Venkat (C.S. Venkatakrishnan)

In Barclays, we've got three women on the executive committee and our head of internal audit is also a woman. In our leadership programs, we try to make sure that 50% of the people participating are women. Then, of course, we have more specialized mentorship and training programs for women.

I think all of these areas are accepting a broader mix of skills. I think at the end what you're looking for is when they promote to senior management, what are the criteria they're using. The business experience wherever you start is important. But then it's the other things, as I said, the qualitative issues, including temperament and so on.

Then when you come to CEO, there's a further filtration. Most candidates for CEO have the basic technical knowledge to be in that job. A lot about it is fit. A lot about it is timing. What does the person bring that is relevant to the company at that point in time? And that is almost the most important question. And what is the direction and the type of leadership that person will provide?

I have found very rewarding the breadth of the job. You just end up covering and discussing a host of issues, the ability to play a broader role in developing people, not just senior management, but even junior people is really valuable. And I think the ability to shape an organization, especially large, complex ones, it's hard, but it's a very rewarding thing.

What I found the biggest challenges, ultimately, am I managing my time well? Am I being bold enough on certain things, or am I being too restrained? Do I spend enough time taking the organization along with me, or do I sort of chart the path ahead myself? And I think as I've been in this job longer, I've learned it's important to take people with you. I've learned that it's important not to overcommit yourself on time. And I've learned that it's good to be disciplined and focused on just the important issues.