Mary George Mayiladumpara
Life at Zoho
Describe your current role in the organization.
As general counsel, I head Zoho’s legal team. We take care of everything from employment laws to data protection laws, and online terms to negotiated contracts.
What role does Zoho’s company culture play in your identity and the work that you do?
I joined Zoho without any technology background as the only lawyer in 2006, within a year of completing my degree in law. I thought I would not survive, but I did, primarily because of the nurturing culture at Zoho.
At Work
Is there a project or an accomplishment at Zoho you’re proud of?
Writing Zoho’s first terms of service and privacy policy in 2006, within months of joining.
Tell us about a time you overcame a challenge you didn’t think was possible.
Parallel to the work on GDPR compliance in 2017, we had been discussing a total rewrite of our privacy policy. However, with a focus on helping teams comply, I realized, with just three days to spare for the GDPR effective date of May 25, 2018, that the privacy policy update would be a shoddy patchwork with a ton of changes. We decided that we wanted a completely new privacy policy that reflected Zoho’s principled stance on privacy and that the patchwork approach would not do.
The new privacy policy was written, proofread, summarized, notification content was created and sent—in under 72 hours. We worked day and night, and everybody was happy we had pulled off the impossible.
Getting Personal
What are some of your favorite activities outside work?
Learning about the science of agriculture and farming.
What is a podcast that you recommend?
Regenerative Agriculture Podcast
My husband and I bought a small piece of land to try our hands at organic farming. Once we started farming and encountered various challenges such as diseases and pests, I embarked on a journey of learning about plant nutrition and soil health. This is a must-listen podcast for those interested in regenerative agriculture.
Words of Wisdom
Embrace continuous learning - Stay curious, open-minded, and always seek opportunities to learn new things.
Be a good listener and communicator - Develop strong, active listening skills to help you understand others better and facilitate more productive conversations. Pair this with clear and concise communication to create a strong foundation for effective leadership.
Lead by example - Demonstrate the behaviors, work ethic, and values you expect from your team. This will help build trust and credibility within your team.
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