Sky High with Rya Ramaswamy

Andrea.zils

In this week’s Employee Spotlight, we are meeting someone who is making numbers cool again: Rya Ramaswamy, Anaplan’s newest Senior Manager of FP&A (Finance, Planning & Analysis).  Having joined three short months ago, Rya’s world is already a whirlwind of finance-related responsibilities, such as planning, budgeting, forecasting, equipment purchases, and capacity planning. For anything related to numbers, it’s Rya to the rescue. Her focus is on the R&D side, which is a perfect fit since she used to be an engineer herself.  “I have a bachelor’s degree in Instrumentation and Control Engineering. I don’t think I was a very good engineer, which is why I’m glad I discovered Finance as another career path!” 

When talking about the best part of the job, Rya doesn’t hesitate. “It’s the business partnerships, definitely, not necessarily just the numbers, the budgeting, or the forecasting. I simply enjoy connecting with my colleagues and understanding what their priorities are, so I can support them while they GSD.”  Speaking of colleagues, she explains that her team is great to work with because they share the same values—bringing humor to the table while working toward a common goal.  “We have to get along well because we will face challenges together. My team is great because no matter how tense a meeting gets, no one shies away from cracking a joke.” 

Outside of work, Rya is a beach-goer, avid skier, and a certified skydiver. “I grew up in India where I didn’t have access to skydiving, so it was always on my bucket list. My first time skydiving was surreal. I was in the plane with the doors open, too nervous to jump. The instructor said, ‘Well, you’re strapped to me, so once I jump you’re going down with me!’ and he jumped. Those first few seconds of free falling were the most beautiful experience. Once on the ground, I knew immediately that I wanted to do it again, but not strapped to anyone this time. That’s how I got certified.” 

When Rya is not free falling out of planes for fun, she is focusing her time on raising her two young children, Krish, age three, and Mayura, her six-month-old. One piece of advice that she applies to both work and children is simply, “Operate with common sense, and be patient in everything you do.” She explains that the patience virtue sort of appeared on its own after her kids were born (“Being impatient was not a choice!”), but common sense is not always so clear. She explains that sometimes common sense is going against nature. “Challenge the status quo, ask questions, and be inquisitive. Don’t do things just because ‘That’s the way we’ve always done them.’ If it gets you in trouble a couple times, then you know you’ve done it right.”