‘It cost me a promotion, after that, I never said no to anything’

Sajita Sivanandan’s entry into OOH was, by her own admission, unplanned. After a stint in television and a maternity break, she was looking to return to media when an opportunity came from the Times Group, and a familiar face on the other side of the interview table made the decision easy. What followed was over 15 years in out-of-home, a medium she wasn’t entirely sure about at first, but one she has never looked back from since. 

On the question of gender in OOH, Sajita is candid about both the progress and the gap. She sees more women at the entry and mid levels today than when she started, but acknowledges that the top remains largely male. The barriers, she says, are as much about perception as reality, OOH’s historically unorganised nature and its ground-level operational demands have long been seen as unsuitable for women, when in truth, they are simply unfamiliar. Her own early experience is a case in point: returning from maternity leave, travel constraints led her to hesitate, and that hesitation cost her a promotion. It was a lesson she took seriously. Since then, her answer to every opportunity has been yes, and she credits both a supportive family and her own resolve for making that possible. 

On what women bring to the industry, Sajita offers a characteristically precise observation. Women, she says, are often perceived as soft, but softness is not weakness. Empathy, she argues, is a professional asset: it makes it easier to see the other side of the table, to understand what a client or partner actually needs, and to find a solution that works for everyone rather than just pushing one’s own position. As a leader today, she carries that philosophy into how she manages her team, creating an environment where personal needs are acknowledged without compromising on work. And her message to women considering OOH is straightforward: the opportunity is there, the field is open, and the ability to prove your mettle is entirely within reach.