Saachi Mehta

From Analyst to Vice President: How Saachi took ownership of her growth

Starting strong in a new field

Saachi joined Third Bridge as an Analyst in the Client Services team straight out of university. With a background in marketing, the appeal of the role was guaranteed client interaction. “I knew I wanted something client-facing,” she explains. “This job ensured that I was always in front of people across a variety of industries and business models who I could learn from. That was very exciting to me.”

The Mumbai office was just 10 people at the time, and the early days weren’t without challenges. “It was tough because we were still building our presence in India,” Saachi recalls. “But I loved coming into work because the people were great. Eventually, they didn’t seem like colleagues. They were more like friends and I could speak to them about anything.”

That support extended beyond work hours. “In 2017, Mumbai flooded. The water was up to your waist in some parts of the city, and a group of us got stuck in the office overnight. Our Head of India walked over with food, blankets, and pillows. That’s the type of culture we have here, and that showed me that I had made the right decision. You won’t get that anywhere else.”

Owning growth and opportunity

A year in, Saachi was promoted to Project Manager. “I was a slow starter, often people move to Project Manager within 5 months. I needed to take the time to understand our clients and their needs. After that, everything moved much faster – I got my second and third promotion within a year.”

After finding her feet quickly as a Project Manager, Saachi was ready for a more strategic role. With no vacancies in India at the time, she took matters into her own hands and put a business case together. That landed her a secondment in the Account Management team that would set the course for the next several years of her career. “My managers provided me with a safe space where I knew, if I wanted something, I could speak up,” Saachi explains. “I thought ‘if I ace this, then maybe I can make it a permanent shift.’ I was given that opportunity three months later.”

Saachi was given full responsibility for all Indian accounts. “It was a steep learning curve because I was moving away from something I could do in my sleep to something outside of my comfort zone with a lot of people relying on me to deliver. But my manager said, ‘We trust you, you can do it.’ And so I did.” Over time, Saachi built out the commercial team in India and continued to advance, thriving in a leadership role.

Everyone at Third Bridge is here for growth. And no one grows at the expense of others. We’re all growing together.

Saachi Mehta, VP, Private Equity, India

Managing with trust and transparency

By 2023, she had returned to lead Client Services for India. Today, she runs the Private Equity function for Pan-Asia, managing over 50 people spread across multiple time zones and finding meaning in their success. “Seeing my team grow quickly and being able to give them the opportunities I was given – that’s what gives me fulfillment and joy.”

Leading global teams isn’t without its challenges, but Saachi’s approach is grounded in openness. “We’re very honest and transparent with each other,” she says. “If I make a mistake, I say it. That creates a safe space for others to do the same. It builds accountability and trust.”

She’s also intentional about staying connected to people, not just performance. Saachi makes a point of keeping 1:1 catch ups with her team relaxed and informal. “We have enough formal meetings about projects and we speak about numbers all day. I want to get to know my team on a personal level and give them a safe space to talk about their goals and what’s happening in their life. That emotional support matters, especially in a demanding job.”

A culture of collective growth

For Saachi, the culture at Third Bridge has been central to her long tenure. “It’s one where everyone’s there to support you however you want to grow,” she says. That support comes from every direction – not just from managers, but from peers and even more junior colleagues. “Everyone at Third Bridge is here for growth,” she adds. “And I’ve not seen one instance where someone has said, ‘I want to grow and that’s why you can’t.’ It’s never that. It’s always, ‘We’re all going to grow together.’”

Even after nearly a decade, Saachi is still growing and learning. “Now that I oversee Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and Australia, I’m discovering how clients operate in those markets. I’m understanding the cultural nuances of different industries in regions I haven’t had access to before. I still get a big adrenaline rush when I get on a client call.”

Life outside the office

Outside of work, Saachi describes herself as a homebody who values time with loved ones. “I enjoy spending time with my family and my friends,” she says. Weekends are often reserved for movies with her husband – “even if they're the worst movies out there” – or lively board game nights with friends. “We're all a group of super competitive people,” she laughs.

A lifelong cricket fan, she also tries to catch matches whenever she can, keeping close tabs on both the Indian national team and the IPL.

Advice for graduates

To any graduate considering a role at Third Bridge, Saachi says: “Be open to feedback. Be open to learning experiences, and then you'll get the growth that you wanted when you applied to work here.”

She also swears by a piece of advice she was given by a manager in her early days as an Analyst. “Smile when you’re on a call. Even if you’re having a bad day, the tone of your voice changes and you pass on that positive vibe.”

For Saachi, growth has never meant going it alone. From asking for a new role, to managing global teams, to mentoring future leaders, every step of the journey has been powered by support, trust, and a culture that believes in lifting people up.

And that’s why she’s stayed.

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