Aatika Ehsan Ansari works at the intersection of media, technology, and consumer insight, shaping strategies that reflect how young, affluent audiences discover and engage with brands today. As Category Head at Pernod Ricard India, she focuses on building consumer-first frameworks and transforming media processes to drive both efficiency and cultural relevance across platforms.
What’s a belief about work or success that you’ve changed your mind about over the years?
Over the years, my belief about work has become more humane. I no longer see success as a loud breakthrough or a polished summit. Life is mostly a climb.
Today, success feels like relevance, courage, consistency, and joy — staying curious, taking chances, showing up even when no one is watching, and finding meaning in the process.
It isn’t perfection. It’s participation, evolution, and choosing to stay in the arena with both head and heart
When things feel overwhelming, what’s one small grounding habit you return to?
There are days I don’t feel my best — not broken, just blurred. When the noise grows louder than my voice, I retreat to return to myself.
A burst of cardio clears the static, a walk in nature steadies me, and painting or writing softens my breath. Meditation gently closes the day.
These rituals guide me back, but if I had to choose one anchor, it’s sitting with a blank page and sketching what I see within.
Is there a moment in your career that quietly shaped how you show up as a leader today?
My most defining leadership moment came through friction, not applause. I found myself in an organization whose values didn’t mirror mine.
Instead of leaving, as I once would have, I chose to stay. I crafted solutions rooted in my values and shaped them to resonate within the system. I stopped seeking validation and became an observer—responsive, not reactive.
Over time, culture shifted. I learned that staying, holding ground with grace, can quietly reshape the room from within.
Which book, film, or piece of art do you keep returning to — and what does it reflect about you?
I often return to the novels of Jane Austen. Beneath their civility lies quiet rebellion—stories of determination, self-respect, and authenticity in constrained worlds.
Her characters refine their character while others chase circumstance, proving dignity is cultivated within. They remind me that conviction and intent are inside jobs.
Strengthen your core, deepen your self-trust, and let the world rearrange itself around the solidity of who you are.
What’s something outside your professional life that has unexpectedly influenced how you think at work?
Caring for my plants became an unexpected apprenticeship in leadership. They’ve taught me that growth can’t be forced—only supported through the right conditions: light, space, balance.
Like teams, development is incremental and seasonal; not every phase is bloom. I’ve learned restraint, to notice subtle signals, and to step back when needed.
Gardening has made me more patient and observant, reminding me to nurture consistently, prune thoughtfully, and trust the quiet resilience time builds.
What’s a simple pleasure you make time for, no matter how busy life gets?
Every day, no matter how busy, I spend five minutes with animals—playing with dogs, feeding strays, or sitting with my sister’s cat, Coco. Their innocence and uncomplicated joy reset me. They remind me that life isn’t just to be managed, but lived and felt—that joy isn’t earned, it’s experienced.
