Hi, I'm Teji.

My dad is a journalist so, in the first 18 years of my life we lived in six different cities across India, Sri Lanka, and Russia. My first language is Kannada, which is spoken in Karnataka, the region of India I’m originally from. I then learnt Russian, English and Hindi, but every time we moved it took a while for me to find a common language to communicate, which made me feel different to everyone around me. My way of coping with this was by trying to go unnoticed. I never truly felt at home anywhere and I didn’t develop my own voice for many years. In my early teens I started suffering with anxiety and was taken to a therapist. By then I had perfected my happy-go-lucky external persona, so people thought I was OK. Despite my mental health struggles, I studied law in India and then did a political science masters in London, with the unconditional support of my parents and friends. After university I joined a company as a tax graduate, before applying to Deloitte three years later. I’d had a few interactions with one of the senior managers, now a partner, who made me feel I could be myself in the team. I joined Global Employer Services (GES), with a focus on tax returns and tax advisory work. Since then, I have worked with Deloitte in London, Johannesburg, and Bucharest, using my personal and professional experience to move into a consulting role.

I’m now a Director in GES, specialising in Global Workforce Consulting. We partner with clients to solve their global talent challenges, helping them identify and tap into talent, both physically and virtually across borders. We support them to deliver their business goals while ensuring that they comply with tax, immigration, social security, payroll, reward, and employment law regulations. I love the work because I enjoy solving problems and it gives me the opportunity to use my lived experience. I’ve moved across so many countries, so I understand the support that’s needed.

Despite these successes, it hasn’t always been an easy ride. In 2013 my anxiety became increasingly worse and that started a cycle of depression. It got so bad that I was having suicidal thoughts, and I didn’t know where to turn. Although I was referred for help on the NHS, I was struggling to cope. I told my partner and my senior manager at work, who supported me when I needed to take sick leave. I tried to pretend things were ok, but my body just wouldn’t function and by 2015 I thought the only option I had was to resign and take time for myself. After discussing the situation with my partner and senior manager, I decided to take on a secondment opportunity that had opened up in South Africa for two years. I wanted to see if the change of scenery might help me. My mental health really improved in the time I was there, but when as I returned to the UK, the memories of the past caused my mental health problems to return. The second time around I managed to get the right medical support, and now have ongoing medication and therapy.  I now feel comfortable speaking openly about my mental health at work, and I know that I won’t be judged. In fact, open discussions have meant that my team and my clients have been very supportive. I’ve been able to create flexible working opportunities, which have helped me to develop my career in a way that works for me. Like any other illness, it doesn’t stop me from being a great professional or achieving my goals.