It takes a lot of courage and resilience to endure the dual journey of motherhood and a professional career, but Sirisha Lekkala, People and Culture Executive at CriticalRiver, has been valiantly waving her success flag despite going through two surgeries during childbirth.

Just a month after giving birth to a child through a C-section surgery, Sirisha was struck by an excruciating complication — severe breast milk clogging. She had to undertake another surgery immediately which added one more layer of complexity to her recovery.

The next three months was marked by relentless physical pain and deep emotional trauma. But Sirisha was determined to get back to work. But she did not do it alone.

“I could only take that leap because of the unwavering support from CriticalRiver and my manager, Arundhati Ashoka, Global People and Culture head.

Work helped. For Sirisha, it soon became a lifeline as it kept her busy and offered her a structure. Her team’s empathy helped her navigate the responsibilities of a career and the demands of raising a family.

“CriticalRiver transformed into more than just an office for my daughter Sakhi and me. It became a sanctuary. My colleagues welcomed my daughter with open arms. We now have an office full of executives entertaining a toddler while I juggle work and motherhood on tough days. Their kindness and support have truly made a difference,” says Sirisha. .

Watching her grow up surrounded by warmth and support and creating countless memories in CriticalRiver, Sirisha is grateful that she did not have to choose between her career and motherhood.