She makes success sound so easy. Musharaf Hai, chairperson and CEO, Unilever, Pakistan, is sassy, sexy and successful. As the first woman chairperson of Unilever, she is currently also the only woman in Pakistan to head a multinational company

Discipline, good behaviour and cultural values are the key to a good upbringing

My parents worked hard and made sure we three sisters went to the best of schools but never made any demands, never pushed us for anything. All my friends - male and female - came home and we were encouraged to be upfront about all we did. The important thing was I could be myself in front of my parents. At the same time, we respected their values and they, our space.

Parental support is so important
Since I come from a middle-class family, we found the expenses (of my studying abroad) daunting, but not impossible. It was my mother who saw to it that I got my education at the London School of Economics (LSE). My father was a bit worried about the expenses but Mom said, "As long as we can finance the first year, I'm sure she'll find ways to finance the rest."

Intellectual stimulation makes up for the lack of material comfort
LSE was vibrant, stimulating and so international. It was not just Pakistanis and Indians clinging together, but so many different nationalities. I worked summers and winters. I learnt to live on a shoestring budget. The first winter, I didn't have a coat but that was fine. It did not matter. All that mattered was that I was in this invigorating place and needed enough money to buy toothpaste for the next week. I was studying developmental economics, sociology and international relations. I was naïve and eager to learn. I don't think I was a smart person, but I had common sense. I became smarter much later - when I had to make choices.