Her Story
About Navi
Navi Sekhon is the Global Research Operations Leader at Intuit, where she oversees a team spanning the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Her team is building an AI-powered research ecosystem that makes customer insights more accessible, actionable, and scalable, helping employees become more customer obsessed. Their work rests on six pillars: Participant Management, Data Governance, Knowledge Management, Tools Management, Education & Training, and Advocacy.
Beyond her core role, she serves as Global Co-Chair of Intuit's South Asian Employee Resource Group, fostering representation and belonging in the workplace. With nearly two decades of experience, Sekhon's career path has been anything but conventional. Trained in hotel management at IHM Kolkata, she began in hospitality before moving into executive search and talent acquisition, including leading executive hiring for a global business process outsourcing firm. A pivot into research operations then brought together her understanding of people and her passion for turning customer knowledge into organizational action.
Her adaptability was shaped early, as she grew up in several countries because of her parents' work with the United Nations Development Program. Outside the corporate world, Sekhon is equally committed to community. After losing her father, she co-founded a senior community at her local Gurudwara, which has grown to roughly 150 members who come together for yoga, meditation, and social gatherings, with her mother now helping to lead it. She stays active through fitness and Zumba and is fascinated by Turkish culture and language.
Looking across the different chapters of her life, Sekhon sees a common thread that goes beyond hospitality, recruiting, technology, research, employee resource groups, or senior programs: people. Throughout her career, she has focused on understanding what people need and building something that helps, whether that means creating a better experience, finding the right leader, strengthening a research ecosystem, fostering a more connected workplace, or building community.
She leads with curiosity, builds with intention, and remains deeply focused on the customer both professionally and personally. After more than two decades of career twists and turns, she has come to believe that influence is not necessarily about the title someone holds, but about the people they bring along, the problems they choose to solve, and the communities they leave stronger than they found them.
Perhaps growing up in different countries taught her this perspective early: home is not always a place. Sometimes, home is something you help create. Looking ahead, Sekhon hopes to devote even more of her time and experience to giving back to society.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Navi
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to adaptability, curiosity, listening, authenticity, and staying clear about the problem I am trying to solve. Growing up in multiple countries taught me to adjust quickly to different cultures, environments, and perspectives. Professionally, I rely on the question "What am I solving for?" as my North Star, which keeps me focused on meaningful outcomes rather than activity for its own sake.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Rather than one individual mentor, my career has been shaped by the many people, cultures, workplaces, and communities I have encountered throughout my life. Growing up internationally required me to keep adapting and learning from people with different backgrounds and viewpoints. Those experiences have shaped the inclusive, people-centered approach to leadership that I bring to both my professional and community work today.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage women to begin by asking themselves, "What am I solving for?" That question has been the North Star of my leadership operating system, and it helps professionals stay focused on the impact they want to create. My additional advice is to listen to understand rather than to respond or fix, and to bring your whole self to work. When you give others permission to do the same, that is what authentic leadership is about, and I see authenticity as a genuine leadership strength.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is both a significant challenge and an extraordinary opportunity in research operations. Organizations now have access to enormous amounts of customer information, but having data does not mean people understand it or know how to act on it. My work focuses on closing that gap by using AI to synthesize research and make customer insights easier to access across the organization.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value authenticity, belonging, curiosity, empathy, service, family, and meaningful human connection. I believe strong leaders listen to understand rather than rushing to fix a situation. I also encourage people to bring their whole selves to work instead of separating their identities and experiences from their professional lives.
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