Behind every successful man, there is a woman. But it’s the other way round for J. Mohanasundari, who dedicates her victory to her late husband K. Jaganathan, a mechanical wizard, for encouraging and fine tuning her management skills to manage a mega corporate ‘Sharp Electrodes Private Ltd’ and ‘KayJay Sharp Trendys’ all by herself.

She is one among the three from India to be chosen for the prestigious ‘International Women Entrepreneurs Challenge (IWEC)’ Award which was given away at a glittering function organised under the banner of Barcelona Chamber of Commerce jointly with the Chamber of Commerce of Manhattan (New York) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI Ladies Organization) supported by the U.S. Department of State held at Lima, Peru.

Ms. Mohanasundari, Managing Director of Sharp Electrodes, said that she was on cloud nine after coming to know that she was selected for the coveted global award which enthused her to climb the ladder further to reach to the top. “Dedication and determination definitely paid off rich dividends as I had to face all odds to reach this level,” she said adding that her staff were her source of strength for the highest honour bestowed on her.

Looking at the rough road she travelled, she said that all was fine for her till her late husband Jaganathan was taking care of the company and she was teaching at Salem Sarada College and Coimbatore Institute of Technology (CIT). However, it was her husband who motivated her to learn the nuances of business, even while she was teaching.

She gave all credit to her husband Jaganathan for his outstanding skill in developing Sharp brand little master mini monobloc pumps and Sharp brand welding electrodes. He had carved a niche for himself in his chosen domain and taken the company to great heights through his untiring efforts to make it a numero uno company.

After taking over the business as an entrepreneur, Ms. Mohanasundari turned her factory into a women-centric work place. From operating the lathes to manning the CNC (Computerised numerical control) machines, and from quality checks to packaging, her all-women workforce is adept at all levels as far as factory operations are concerned.

She has been following the principles and value systems of her husband Jaganathan in running the business effectively and also as a corporate social responsibility.

Ms. Mohanasundari said she received the award from IWEC chairperson and former Ambassador Ruth A. Davis in the presence of Barcelona Chamber of Commerce president Miguel Vallas at the award presentation function.