BY J. M. LEE
Kam Raman believes that doing good work opens doors to untold possibilities. Her career journey combines the opportunities provided by her achievements in existing roles and incredible leaders and sponsors who have always inspired her to do more.
“The power of mentorship has helped my career journey,” she explains. “Mentoring and being mentored have provided me with many opportunities for personal and professional growth and I am so thankful for these experiences. When I think about my biggest inspiration, it certainly comes from my parents, family, and many everyday heroes in my circles. These heroes are passionate about advancing good for each other, the community, and business. Surrounding myself with exceptional people motivates me to do better and fuels my desire to make an even greater impact.”
Kam Raman has unlocked countless opportunities and developed a successful career journey through dedication and the support of mentors and mentees. Moreover, she does this while always seeking out ways to give back to the community and uplift others.
Each of us will always face moments of crucial decision, especially when it involves our careers. The most significant risk Kam has taken in her career was leaving a company she had been with for eighteen happy years.
“I could have spent a lifetime at this beautiful organization,” she reminisces. “I had completed my MBA, my sons were a little older, and I felt ready to take on more responsibility. I wanted to put my experience and education to work, even more meaningfully. I knew I had to leave the comfort of my current organization to expand my network and capture the opportunities that may lie ahead.”
Kam is passionate about mentoring others and intends to pay it forward. She looks for people who are willing to work hard, engage in meaningful dialogue and are not afraid to make a mistake. These qualities are developed through both time and experience. She also takes the same advice she gives her mentees, about being open to feedback to grow her own skill set. She believes strongly that personal reward and satisfaction comes from serving others and contributing to the greater good of society.
“Delivering quality results in your role, letting people know your goals and seeking sponsorship with leaders are critical to achieving progressively senior roles,” she emphasizes. “Most certainly, a combination of courage, risk-taking, resilience, and managing ambiguity are four essential traits and competencies emerging as key to the success of men and women as organizational leaders.”
Building a network of colleagues that crosses functional areas and industries is critical to harnessing the power of what we can achieve together. It’s all about teamwork and collaboration – concepts Kam says are an integral part of working at RBC. “I lead my team in a way that fosters a workplace culture that promotes inclusivity and diversity through leading by example. An important instance of this is when we are recruiting candidates for the team. I interview with a colleague to deliberately and intentionally leverage another perspective to challenge any unintentional bias that I may have. I lean into learning about and celebrating meaningful cultural times with colleagues and team members. These two examples stand out for me in creating an inclusive and diverse team. I think that is part of why I enjoy working at RBC so much – Diversity & Inclusion is one of our core values, and it is a natural fit for what I believe to be important for a workplace culture.”
“I don’t know if life is ever perfectly balanced. I think the most important thing for me has been to be present and intentional with my work and life responsibilities. At work, I focus on leading my team and achieving our objectives. When I am at home, I am engaged and present with family because I value those relationships.”
Kam’s advice to the next generation of women is to define what success looks like for oneself, as it isn’t the same for everyone. “Immerse your heart and mind into what’s important to you while staying true to your values. Surround yourself with good people who inspire you to be better.”
On Mother’s Day, she wants to reiterate her appreciation for her mother, who has been an incredible role model with her exemplary resiliency and unwavering commitment to their family when she was growing up. Inspired by her mom’s dedication to their family, Kam embraced the opportunity to accept the most challenging lead role of her life—motherhood. She dares to say that of all her roles, her favorite is being a mom to her sons. “I have loved watching them grow and evolve into caring, compassionate, kind, and driven young men.”
