LIC elevates two more women to top brass

Trend began with appointment of Usha Sangwan as first woman MD a couple of years ago

With women officers already heading most of its subsidiaries, the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) is continuing with the trend to place them in bigger roles.

The trend began with the appointment of Usha Sangwan as the first woman managing director a couple of years ago. The insurance behemoth has elevated two more women officers to the top levels in the current fiscal.

While Sarojini Dikhale has taken over as the chief executive of LIC Nomura Mutual Fund, Mini Ipe has been elevated as head of LIC HFL Financial Services, which distributes the products of the Corporation with a focus on home loan sales.

Dikhale has taken charge from July 1 from the HR department. Ipe, who was earlier with the real estate department, too assumed office in the same period.

Sunita Sharma is already heading LIC Housing Finance, with its business growing 20 per cent to Rs 30,327 crore as of 2014-15 over 2013-14.

Dikhale was also one of the candidates who appeared for the interview for the post of the fourth MD of LIC on July 15. The government is yet to announce the name of the selected person.

Padmaja Bhaskaran has completed three years as managing director and chief executive of LIC Credit Card.

"LIC has been the employer of choice for both men and women. The contribution the Corporation has made towards nation-building over the years has been tremendous," Sangwan, who also heads the HR department of the Corporation which employs over 2 lakh people, told PTI.