Nitasha Manik - A Woman at PricewaterhouseCoopers

source: Women At PricewaterhouseCoopers, http://www.pwc.com; Office of Auditor General, SA http://www.agsa.co.za/

Country: South Africa ¬ Joined Firm: 1994 ¬ Admitted to Partnership: 2001 ¬
Role: Advisory partner in the public sector ¬

Leadership Positions: Human Capital Leader for the Southern African Region ¬

“You can achieve whatever you want to; don’t let being a woman limit you.” These are the wise words that Nitasha Manik regularly heard throughout her childhood and that have inspired her to chase her dreams. “This powerful affirmation gave me the confi dence to achieve my biggest dream – that of becoming a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, which I achieved at the age of thirty,” says Nitasha, one of the Office of the Auditor-General’s seven corporate executives and currently on a threeyear secondment from PricewaterhouseCoopers (Auditor General SA).

"My confidence, in turn, has become one of my strengths – I am able to speak my mind, thus staying true to myself, and have been able to handle the interesting reactions that I have, as a successful woman, sometimes evoked.”

As a Partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers

Nitasha joined the South African firm in 1994 and became a partner in 2001 at the age of 30 which was quite an achievement at the time. After finishing my traineeship in 1997, she was given the opportunity to take on a management role — this was key to getting her to where she is today. I was supported by a strong group of partners (all male) who provided me with many opportunities and challenges. I was able to demonstrate my value and as a result, further career opportunities became much easier. I was also able to allocate part of my portfolio to human capital, an area about which I am passionate.

Balancing work and family life

Clearly another of Nitasha’s strengths is the fact that she is able to alance her demanding work schedule and her many aspirations with a happy family life. "I am fairly disciplined about separating work and personal life. I believe in making my maximum contribution whilst I am at work, but once I am with my family this time is jealously guarded. As a family, we believe in spending quality time together and we all enjoy retail therapy, fine dining and playing tennis together. I also love cooking and baking and together with my two girls, we are frequently covered in flour!"

Getting women into leadership positions

Compared to our intake of female staff at the trainee level, the number of female partners is low, but we are seeing good improvements in South Africa. In addition, women partners have been included at management level within the partnership — this serves as a visible demonstration of commitment by the leadership and valuable role models. I think communication is key — we need to be better at letting female partners know about existing leadership positions and the criteria for promotion into these positions.

Being true to yourself

My advice to other women is to be true to who you are — don’t imitate others, and showcase your strengths. There are numerous opportunities to become a leader — be courageous and seize them!

source: Women At PricewaterhouseCoopers, http://www.pwc.com; Office of Auditor General, SA http://www.agsa.co.za/

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