On Being Kind, and Being Direct – a conversation with Raj Kumar Interim CMO, Silicon Valley Bank

Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend

Welcome and welcome back to Leaders in Conversation with me, Anni Townend, the podcast that helps you to grow confidence and courage your leadership.

I created this series of candid conversations for leaders to share their inspirational leadership stories, weaving together the threads of their life.

Together we delve into what they really care about, their values and beliefs, their passion and purpose and how they live and weave these through their leadership every day, in all that they do.

They offer valuable insights and rich experience to help and inspire you on your own unique leadership journey. If you are not already please do subscribe to the podcast, review and share it.
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About This Episode
In this episode I am delighted to be in conversation with Raj Kumar Interim CMO, SVB (Silicon Valley Bank) UK.

We delve together into:

- What being kind and being direct really means

- How Raj’s leadership has been shaped through being an explorer

- Why Diversity, Equality and Inclusion matter, and Raj’s personal experience of navigating these

- What Marketing is, and why leadership and marketing go hand in hand.

Three Top Tips - What are your three top tips for leaders looking to be kind, and to be direct in their leadership?

1. Make choices, don’t prioritise
2. Never judge yourself by the performance review
3. Seek out opportunities to learn and show up

To find out more about Raj and to get in touch with him do follow him on LinkedIn, Raj Kumar, where he posts regularly and re-shares posts to spark your interest and curiosity.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to my support team from the Conscious Marketing Group, for helping me with all the marketing of the podcast, to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design, and for the excellent editing and sound production.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on [e-mail] visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.
I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

About Raj

I first met Raj on the Marketing Leaders Programme some years ago and admired his commitment from the outset to his own learning and development and that of others. The programme is a one year programme, made up of residential modules and coaching groups in between. Raj contributed wholeheartedly to everyone so much so that we regularly ask him to return as a speaker to delegates, inspiring them with his passion and purpose, his insightful questioning of and straightforward approach to marketing leadership.

Raj is an award-winning marketing executive who has grown and transformed major global brands across sectors and geographies. His focus is on building an inclusive, open and curiosity driven culture that does not accept the status quo. Raj has delivered best in class results by combining the art of the creative together with a data driven commercial mindset.

He was included as one of Campaigns Power 100 marketers, Top 100 most effective marketers by Marketing Week and voted Financial Services Forum marketer of the year 2020. He is a Fellow of the Marketing Society and is an active mentor for aspiring marketers from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Raj is a dad, husband, son as well as a brilliant colleague and friend to many.