Career Spotlight Interview: Nita Kohli

Tell us about yourself – your name, company, title, and responsibilities?

Nita Kohli, risk and resilience executive, CEO and co-founder of Kohli Advisors, former global head of enterprise resilience at Citi.

After spending almost 30 years within the financial industry and having the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented professionals, I took a risk and launched my own strategic advisory firm. Thus far, we have worked with clients in financial services and fintech organizations, guiding senior leadership through today’s dynamically evolving risk and resilience landscape. Our focus is on creating business value and enabling sustainable growth achieved by aligning risk management and operational resilience with enterprise strategy.

Our engagements range from conducting maturity assessments that inform strategic investment roadmaps, to designing and implementing enterprise-wide risk and resilience frameworks in alignment with an organization’s mission, values, and long-term objectives.

What do you like to do with your time outside of work?

First and foremost, my passion is traveling to explore different countries and experience different cultures. It’s something I have enjoyed from a young age. I have found it’s a great way to learn and develop broader perspectives. I also love to ski and cycle when I have the opportunity. In fact, I find I do most of my strategic thinking when I am out cycling as I am completely disconnected. Lastly, I have recently taken to painting, albeit with a movie playing on the side!

In addition to working with clients, I also spend time writing articles on the topics related to operational resilience, supply chain and data to drive some of the thought leadership across these domains within the industry.

I find these activities not only enrich my personal life but also enhance my personal resilience, providing me with fresh perspectives and renewed energy that I bring into my work.

How did you get into the business continuity industry?

My journey into operational resilience was somewhat serendipitous and did not follow a traditional path. My career has been shaped by taking risks and following invaluable guidance from mentors who exposed me to different opportunities. 

I started my career in London, training as a chartered accountant. From there, I transitioned into banking. I started within internal audit before becoming a financial controller for several years, which exposed me to management and financial reporting across various jurisdictions. I was fortunate my company offered me a role in the U.S. as an operations manager. In hindsight, this was a pivotal moment of professional growth. This turned out to be one of the most impactful roles early in my career as I was responsible for overseeing a complex transformation and day-to-day management responsibilities for the impacted organization. Being able to adapt and learn quickly helped me develop confidence that has been instrumental to my career progression. After a career break, I spent the next 15 years across leadership roles including audit, finance, risk and control, as well as leading multiple merger and integration efforts.  

Collectively, these roles provided me with the depth and breadth of knowledge across the bank, enabling me to understand processes from front to back and end to end, both within businesses and at the enterprise level. This knowledge allowed me to deeply understand the business drivers and associated risks, giving me a strong foundation for operational resilience. 

It was in 2016 when I first entered the world of operational resilience upon becoming a head of governance for resiliency at JP Morgan. A few years later, I went on to lead resilience and crisis management at Freddie Mac, then at Citibank. In hindsight, there are similarities between financial resilience, which I worked on early in my career, and operational resilience when we think about operational viability and long-term sustainability.  Personally, I believe this knowledge is crucial in understanding how both financial and operational resilience connect that in turn can be valuable in developing unified solutions and avoid duplicative efforts across an organization.

It was this passion for learning and simplifying complex challenge, especially as the landscape became increasingly intricate, that inspired me to write a book on operational resilience. My goal was to move beyond regulatory checklists and instead focus on the business value of resilience, promoting an outcome-driven approach that supports long-term growth and impact.

Tell us about some of the challenges you have encountered in your career?

As I progressed in my career, I saw fewer women or people with my background in this industry’s leadership roles. At times, it was challenging to bring my unique perspective and voice to the table. Over time, I developed confidence and fortitude which helped me overcome these challenges.

More generally, we all experience a lot of change during our careers that can be challenging to navigate, whether it be personal, professional, or organizational. I have learnt it’s important to distinguish those changes, that you have control and influence over versus those you do not.  Change can be challenging, however, I’m an eternal optimist and embrace change. 

Overall, each challenge I’ve faced has been a learning opportunity, teaching me valuable lessons about leadership, resilience, and taking accountability for failure, or when things don’t go to plan.

Have you had any mentors? Describe the effect they have had on your career.

Yes absolutely, I have had many mentors throughout my career that have provided me invaluable advice, feedback, and have helped me navigate significant career decisions. I think it’s important to recognize your mentors may change as your needs change. My mentors have been people I have a great deal of respect for and can learn from; I consider them as personal board of advisors.  

Importantly my mentors have also been helpful as I have taken on new roles and opportunities, helping navigate through some of the early challenges, critical when joining a new organization.

I am equally committed to mentoring the next generation, hoping to inspire and empower as I have been. Also, it’s worth differentiating between mentors and sponsors. You can seek out mentors, but you can’t seek out sponsors.  Sponsors are those who will advocate for you when you are not in the room and will support your career progression. That’s an important distinction I began to truly appreciate later into my career.

