Get Through Guides CEO Vandana Saxena Poria tells Tania Roy that the right kind of education and mentoring can help make successful entrepreneurs

As a youngster, Vandana Saxena Poria never wanted to be an accountant. She enjoyed being a DJ in a local radio and reviewing plays and writing articles for journals. “It was so much fun doing the drive-time shows when you have the highest number of listeners turning on the radio while driving back home from work,” says the enterprising Vandana who worked at the local radio for one-and-a-half years in the UK.

Sharing her experiences about growing up in England, Vandana says, “The ’70s were tough for Indians living in the UK. Coming from a different race made it difficult to survive in Britain. But the ’80s and ’90s were better because Asian art and music were recognised and Asian artistes were accepted in the mainstream. All this facilitated social integration.”

Arts always fascinated Vandana. In fact, she learnt Kathak for six months in Delhi when she took a one-year break before pursuing chartered accountancy in the UK. “My dad insisted that I complete CA and it did stand me in good stead,” says she.

Today, Vandana is a successful CA, having co-founded Get Through Guides (GTG), which is a content, research and creation company headquartered in Pune. It develops and publishes materials for those who want to pursue a career in finance. “Finance pervades all aspects of your life. According to me, finance also teaches you how to use time wisely,” she says.

After completing her CA, Vandana worked at Ernst & Young but soon she realised that mergers and acquisitions were not her cup of tea. Teaching was. Working for BPP Holdings, UK’s largest listed professional training company, and later becoming the CEO of BPP’s International Division, Vandana taught and set up centres for accountancy, finance and management skills for corporates in several Eastern European countries. “In Eastern Europe, accountancy was a noble profession. There was a huge need for people in finance and management because the region was liberating itself from Communism. So, we had many students and BPP saw a huge rise in book sales. Almost 40 to 50 per cent of my students were women. Right now, India too has a huge requirement for people in finance and management, but unlike Eastern Europe, India is not willing to invest enough in the type of education that is actually needed. Currently, it is all about job placements. Most Indians look for short-term courses, which can help them secure a job. What they don’t understand is that learning is a continuous process and each of the courses is a building block for a brighter future,” says she.

Vandana has received wide recognition for her work. In 1999, BBC featured her in a documentary series Brits Abroad, which showed the highs and lows of Brits working abroad. Then again in 2008, she was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to British trade, investment and education.

But India was always on her mind. “I wanted to come back and develop and publish materials which could improve the lives of people here,” says Vandana who, along with her husband and kids relocated to Pune in 2005 and started GTG (http://getthroughguides.co.in) in 2006. “I wanted to make a difference in the lives of people in India, so we launched GTG. We teach core finance as well as critical thinking. For international qualifications like the ACCA, we do live projects with students. We have a lot of foreign students as well. We believe that the right kind of education can make an individual more confident and the right kind of mentoring can make them successful professionals or entrepreneurs,” says she.

In India, many people have told us that very few teachers inspire students. “I want to change that. Of course, we need better teachers’ training to improve the quality of education,” says Vandana and continues, “I also hope to see more women working at senior levels in finance, law and other sectors. Women are 100 per cent dedicated, but employers should also understand that they have the responsibilities of their children and in-laws. It is the job of the employer to make best use of women’s skills and abilities.”

She also deserves a pat on her back for setting up the British Business Group in the city encouraging Pune-based SMEs to set up shop in the UK and vice-versa. “It has successfully put Pune on UK’s business map,” she says. The Group organises a charity event every year when funds are donated to Equal Community Foundation, which empowers men to empower women.

Besides teaching, Vandana enjoys writing, playing the saxophone and practising taekwondo.