#302 Kiran Malviya - Respect, Rebellion, and the Queen of Hearts
In this powerful episode of the Dental Leaders Podcast, Prav sits down with Kiran Malviya, Vice President of Enterprise Solutions at Straumann Group EMEA.Kiran’s story is one of quiet defiance, cultural grace, and relentless ambition.From a traditional Indian upbringing in Nagpur to global leadership at Philips and now Vice President of Enterprise Solutions at Straumann Group EMEA, Kiran has walked a path few would dare to take.In this deeply personal episode of the Dental Leaders Podcast, Kiran shares how she navigated an arranged marriage, strict family expectations, and the joint family system - not by fighting back, but by playing the long game with dignity and respect, guided by the strong values instilled in her by her parents.We explore how she built a thriving dental practice, pursued a full-time MBA with a 7-year-old at home, and entered the corporate world with no prior experience - ultimately landing in high-impact leadership roles on the global stage.She opens up about love, motherhood, leadership, ambition, and the deep meaning behind her tattoos.A raw, thoughtful, and truly original conversation.In This Episode00:00:05 - Potential vs performance00:05:25 - Childhood in Nagpur, India00:08:25 - Traditional Indian upbringing and gender roles00:11:05 - Early rebellion and feminist poetry00:16:20 - Arranged marriage system in India00:18:55 - Reverse engineering her marriage proposal00:21:45 - Philosophy on love and marriage00:24:00 - Dental school admission in India00:27:20 - Joint family dynamics and restrictions on working00:33:15 - Strategic navigation of family expectations00:36:05 - Financial challenges and seven-year plan00:39:10 - Decision to pursue MBA00:42:30 - Meeting her mentor at Philips00:44:25 - MBA experience and personality transformation00:48:35 - Move to Delhi and Phillips career00:51:00 - Learning sales and finding her niche00:57:45 - Leadership philosophy and authenticity01:08:25 - Cultural differences between Philips and Straumann01:13:25 - Player learner culture at Straumann01:15:20 - Work-life balance and working patterns01:18:10 - Challenges of being a woman leader01:22:55 - Future career aspirations01:26:55 - Transition from Philips to Straumann01:28:10 - Advice to younger self01:28:35 - The tattoo stories01:32:50 - Current living arrangement with husband01:39:15 - Definition of success01:45:15 - Last days and legacy01:47:35 - Fantasy dinner partyAbout Kiran MalviyaKiran Malviya is Vice President of Enterprise Solutions at Straumann Group EMEA, where she is known for her decisive leadership, empathy, and ability to inspire cross-functional teams.She spent over a decade at Philips, leading across sales, marketing, and business development, with a strong focus on global key accounts and digital transformation.Originally trained as a dentist in India, she transitioned into the corporate world after earning her MBA from the Indian School of Business, and now leads with a powerful blend of strategy, heart, and authenticity.