We’re back with another edition of our Women in Research series! In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), I spoke with not just one but two of Toluna’s inspiring leaders: Lisette Tan-De Ronde, EVP Marketing, and Gayatri Srikant, Regional Managing Director SEA-ANZ.
Shivaani: Thank you both for being here! Starting off, can you share a little bit about your career and journey into leadership?
Lisette: Indeed. I’m thrilled to be part of this Women in Research initiative and share a little about the path that brought me here. I started my career in FMCG marketing with Unilever & Friesland Campina, so I’ve also seen market research from the client side. I joined MetrixLab (now Toluna) 14 years ago, when the company had just 150 employees and no formal marketing department. I was brought in to build the marketing team from scratch. What started as a one-person function, working on basic marketing and design, bloomed into a global department managing brand, marketing, and communications. Watching the company grow into what it is today has been incredibly rewarding. I would say my leadership journey grew with the organization itself. And what about you, Gayatri?
Gayatri: I joined the company as a Client Director in 2016, so 5 years after you, Lisette – although I often feel like I’ve always been a part of it. Most of my career has been in the research and insights industry. I previously worked with Millward Brown (now Kantar) in Singapore and India. Back in India, I also took on a short stint as Senior Marketing Manager with HDFC India. Even in that role, most of my work revolved around data and analytical marketing. So, as you can imagine, my career has mostly revolved around data, analytical thinking, and logic.
When I joined forces with MetrixLab/Toluna in Singapore, we were a team of just 7 or 8. Within 3 years, the team grew, and I stepped into the Managing Director role, opening offices in Thailand, the Philippines, as well as Australia post-acquisition. Looking back, the past 10 years have been the most defining in my career. If my younger self could see where I am today – leading a key growth region for a global company – she would be quite surprised and proud.
Shivaani: It’s interesting to think about our younger selves and what they would think of us today. On that note, do you think your leadership style has changed over the years?
Gayatri: I believe we’re all leaders in our own way. I’ve learned that a leader isn’t just someone who leads a team, but rather someone with a vision, direction, and drive to lead the way for others to follow. Earlier in my career, I was more hands-on and structured. But when I stepped into a senior leadership role, my leadership style changed considerably. I had to learn to step back and let go of control. This was challenging because, like I said, I like structure and visibility. So, I had to learn to let go and trust my team to deliver, while also supporting them and letting them know, “Hey, I’ve got your back. Do what you have to do, and if you fail, that’s fine too.” I think it’s necessary to adapt your leadership style to the context and people you’re leading.
Lisette: I agree: leadership is about giving direction, and that can also come from a project manager, for example. As a leader, you need to make sure everyone is headed in the same direction. With time, you learn more about different people and what approach would be best to take with them. To me, I think there’s a difference between style and approach when it comes to leadership. That said, I don’t think my leadership style has changed much, but my approach has. Like you said, Gayatri, you need to learn to coach instead of control, to let go of things, trust your team, and give them the space to make mistakes. My father always used to say that mistakes are like treasures, because you can learn and grow from them. Leading a team also means setting an example, and leaders make mistakes, too.
Confidence and empathy are also key to my leadership style. People look up to leaders for stability, especially in difficult times. It’s important to be sensitive towards people’s backgrounds, lifestyles, challenges, opinions, you name it.
Shivaani: Well said. As you both know, International Women’s Day (IWD) is all about inclusivity, representation, and fostering an environment where women thrive. How do you bring these values to life in your role?
Lisette: To me, inclusivity is broader than gender. It’s about equality and accessibility. I love initiatives like IWD because they’re focused on equality across gender, culture, and lived experience. We all should strive to work with each other. Everyone should be able to speak, play, work – no matter who they are. I was taught that at a young age. This has always been a personal value for me.
I have noticed that women, compared to men, are often more hesitant to put themselves forward, so supporting them and trusting them is important to building confidence. That’s why I coach and mentor women, both from within and outside my team. Sometimes this can be as simple as being a sparring partner and giving someone else the confidence to execute their ideas.
Inclusivity also shows up in practical decisions. For example, when working on our rebrand last year, we tested our brand colors for color-blindness to ensure our visual identity was accessible to everyone. That’s something we’re proud of.
Gayatri: That’s a great answer. I definitely agree that inclusivity goes beyond gender. The ultimate goal is to give equal opportunities to everyone. I recently spoke with someone about IWD, and I was asked, “What kind of future do you envision for the next generation of women?” The first thing that popped up in my head was freedom of choice. Whether women want to nurture the next generation, pursue a career, or chase their passions, their choices should never be governed by gender roles or stereotypes. This is true for everyone, not just women.
Market research is a women-dominated industry, and rightfully so. The industry is all about talking to people and understanding their needs. It requires empathy and collaboration, which are traits mostly associated with women. Yet leadership representation still skews men, especially in Asia. In my role, I encourage women to get together and discuss their challenges – especially about major life stages like marriage and motherhood. Too often, women step back from leadership trajectories during these phases because most responsibilities at home still fall on them. I encourage women to speak to their managers, to HR, and even at home with their partners. Shared ambition requires shared responsibility.
