Sarah Mathew began her career as a clerk at Procter and Gamble. Today, she is the CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Corp. Her story is an inspiration to all.

Sarah Mathew was born in 1956 and holds a Bachelor's degree in Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry from Women's Christian College, Madras, India. He also holds a Master's degree from the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants, India and an MBA from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.

After her marriage, she moved to America and was employed by Procter & Gamble. Her husband also works there. Mrs. Sarah Mathew recalled, "I was so naive, I didn't know the difference between an assistant and a manager. It was important to know what you wanted. When I accepted the job, it was clear to me that proctor was a place. If you were hired as a clerk you could retire as a clerk, proctors were promoted from within and I was fortunate to be ahead of my peers by two and a half years.

Sarah Mathew, currently D&B's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is also Chief Financial Officer. She was elected President of D&B USA in 2006. In the second half of 2006, she also took on additional responsibilities as International President. Ms. Matthew was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer in February 2007. On July 1, 2010 Ms. Mathew takes over as Chairman of D&B. Since January 2008, Ms. Matthew is a member of D&B's Board of Directors.

D&B was headed by MLA Mathew. The strategy focuses on total shareholder return ("TSR") and profitable revenue growth. It also has a disciplined approach to driving margin expansion and D&B's free cash flow. Ms. Matthew also helped develop and implement D&B's current international strategy. This leveraged partnerships to increase D&B's competitiveness through the creation of D&B's World Wide Network ("WWN").

Ms. Matthew is currently leading a transformation at D&B from a data driven company to becoming a digital company. She leverages technological advancements to help the company expand its market reach. D&B is currently setting up its core assets to increase its competitive advantage in the market.

Before joining D&B Ms. Matthew worked for Procter & Gamble for 18 years. She has held a variety of executive positions including Vice President of Finance Asia, CFO of Procter & Gamble's Global Baby Care Business Unit and various other positions in Finance, Brand Management and Finance. Ms. Matthew is also a member of the board of directors of The Campbell Soup Company.

Even though Mrs. Sarah Mathew holds the coveted position, she admits that she has made many mistakes in her life. These did not discourage her but helped her to grow professionally. An example is when she came to D&B, she decided that India would be her finance back-office. It was a huge mistake, she recalls. Half of the money was to be returned immediately, the rest after a year. She accepted her mistake and treated the initial dismissal with respect. You will learn more from mistakes than you will ever achieve success. Ms. Mathew believes that if one is honest about one's mistakes one can find a solution and solve the problem.

Ms. Mathew shares her secret mantra for motivating her team: Communicate. Be open and honest about how things are. Leaders must be able to keep their feet on the ground and inspire hope. We at D&B have high expectations for our employees and support those in need.

Ms. Mathew defines success in two dimensions. The first is personal development, which means finding inner strength and overcoming my perceived limitations. The second is to contribute to the success of others. She said, "There is nothing more satisfying than receiving letters from people who worked with me years ago, thanking me for helping them succeed later in life."

Ms. Sara Mathew is truly an inspiration to many women in Indian business. It is amazing to see how her career progressed from a clerk to a CEO. Her example shows that 100% dedication to work is possible.