Changing the status quo
■ My Journey: Sir Suma Chakrabarti, chairman, ODI (Overseas Development Institute)
SIR SUMA CHAKRABARTI has revealed his journey to the top ranks of the British civil service, saying his experience as a migrant helped him to relate to people in differing circumstances.
Previously the highest ranking Indian in the civil service, Sir Suma joined the government in 1984. His wide-ranging career has seen him serve as president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Justice; the clerk of the Crown in Chancery and permanent secretary of the Department for International Development.
Recalling his early childhood in India’s north Bengal, Sir Suma reflected on the struggles he and his family faced. His parents were in an intercaste marriage – which was “highly unusual” at the time, he said. Although the family initially moved to the UK when Sir Suma was five years old so his father could study at Oxford University, they returned to Kolkata in 1969.
“The picture of acute poverty at the train station in Kolkata when we arrived is still with me today as a reminder of why I remain committed to economic and social change,” Sir Suma said.
However, the family encountered more challenges in India. A Maoist rebellion led to educational institutions being closed and Sir Suma did not go to school for six months. Eventually, his parents decided that he and his mother should return to London for his education. He learned how tough life was for his mother during that time. “She was effectively a lone parent, working full time, and shunned to some extent by her own community for being different to the norm,” he said. “I learned about courage and resilience from her.”
Sir Suma met his wife (who is Japanese) at Oxford University. When it came to deciding where they would settle permanently, Britain was the only place they both agreed on. “I changed my nationality to become a UK citizen at age 21,” he revealed. “Only then did I commit to a life in the UK.”
In his career in the civil service, Sir Suma said he experienced feelings of “imposter syndrome”.
“It was evident in Whitehall meetings that some felt I had got these jobs not on merit, but because (former prime minister) Tony Blair had to meet his commitment to see more BAME civil servants in senior roles,” he recalled. “As many black and minority ethnic people will know from their own lives, we deal with these situations by working hard to show we are twice as good as any white rival.”
Noting the lessons he has learnt along the way, Sir Suma said feeling like “an insider and an outsider” has been advantageous as he was better able to relate to people with different life experiences.
Knowing the setting which best suits your leadership attributes and building teams with complementary skills have been additional life lessons, he added.
“Never ever accept the status quo,” he said. “Act with others to change it.”