,” Gyandhar says. Having empathy and concern for her team members’ safety, even when she did not completely understand the severity of the issue, propelled the project forward. “They needed to be in a lockdown but we continued working with them through their constraints. I was able to connect with them on video calls. We would get on a call and our kids would come on the video. We knew all the kids and family members' names, and that is how we built a relationship. We were able to connect on a very human level and understand how to work around our constraints. The project remained on track because we were so committed to each other and didn’t want to let the team down.”

Gyandhar was drawn to the University of Maryland – Smith School of Business because of its vast curriculum, huge and vibrant foreign student body, and extensive alumni network. “During my MBA, the Asian and Indian clubs were very active and it was a lot of fun to participate. I really enjoyed that aspect. The alumni network is very robust in the DC area and I run into alums everywhere I go, even at AWS. So many people have been through the University of Maryland and the Smith school. It is always good to see fellow Terps doing great work all the time,” Gyandhar states.

Gyandhar advises alumni or current students pursuing global business to put themselves in their client’s shoes. “Putting up a website and selling and buying stuff is easy. AWS has made that very easy. But say I'm with AWS and I'm working with someone in a village in South India who's making these really beautiful things and I don't understand the condition or what they're going through to make a product or respect that product and the effort they're putting into it. I’ve lost a valuable customer,” she explains.

Lastly, she advises students and alumni to seize opportunities and not be scared to put yourself out there. “My advice is to not be scared. It is a scary world sometimes. It is very scary putting yourself out there in this day and age. So be careful. However, I feel at the end of the day most people are very decent, very kind, and very nice and you will have amazing experiences when you lower your shield a little bit and get to know people. I've met some amazing people on buses and planes and trains.”

When asked about being a woman in global business, Gyandhar states it is important that you “never lose sight of the human being that you're working with or socializing with or just interacting with. It doesn’t matter. Respect that human that you work with or you socialize with, in all her complexities and in all her flavors because we all come from very unique backgrounds and have circumstances that are unique to each of us.”

The mission of the Center for Global Business is to connect the diverse members of the Smith School community to the world and the world to the Smith School. Through these global alumni stories, the center connects the Maryland Smith community with alumni who have successfully utilized a global mindset in their careers.