What are some lessons learned you still leverage today?

I’ve learned the power of listening—anchored by a simple yet profound piece of advice I was given: we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate that effective communication is not just about what we say, but how thoughtfully we listen. Whether analyzing complex information or presenting to a board of directors, I’ve realized that clarity, tone, and intention matter deeply—because words carry weight at every level. Many lessons I’ve learned are integral to my leadership approach today. They have inspired me to lead with purpose, listen intently, and embrace continuous learning as fundamental components of being an effective leader.

Each role in my career has provided me with valuable insight which has contributed to my leadership growth and development.  Every transition has been a moment for reflection—not just on what succeeded, but more importantly, on where things fell short. Those inflection points have been the greatest catalysts for growth, pushing me to lead beyond my comfort zone. It’s in those moments of discomfort that I’ve developed the most, and had the greatest impact.

What aspects of working in this industry would you like to see change or evolve?

As I have progressed in my career as a leader, it has been more apparent how siloed some of the organizations are.  This can stifle decision making and collaboration, in some cases resulting in duplicative efforts across the organization.  In the world of operational resilience, you need engagement across the organization from cyber to third party, integral to operational resilience.  It is important to me as I take on new roles to understand where roles are positioned within an organization, the level of support and investment that the function has and the tone from the top as that can determine success or failure.

One area I’d like to see evolve is the regulatory environment itself. While we’ve made real progress as an industry in advancing operational resilience, there’s still a significant challenge when it comes to navigating overlapping and, at times, conflicting requirements across jurisdictions. For global organizations, this often leads to competing priorities, inefficiencies, and increased compliance burdens.

I’m a strong advocate for regulatory harmonization and simplification—not to lessen oversight, but to create more consistent and aligned expectations. A coordinated, cross-jurisdictional approach would not only improve implementation but also allow firms to focus on building real, sustainable resilience rather than managing compliance in silos. It’s about shifting from check-the-box exercises to more outcome-driven strategies that truly strengthen the enterprise.

What types of formal training and certifications have you pursued, and what kinds of learning and networking opportunities are you seeking to continue your professional development?

I’m a firm believer in continuous learning—especially in a field that’s constantly evolving. Staying informed and connected isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential. I recently completed my corporate director certification (NACD.DC) and have also pursued courses to deepen my understanding of emerging technologies.

That said, I don’t view certifications as something to pursue just for the sake of it or just to tick a box. If you’ve already built deep expertise through experience, additional credentials may not always be necessary—unless they’re a requirement for a specific role. Some certifications demand a significant investment of time and cost, so it’s important to consider where and how you invest your energy, particularly if you’re pursuing them independently.

Equally important is the intentionality around networking and visibility. It’s easy to become immersed in the day-to-day and lose sight of the value that external engagement brings. For me, conferences have been a great way to connect with peers, gain fresh insights, and stay informed across the industry. Over the last few years, I’ve also pushed myself beyond my comfort zone—taking on more public speaking engagements. While the nerves never fully disappear, I’ve come to genuinely enjoy the opportunity to share ideas and engage with diverse audiences.

What gets you excited about your career?

What’s kept me energized throughout my career is the constant change, variety, and challenge—no two days are ever the same. I’ve genuinely enjoyed the intensity and evolution this industry has gone through over the past two decades with mergers activity, the financial crisis, Super Storm Sandy, pandemic, and much more. I’m drawn to roles that carry a certain level of complexity, ones that allow me to simplify the ambiguity, drive meaningful transformation, and deliver tangible results across the organization.

The fast-paced, ever-evolving environment we operate in keeps me engaged and reinforces my commitment to continuous learning. Looking ahead, as business models continue to shift, I’m excited about the new opportunities that will emerge, particularly in spaces where I can continue to grow, be challenged, and contribute in meaningful ways.

What advice would you give to those embarking on a career in this industry?

My advice to those starting out is to embrace every role as a learning opportunity. 

Over the years, I’ve learned that flexibility and a willingness to step into the unknown are essential to long-term growth. You need to be intentional and not afraid to take risks, even if you don’t follow a traditional path as I have done. You should periodically be checking to see how your career is aligning with your career goals, personal values, and where you are in your life outside of work. Also, be mindful of the amount of change you’re taking on with each opportunity—a new role, a different organization, or both.

Your career won’t be linear, and that’s okay. There will be moments of momentum and moments of pause.  At different stages in your career, you’ll need to balance ambition with personal priorities and assess your appetite for risk. Not every move needs to be upward. Lateral moves can be just as powerful, if they help you grow, build new skills, and expand your perspective. Sometimes, as I have personally found, lateral moves turn out be the most defining roles in your career.

Finally, and by no means least, having a level of intellectual curiosity helps you continually learn and keep engaged. My favorite quote sums it up nicely: “The only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing.” (Socrates).