Ankita Acharya, Senior Merchandiser, Sourcing, Napapijri®, admittedly is the opposite of shy. She grew up wanting to be a journalist, but her love of fashion prompted her to pursue a degree in apparel management.

Hometown: Lucknow, India

Family: Acharya keeps busy with a two-and-a-half-
year-old son and her husband, who recently started
his own business.

Hidden Talent: Acharya thrives off creativity.
She invents a new bedtime story for her son every
night, making sure to weave jungle animals into each
plot – they are his favorite.

Giving Back: Every month, on the day her son was
born, Acharya and her husband donate books or study
materials to a child in need.

Hobbies: Acharya enjoys listening to music, singing
karaoke and learning from TED Talks.

Merchandising became her trade.

Since joining VF India in 2006, Acharya has made multiple moves across the organization; she’s held merchandising roles at Vans®, Nautica® and The North Face®, in addition to her current role, which involves product development for Napapijri.

How has taking different roles across brands benefitted your career?

Getting experience with different brands has been exciting for me. It’s given me more in-depth knowledge that has been beneficial to my career. I like connecting with people in the organization – from the U.S. to Hong Kong and Europe – and understand the way each brand works. Today, I have more confidence because of my career mobility.

What’s one thing you’re working on that you’re particularly excited about?

I’m actively involved in the VF India Women’s Network, an employee resource group that is enabling me to connect and learn from other female associates. I believe as a group we can bring about many changes that we wouldn’t be able to individually.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Keep growing yourself and invest in the growth of people around you. You cannot be a successful leader without a strong team.