Lata Gullapalli:Innovator, Disruptor and Changemaker in Global Finance 

With over 25 years of experience spanning South Asia, Russia, and the U.K., Lata Gullapalli is a powerhouse in the world of investment banking. Specializing in mergers, acquisitions, financial restructuring, and capital raising, she has not only shaped the trajectory of numerous companies but also navigated the complexities of emerging and mature markets with finesse. From designing innovative financial products to leading startups through IPOs, Lata’s career is a testament to her strategic vision and unparalleled negotiation skills. Her passion for building teams and bridging global markets has left an indelible mark on the financial landscape, making her a true trailblazer in her field.

With over 25 years of experience in investment banking across diverse markets, what strategies have you found most effective in navigating the complexities of mergers and acquisitions in emerging markets versus mature markets?

Finance and the financial markets have always fascinated me, right from school days when teachers used to talk of the economic impact on markets or national debt that countries pledged gold to secure or issued bonds for. Anything to do with finance really. I have enjoyed working in every area of investment banking – I did equity sales, very little thought, analysis, again very little time, and corporate finance too. 

I found my passion in mergers and acquisitions, which is perhaps the toughest division in an investment bank.

It has brought out the best in me-I have learnt the most from it-  getting diverse people to trust in each other and work toward a common goal, getting them to put their companies together which could sometimes be their life’s work and so a very touchy subject, as well as, designing nuanced products for the client- that is such a tough challenge as it could be very costly to make a mistake.

I have not found much difference working in emerging or mature markets. The work is the same.

I guess I have always been a bit of a disruptor. Thinking outside the box has helped me work through some tough transactions.

You have designed innovative products to raise capital. Could you share an example of a product you developed and how it transformed the financial landscape for the stakeholders?

Product design depends pretty much on the market situation and the current fundraising environment as well as the existing governmental regulations. I was in an emerging market at the time and foreign funds were not allowed to invest directly into companies. So companies that were not global, meaning they couldn’t access funds abroad, couldn’t take those investments and that meant many times, that they could not make the growth or expansion happen. The product I designed helped these companies raise money by accessing investment from foreign institutional investors, so it was a win-win solution that changed the market dynamic. The government regulation changed later so it became de rigeur rather than only our clients doing this, at the time. 

Making a company public is a significant milestone. What was the most challenging aspect of leading a company through an IPO, and what lessons did you learn from that experience?

I think the most important thing was to keep all parties on board and with the same enthusiasm as taking a company through an IPO is a long drawn legal as well as compliance-driven process where many many boxes need to be checked and many times these are almost chicken and egg situations so they have to be nuanced well.

I started as a team member and then driving the IPO including signing the prospectus as legal representative for the board of directors was a matter of prestige and privilege too, as I was fairly new to the company as well. 

I always seem to be able to go into a situation and take charge of what is being done and what needs to be done, so that stood me in good stead. Raising money is a financial transaction but with so many legal elements to it, I learnt to have the facts completely checked and rechecked, so no technical hitches hold up a deal or a transaction or anything I am trying to do. 

 As a leader in nonprofit initiatives, such as the mentorship program for rural women entrepreneurs, what unique challenges have you faced, and how do you measure success in these endeavours?

So little is being done about mentoring women entrepreneurs in rural areas at the moment- it’s so important we have the funds as well as the people, suitably trained in working in the rural areas.

These women are powerhouses in themselves and strongly believe they can do the business.

And why women? Women build communities and communities lift the economies, and so lift nations,  isn’t it? 

The key issue is to have these women take us seriously. Even if we are talking sense, these women are smart and have thought through their business ideas.

We have to gain the trust of these women before we can get them to listen to us.

Getting them to come and participate was tough but as I have reworked with the team, on the approach, we seem to be making very good progress.

It’s not like we mentor them and leave them- we continue to visit them from time to time to see how they are doing and if they need any help along the way.

We are seeking to roll out over other districts and states soon, as well as other countries.

I think my role as a disruptor keeps coming up again and again when I see that something needs fixing, I just try to find the person involved and reach out to say can I please work on this with you. 

It usually works, sometimes they need to be convinced I can do this and then we are rocking. 

Spearheading the restructuring of an institution with such historical significance must be a monumental task. How do you balance preserving its legacy with implementing modern strategies for its growth?

First of all, since the institution is old it has a long history of not only the work it has been doing but also the people who have been running it. It’s been a very good and lucky situation that the person heading this institution is on the same page as me with the energy and enthusiasm to take the change forward. 

Everyone on the board and those running the institution can see what needs to be done so that’s a good thing as well. 

I am all for taking the best of heritage, which, I believe, makes us who we are, and going forward into the future fully equipped to meet and take advantage of the changes like new technologies or improvements in design, sustainable and more durable structures even. 

Integrating the best of the past with the best of the future makes the present brilliant too. That is the balance I drive for always. 

You have designed a DEI course that will be rolled out in Jordan and the surrounding region. What key elements do you believe make an impactful DEI program, especially in a multicultural and multinational context?

