Ektaa Kumar was born in Essex where her parents Suresh and Mona live. She grew up in East London and went on to read Mathematics and Statistics at Queen Mary University of London. During her time at university, she was employed by The Royal Society of Arts where she played an active part in identifying and supporting young entrepreneurs in securing funding for cutting edge business proposals. After graduation, Ektaa used her analytical skillset along with her passion for communication with people and began to carve out a niche within the Tax Recruitment Space.
With over 10 years of Industry experience behind her, Ektaa Kumar now leads the Tax Recruitment Team for International Recruitment & Consulting Group- Morgan McKinley across 9 countries globally including China & Australia.
Passionate for igniting change across the Corporate Space, she now sits on the Diversity & Inclusion board for Morgan McKinley which promotes a diverse & equal workforce across offices globally but also works externally with her global & UK national clients on achieving their goals around creating a more balance & accepting workforce.
Questions:
1. Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?
London. I was born in East London and have spent most of my life in Central London so despite the extensive travel that my role and personal pursuits reward me with- nothing beats a good Earl Grey & Digestive biscuit in my city!
2. What are your proudest achievements?
My family. I was fortune to be raised as part of a family who gave me the value of hard work but also instilled in me very early on that it’s ok to feel the knocks! You can make her cry, but you cannot make her quit was the motto and I’m most proud of that support system.
3. What inspires you?
Passionate people. One of the best things about my role is the plethora of individuals I get to meet and converse with on a daily basis. I am extremely lucky to meet people from all walks of life who have had experiences, both good & bad, that I draw inspiration from.
4. What has been biggest obstacle in your career?
The theoretical 'Glass Ceiling', for sure! There have definitely been times that have been particularly challenging where I've felt underrepresented or under served by the rigid frameworks created by the corporate world. But I learnt very quickly that the glass ceiling doesn't apply when you're building your own house.
5. Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
My father. Someone that taught me when the world knocks you down, you dust yourself off and you try again.
6. What is the best aspect about your current role?
Being a part of the bigger picture for Corporate Companies. I'm a firm believer that a Firm is only as good as it's people and working alongside International Companies to work on how to attract the best talent to really advance the ship makes my job really interesting.
7. And the worst?
The inconsistency!! No two days are the same- one day I will be working with a big corporate on a staffing strategy the next I will be negotiating global commercial terms for a partnership. It really is a rollercoaster role, but you know what they say… variety is the spice of life!
8. What are your long-term goals?
As a member of the Diversity & Inclusion board for Morgan McKinley and a Female leader in the corporate space myself, I hope to play a significant part in Large Corporates re-evaluating their talent attraction strategies and considering a more diverse pool of candidates for senior positions in the corporate world. Diversity = Business Competitive Edge!
9. If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
A 3-day weekend! I think we all deserve it after the last 12 months!
10. If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
George Sand! I would like to ask her what literary genius her mind would provide now that she didn't have to pretend to be a man to be published
