Kiran Marolia

‘Why is she doing this? It’s not a job for a woman with all these machines and construction sites…’ Kiran Marolia knows these reservations only too well. The single mother from Bihar, now settled in Maharashtra (India), is sales manager of the mobile and crawler cranes product segment at Liebherr India Private Limited. ‘I’ve been fascinated with technology and large machines since I was a child,’ she says. Her father worked for an oil and gas company on a rig and regularly offered his young daughter glimpses into this world. ‘It has stayed with me ever since.’ And with that, she had already decided that the traditional role of Indian housewife and mother was not for her.

Kiran studied chemistry (Hons.) and environmental sciences and completed her MBA at the age of 24 from Nagpur University in Maharashtra. After completing her post-graduate degree, she started a family. A more traditional life was looking set to be in her future after all – had it not been for the relationship breaking down. As a single mother of a son, she suddenly had to put her entire existence on a completely new footing. ‘I was still quite shy back then and rarely dared to open my mouth when I was in a large group,’ she recalls. ‘But I couldn’t bury my head in the sand – I had to take life into my own hands, for my own sake and for my son’s. So that’s what I did.’

She has received lot of support along the way: from her family, friends and Liebherr, too. Kiran joined Liebherr in 2010 after holding various positions in HR. Liebherr India Private Limited, founded in 2006, had only few employees at the time. This led to her involvement in recruitment, policy formulation and HR work and meant that a lot of opportunities opened up for the HR specialist. In 2015, she moved to the marketing and communications team, where she looked after large industrial customers and trade shows such as BC India, an offshoot of Bauma, until 2017.

Hold on… a shy person going into marketing and communications? ‘After my break-up, I got over my shyness pretty quickly as time demanded much more from me. At the end of the day, it was a matter of existence for me and my son,’ she says. The Liebherr mindset suited her down to the ground: ‘You can learn anything if you really want to.’ Having said that, it’s only possible if you have confidence in yourself and your own abilities with a strong mindset. Which is precisely what she experienced in the company. ‘Our machines are truly powerful. I want to be like that, too,’ was her mantra. This bold spirit is something she wants to pass on to others today: ‘Believe in yourself. If you want it to happen, it’s up to you.’

In 2017, Kiran moved to the mobile and crawler cranes business area, where she has been responsible for sales for India and the Indian subcontinent ever since. ‘I felt like I’d found my home. Being able to get up close and personal with big machines and big technology has been a dream of mine since I was a child,’ says the 46-year-old powerhouse with delight.

Initially, she had male colleagues accompany her to customer appointments, but quickly realised that she could do it on her own. Even today, she is still a little gleeful when she notices the puzzled looks on the faces of new contacts as people never expect a woman in this field. ‘Customers often expect an engineer to accompany me. ‘‘When’s the engineer coming?’’ When I tell them the engineer is already here, they are astonished. As soon as we start getting into the technical details, they quickly forget they are dealing with a woman and show their appreciation.’ She not only knows the technology like the back of her hand, but also speaks five other languages spoken on the subcontinent, in addition to Hindi and English.

‘Communication and trust in the brand are everything,’ the sales professional knows from experience. This is especially true in such an emerging but also highly demanding market as India, where the government is seeking to boost domestic production through regulatory measures including taxes and customs duties. ‘That means I occasionally have to speak to the relevant ministries and explain why parts for premium products such as mobile cranes, which are important for the local economy, should ideally come directly from Liebherr.’ There are no prizes for being shy. ‘I enjoy convincing people to choose Liebherr. Because we have outstanding products.’ And as she says this with a winning smile, you are sold.

Her mother is the only one who still needs a little more convincing of this busy lifestyle. ‘Child, all this travelling around and conducting business – that’s not what a woman should be doing. Can’t you do something else?’ Kiran can’t help but smile. ‘It’s true. Travelling by road and rail in a country this big can be really exhausting – and the food on the road doesn’t always taste good either,’ she admits. ‘But going out and meeting people to make them aware of our products and efficient usability is exactly what I really want to do. Every single business transaction, every satisfied customer is always a confirmation that I’ve chosen the right path, and gives me extra motivation. Both as a woman and as a deeply committed Liebherr mobile cranes saleswoman. This is a life that I love and that I’m passionate about.’ She doesn’t have any fears about the future. ‘There are so many technical innovations and fascinating new opportunities to advance our products and services,’ she says enthusiastically. ‘We’re living in really exciting times of change and challenge. Liebherr has empowered me to explore my capabilities, so I am really proud to be part of the team.’