The key to an effective initiative is to believe in equal opportunity for all. There is no excuse for excluding any type of candidate at all. I don’t see any reason, never have. I think perhaps I am a disruptor but I could never sit back and allow myself to be pushed around or walked over, ever. 

It’s not that people have not tried. 

I have fought back with being professional, being absolutely capable and on the cutting edge of performance as well as performing above and beyond the brief, so to speak. That has always shown how capable I am and dealt with any of this sort of “what is she doing here” or “is she capable enough ”kind of talk.

Once you begin to build the reputation, it’s a positive reinforcement cycle, and it builds very quickly and stays strong. Every time.

Being a woman, we still have that initial hurdle to deal with.

Mentoring senior corporate professionals requires a tailored approach. What is your philosophy when guiding individuals to excel in their careers and leadership roles?

Women have been more recent in corporate and even more recent in senior corporate. The fact that we still point out that so and so is in the top job at this or that company or so and so has got this senior board appointment on the lot means that we are still fewer than the men. That was bound to be the case until we had many more of us coming up.

Not only do we need to celebrate each one of us who goes to the top of professional advancement, we also need to encourage, build and help in every possible way so we have a full and able pipeline of women ready to take on any and every position that is open to them.

That’s where the diversity, equality and inclusive principles of good corporate governance come in.

When we look at physically demanding tasks, women may be excluded with good reason-  But corporate is different- women can do all that men do and as well at the very least.

There is no excuse for not having a level playing field.

Women themselves are quick to put other women down or make excuses for them. Women are very capable but they have to believe they are capable and then go out and achieve their capabilities and beyond.

They will only surprise themselves with how much they can achieve.

As Chairperson and a member of multiple boards, how do you ensure effective governance and alignment among board members in achieving organisational goals?

Governance is the key to a successful business. There should never have been any doubt as to whether the company needed to comply or not. As we go along, we see that long-term strategy is easier with good governance. We are having more and more educated youth wanting to work for companies with good governance and diversity, equality and inclusive policies and corporate cultures. The most difficulty we find is in fact with the middle to senior management, and it is not possible to change someone. They have to change themselves, with the changing needs of the present and the coming future. But we have to be the change as change is a part of being the going concern. Be the water as it were taking the shape of the terrain we flow over.

Transitioning from finance to fiction and nonfiction writing is a unique journey. How has your career in finance and leadership influenced your voice and themes as an author?

My entire career has been dealing with people and getting people who don’t know each other to (a) get to know each other (b) transact m and deal with each other and (c) then work to implement these deals.

So people and relationships have been key right through.

Human emotion, I believe, is the key driver for any action, so we must understand the nuances of actions and their consequences. My insight with my work experience as well as my deep meditation and keen observation of people, has been a very key factor that helps me in my work as well as my personal life.

What I wrote about was also primarily about relationships. What I have seen around me over the years and living in all these different places.

Your role as a front-line volunteer with the NHS during the pandemic highlights your commitment to service. How has this experience shaped your perspective on resilience and community building?

When the pandemic hit, no one knew what was coming. I was one of those who caught the infection on the first evening of March 2020 and there was no guidance at all. I was home for three weeks and seemed better at the end of that. I got back to normal life as I thought but had a complete collapse in July so I had to be taken to hospital. 

By then the government and the hospitals had come up with a plan of action and testing for different things to diagnose the lasting effects of Covid. I had access to all of them as well as the long COVID clinics and support therapists. I even had emergency surgery for my fractures at the time, from a fall while going to the hospital. 

When the government announced the lockdowns and one of the people on our street had a request from two hospitals to bring in food for the doctors and staff, I had to do this. I began making bite-size meals for about 300 persons at a time and delivering them to the hospitals. Bite size had to be a complete meal as the doctors could not remove the PPE to eat so it had to be a complete meal and individually wrapped.

One hospital got some help from the NHS, so we had the other one, which I am happy to say I supported well into the second lockdown as well. 

The NHS sent an invite to join the goodsam project to help the local communities with delivering medicines, making calls to the elderly isolating and volunteering in hospitals and health centres for help with vaccination being given. 

I was at the local community centre stitching PPE for the local hospital as well. 

I did all of them as I felt I must help those less able than me and more vulnerable than me, though I was on the highly vulnerable list myself.

I was very proud to have the medical worker sticker on my car to go and collect and deliver medicines to many people isolated in my area. The number of calls I made to people isolating and alone made a huge difference, I think to those people as well, because I was calling them again and again. Initially, they were very reluctant to speak to me but as I spoke with so much care and some humour, they began to talk and I could advise them on what to do as well as try and help with what they were facing. It was quite disturbing to see how many people had been sort of abandoned by their own families during that time. 

I was given a total of 10 awards by the NHS and a personal letter of thanks from the Chair of the hospital board as well.

There is such a comfort in helping for me. What I have, I share and to date, there is no one I have turned away, who has asked me for help or who I have seen, needs some help. It is not easy to be helpful and to help is not easy either, but I am genuinely concerned for my communities, my cities, and my world, so I push myself to make that difference in others’ lives. 

I feel the gratitude to the universe for myself and this is what I share with others. That is a lasting impact as I also believe it starts a flow that goes all around the world. Even a small world is then a better place.