A leader is someone who knows which way to go, goes that way, and shows the way to their team, according to John C. Maxwell. The true mark of leadership, however, only comes to the fore in the course of adversity, where weaker characters are more likely to wilt under pressure. Laksh Vaswani is not the type to wither in the face of hardship, with the experienced business executive adept at navigating tough times for top financial and consulting firms.
Corporate leadership for Laksh Vaswani isn’t just about making decisions from behind a desk. Rather, it is all about understanding people, their cultures, and perspectives, and meshing these and other attributes to create a system that’s better than its sum of parts. Vaswani has traveled to more than 60 countries and worked in the world’s leading financial hubs, like New York, London, Tokyo, Paris, and Singapore, among others.
Such experience does not come without its share of challenges, and longevity in any industry-leading firm requires resilience and strategic adaptation. Laksh has seen firsthand how diverse experiences shape stronger, more empathetic leadership.
Leadership is often tested in times of crisis, and Vaswani is no stranger to high-stakes situations. For example, when a fellow commuter collapsed onto the tracks with a train approaching on a train platform just outside New York City, Vaswani swung into action and pulled the woman to safety.
From a leadership point of view, sustaining minor injuries was an acceptable price to pay for the potential benefits of saving a life — the kind of considerations he’s made several times over in his career. That incident was the epitome of what leadership ought to be in moments of crisis: decisive, fearless, and focused on the desired outcome.
As a father to twin boys, now 14 years old, Laksh understands the importance of adaptability and patience—qualities that he carries into his professional life. These qualities are just as important to leading though hardships— whether economic downturns, managing change, continued innovation, cybersecurity concerns, and cultural shits, among others.
Vaswani’s Indian upbringing emphasized long-term relationships, patience, and strategic thinking, while his American corporate experience trained him to embrace innovation, move fast, and take calculated risks. This unique blend helped him modernize financial operations, drive automation, and implement AI-driven efficiencies at Fortune 500 firms. It also equipped him to handle the tough moments with an edge that only someone with his background could master.
Laksh has led large-scale financial operations, implemented global risk strategies, and worked closely with regulators. He has refined his leadership approach to expect the unexpected and to always be rooted in collaboration and mentorship. He doesn’t just manage teams; he builds future leaders, guiding professionals across functions and helping organizations evolve with modern technology, AI-driven automation, and smarter regulatory strategies. Vaswani argues that “successfully managing through today’s challenges must involve preparing to face tomorrow’s”, and preparing future leaders is integral.
Vaswani is a proponent of the belief that crises are opportunities that demand clarity, strategy, and confident execution. His book shares insights into driving change, influencing high-stakes decisions, and building resilient teams while empowering others, driving strategic thinking, and fostering resilience—qualities that define the next generation of industry leaders. He has mentored junior employees to become reputed senior risk officers and business leaders. His co-workers acknowledged Vaswani’s ability to push people out of their comfort zones, a key component of high-performing teams and effective crisis recovery specialists.
But beyond the spreadsheets and boardroom discussions, Laksh is a storyteller. His book, Pivotal Leadership: A Masterclass in Innovation and Persuasion, shares insights on navigating complex industries, driving change, and leading with impact. He promotes the belief that leadership is not about control but positive influence, mutual trust, and the ability to build others up in purusit of shared objectives.
During his career in financial services at MUFG, BNY Mellon, and Morgan Stanley, Vaswani took charge of business transformation initiatives that saved his employers millions of dollars. This involved a variety of strategies, including optimizing routine operations, enhancing internal collaboration, and streamlining regulatory compliance. However, his biggest impact remains the associations he had with colleagues, the relationships he built within the companies and industry, and the cultures he helped to create across the board.
His penchant for taking on challenging, high-risk, high-stakes assignments saw Laksh Vaswani develop a reputation as a “fixer” and a changemaker within the company. This did not dampen his persona as an approachable, relatable, and deeply invested individual who always sought to better his team members. It is this effortless co-mingling of an on-task leader and personable colleague that defines Vaswani’s leadership across his professional career. And his work mentoring the next generation of leaders has been just as instrumental to staving off potential human-centric crises within top companies.
As the financial world becomes increasingly interconnected, businesses need leaders who can navigate multiple cultures, manage diverse regulatory environments, and engage stakeholders across time zones. Blending top management and resilience in tough times promises to deliver high-impact, sustainable solutions.