Finally, I remind women that we stand on the shoulders of those who pushed through before. If we want a different future for our daughters and nieces, we must fight for it too. We don’t just need a seat at the table; we need more women at the leadership table. When you see someone you relate to in leadership, you begin to think, “I can do it, too!“
Shivaani: That’s an inspiring perspective – thank you for sharing. Gayatri, your last point ties perfectly with this year’s IWD theme: Give to gain. I’d love to hear more about how this theme resonates with you.
Gayatri: To me, it’s about purpose. When you give with purpose, you create space for others to grow. We must raise the bar and show other women what’s possible. I do think every young girl needs to pursue more – that could be sports, arts, humanities – not simply for the sake of enjoyment, but also to help build discipline. I’m a big fan of team sports because it teaches you leadership skills, collaboration, work ethics, and how to face challenges – all traits of a good leader. So, I’d say: encourage your sisters, your daughters, and your friends to dip their toes into whatever calls to them.
Give to gain also means setting an example. Sometimes the simplest way to do that is by just showing up as your full self. Women are often told to fit into certain expectations, and these expectations can manifest in the smallest of decisions, like whether or not to wear makeup. Why should those choices define how seriously we’re taken? There’s no harm in looking or feeling beautiful. You can be beautiful AND intelligent; beautiful AND athletic all at once. That’s the message we want to pass on to the next generation.
Lisette: I like the parallel you made with sports, because it rings true on many levels. I also think perseverance is key here. We’ve seen this at the recent Olympics! You need to fail to improve, because that’s when you learn. This goes for anyone pursuing anything. Sometimes it’s not about winning but simply about doing your very best, and then persevering until you’re where you want to be. You decide where you want to be by yourself; no one else should determine it for you.
To me, 90% of success comes from mindset: if you believe you can achieve something, you most likely can. No obstacle is too big, especially when you’re surrounded by other strong women and a community that supports you. I’m reminded of the cartoon Pippi Longstocking, who famously said: “I’ve never done it, so I think I can.” That’s the perspective I want other women to adopt, whether they’re taking on a new sport, raising a child, or pursuing a hobby. Just do it, because you can!
Gayatri: I completely agree. I’ll also add that as leaders, it’s up to us to adjust the benchmark. Too often, the benchmark for success is based on leaders we’ve historically seen at the top – mostly men. Why should women have to fit within that benchmark? Women bring their own set of strengths, and embracing those strengths, rather than trying to fit into an existing mold, can create outcomes that are just as powerful and can even redefine what leadership success looks like.
Shivaani: What a powerful message, and one that will resonate with a lot of women. Looking back at your leadership journeys, what has been the biggest learning curve for you along the way?
Gayatri: As a leader, I think sometimes you have to fake it ‘till you make it. Things do fail sometimes, and it’s important to show your vulnerable side, but at times you also have to ‘fake it’ to give others confidence. If things are going downhill, you have to stand tall, bring people together, and be positive. If you think about the last few years – Covid-19, major geopolitical shifts, AI – we’ve had to navigate a lot. As leaders, all we could do is give our team the confidence and reassurance that, hey, we’re in this together. Everyone has a vulnerable side, but at the same time, you have to believe that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Lisette: I agree – there will always be things happening that are outside our control. What matters then is how you react and the confidence you show. I vividly remember the early Covid-19 days: we had no clue what would happen the next day or week; all we knew was that we had to do whatever we could to guide and protect our employees and our business. And we did. We came out of it much stronger.
On top of all that, balancing motherhood with my work has been another major learning curve. I think it has made me stronger – learning to prioritize, making difficult choices, and saying no. And compared to challenges at home, many work-related problems seem manageable. When I think back at how I managed everything a few years ago, it gives me the confidence to face today’s challenges. If I could do it then, on little to no sleep, I can definitely do it now.
Gayatri: Very true. I remember coming back to work a few years into having my children and telling my colleague that the challenges we’re facing seem so small. We can definitely work through them, because at least here, I have a team that listens to me! 😉
Shivaani: Lastly, when you think about your leadership legacy, what impact do you hope to leave on the people you lead?
Gayatri: Well, I hope I’m not too close to the end of my leadership journey… but I do want to be remembered as someone who people want to know and stay in touch with. On a more personal note, I want to be a leader who left that path at the right time, rather than dragging it out. I want to carry that dignity and respect of knowing when it’s time to hang up my boots.
I also want people to feel as if they can relate to the choices I’ve made. Especially for women, to be able to look at my work and think, “if she could do it, so can I.” I hope to create a path that is accessible and easy for others to follow.
Lisette: Yes. Setting the right example for others and giving them the confidence to believe in themselves. I hope to contribute to people’s dreams and goals; to guide others to make the right decisions – not only because it might be the most logical step to take, but also if that’s what they really want to do. I want to be an enabler of other people’s dreams, and also to be the person you trust to tackle any and all problems. And that goes back to setting an example for others.
I’m also a firm believer in teamwork and collaboration. I want others to know that they don’t have to do everything on their own. We are stronger together, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
