Meet Vishwanathan

I describe myself as a professional accountant. I've been a banker all my life, with more than two decades of experience. I started my banking career with Standard Chartered India, working extensively in their finance and operations. In 2015, a few years after I moved back to my hometown of Chennai, BNY Mellon reached out to me and asked me to take charge of their finance unit in India. Now, I'm functionally responsible for managing two large groups: controllers group and FMA group. Plus, I have oversight and governance for the treasury and GSM finance. Most of the firm’s finance activities in terms of production, preparation and analysis of reports are all centralized here in India, between Chennai and Pune. Our goal is to drive standardization and efficient processes and support career mobility. 

I enjoy my role because I have the opportunity to create a finance unit which is known for its standard of excellence. Chennai is the point of contact for our colleagues in the U.S., EMEA and APAC regions, and I want to deliver the highest form of support to our colleagues abroad. 

I enjoy my role due to the serendipitous nature of it. A new day means a new challenge. I don't have predictable days. There's always a problem to solve which keeps me on my toes.  

The work culture here is unmatched. I enjoy the dedication my team members bring to their work. We are empowered to take on challenging projects, and there is a culture of openness where I am encouraged to speak up. I am encouraged to challenge. I am encouraged to push back. The amount of passion I see my colleagues bring to their work, the sincerity with which they do, the commitment, all those traits are something very different from previous work experiences. Not only that, but we are a very employee-friendly and future-oriented organization. It’s not easy for an organization to survive 230 years, let alone thrive by staying nimble and adapting to change.  

I work by a particular motto: "I'm not here to be popular." Everybody likes to be liked and everybody likes to be popular. That is human nature, but at the end of the day, we need to do what is right and what is fair. And I live by that motto and do what is right. 

BNY Mellon puts a genuine investment in diversity, equity and inclusion, and I see that we take actions to make a difference. That's one of the reasons why I became the executive sponsor for WIN (Women’s Initiative Network) India. I wanted to be in an active role since I have a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion. This also ties into the value I align to most: integrity. If integrity is lost, then credibility, honor and respect can be as well. It's okay to make a decision which is not popular (cue my work motto), as long as we do it for the right reasons. All of our values are important, Courage to Lead, Passion for Excellence, Strength in Diversity and inclusion, but for me, Integrity stands out. 

It's part of my personal integrity to continue growing as a professional as well. That’s why I wanted to be a part of our Reverse Mentoring Program as a reverse mentee. Graham Charters, my mentor, helped me see my role and our workplace from a different perspective. We focused our discussions on ethics, integrity, and how to make tough decisions, which is required of me. Even though the mentoring program has come to an end, we still meet every two weeks.

Comics. Film. Tennis. Photography. Cycling…not to mention my home library of over 2,000 books! I think what I'm trying to say is that I’m not afraid to pick up a new hobby in my free time. Cooking is about the one skill I can't seem to harness, but I am a numbers guy! I am passionate about work, and that passion seeps into my many interests outside of accounting. See, not all accountants are boring!