I don’t believe you’re ever done deciding on how you can add value to others and actualising that desire through a meaningful career.

Atli Pathudi has experience across the financial services, retail and education sectors. She is the head of finance and strategy at Earlybird Educare, an organisation operating high-quality, socially inclusive educare centres for corporate partners and in underserved communities. In addition to sitting on Earlybird’s board, Pathudi is involved as a volunteer in various education and community engagement activities and serves as a trustee of Columba Leadership Trust.

“Having the courage to add value as it makes sense at each particular stage in your life and career is what you should aspire to — there’s no one path of meaning — just living authentically and being intentional about adding value to others is where you start!”

A qualified chartered accountant with a BComm in accounting sciences from the University of Pretoria, Pathudi’s own route to her current role has not always been straightforward. While still at school considering her education options, she noticed a common thread in the success stories of people whose careers she admired: all of them seemed to follow a clear, well-planned path. She decided to emulate them, certain that similar success would follow. “With distinctions in hand, I pursued the chartered accountancy profession,” she explains. She imagined herself remaining in this field and working her way up to the position of partner at one of the “big four” accounting firms. “I look back now and giggle a little at how narrow that view of success and influence was and how life paths come in all forms, most not straight at all!”

From this experience, she’s taken a clear lesson: “Have a plan; plans are great, but even more important than a plan is to have courage. Courage to pursue what you think you want wholeheartedly, courage to reflect honestly with yourself along your journey and the courage to change course if you realise that the plan has changed.”

In her role at Earlybird Educare, Pathudi now enables parents and children to ensure that whatever journeys kids’ lives may take, they’re getting the best possible start as they take their literal and figurative first steps. In terms of her own next steps, Pathudi has been awarded the 2020 INSEAD Andy Burgess Endowed Scholarship for Social Entrepreneurship, taking her journey even further.
— Cayleigh Bright

Instagram: @atli28