Page 40 - Khabar Magazine (February 2020)

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Chandrika Tandon performing Shivoham at the Kennedy Center. (Photo: Yassine El Mansouri)

every part of the bank simultaneously, in a very short from NYU Stern School of Business for representing the
period of time. I ‘lived’ with the CEO and the manage- highest ideals of business, service, and integrity—prior
ment team—and restored the bank to profitability, recipients include John D. Rockefeller, Alan Greenspan,
which made waves in the market. That was exhilarat- and Jack Welch. In 2016, she was awarded the Gallatin
ing for me personally as I was struck by the very con- medal, NYU’s highest honor. Last year, she received
crete and dramatic impact that one could create with the 2019 Horatio Alger Award, which honors outstand-
focused attention and the extraordinary opportunity ing leaders who have accomplished great successes in
financial services presented, as it was a very ineffi- spite of adversity.
cient industry with a history of regulation. My goal At a personal level, Tandon has pursued her artis-
in leaving McKinsey was to solely focus on this idea tic talents through tough situations. She grew up in a
and invest in the institutions I worked with to create home that thrived on music but never followed that
value, either in the form of equity, phantom equity, or path, engaged as she was with building a career. Tan-
performance-based incentives. I saw a major entrepre- don eventually overcame the constraints on her time,
neurial opportunity.” and found noted gurus to learn classical music even as
Her early belief in education as a game-changer she grew her business and nurtured her family. Thanks
made her take a proactive role in higher education, to that passion for music, Tandon is now a Grammy-
especially for those in need. Through the Krishnamur- nominated musician, whose albums of chants have
thy Tandon Foundation, she and her husband, Ranjan transformed many lives. These compositions repre-
Tandon, have donated to many educational causes, in- sent her continuing journey into the light. Her fourth
cluding a transformative $100 million to the New York album, Shivoham—The Quest, is a collaboration of over
University (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering, which 275 world-class musicians living across four conti-
was named after them. nents, recorded largely in London, and mixed in New
Chandrika Tandon is Vice Chairman of the Board York. As she says, “Music is what I am, everything
of Trustees of NYU, Chairman of the NYU President’s else is what I do.”
Global Council, and Chairman of NYU Tandon School A firm believer in meditation, Tandon says, “It took
of Engineering, and serves on the Business School and me into the deepest parts of myself and let me experi-
Medical School/ Hospital Boards. The Tandons’ commit- ence my own light. Once you even glimpse that place,
ment to education extends to leadership faculty chairs you are on a new journey.”
they have established at the Harvard Business School, Spirituality and chanting have been the twin
Yale, IIM(A), and Madras Christian College in India. graces of Tandon’s life, be it starting the day with
In 2009, she received the Walter Nichols Medal pranayama or creating a musical choir for seniors at

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38 • FEBRUARY• 2020 KHABAR MAGAZINE