Ms.  Shailaja Adhikary
Nepal

Founder and Managing Director, IEC Group of Companies (Comprising of 12 companies, Euro Kids Kathmandu, Euro School – Kathmandu, IEC College of Art and Fashion, IEC School of Art and Fashion and more)

Words she holds dear

One thing that I have always lived by is that solid convictions precede significant actions. One has to believe in oneself against all odds to achieve success in life, and nothing comes without effort, dedication, and perseverance.

Thoughts and words that are important in times of adversity or in everyday work

I am a firm believer that every day is an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve oneself. Every adversity, loss, or hardship brings with it its seed, its lesson on how to dust oneself up and get back in the saddle once again. One learns from one’s failures to move towards success, continuity towards growth, and develops the courage to face more complex challenges in life.

Message to the Next Generation of Women

I would strongly advise the next generation never to stop learning and continue to harness skills in areas of interest. One should be proactive, a self-starter, and a self-motivator, and never be afraid of taking risks. Challenges can be intimidating, but with conviction and self–belief, the toughest mountains can be moved, and the highest peaks of success can be climbed.

Profile

When fashion was unheard of in Nepal, and art was considered just a hobby or a secondary career, Shailaja Adhikary took to providing professional education in the field of fashion in a traditional country like Nepal. From those challenging times, when she took a large investment loan from a financial institution and several ridicule from people in the industry, she has risen like a phoenix in the world of education and academia.

Today, she heads several noted institutions that are considered premier education hubs across the country and range from kindergarten to post-graduation levels. She is the Managing Director at IEC Group of Institutions and Managing Director and Principal at Euro School, Kathmandu, and successfully runs three premier branches of Euro Kids, Nepal.

Shailaja Adhikary is one of the most successful entrepreneurial stories of Contemporary Nepal in the Education and Fashion Industry. After she graduated from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, in 1994 and a brief stint as a banker at the Grindlays Bank, her passion for a futuristic and progressive education sector in Nepal has led her to establish twelve prominent educational institutions in Nepal.

Her flair for intuitive business and a formal Master’s degree in Business administration, combined with her vision and zeal for creating a premier global educational empire that concentrates on providing bold, broad, holistic, and affordable education for all, has made her a name to reckon with in the fields of modern education and the fashion industry.

She is perhaps one of the first visionary change makers to introduce Fashion and Interior desin and International Primary education in Nepal. Her journey till date has been marked with extraordinary achievements and is evident in the success of all her institutes – IEC College of Art and Fashion, Euro Kids, and Euro School.

Achievements & Story

Achievements as an educational institution

Euro School began with a strength of mere 13 students in 2007 is now considered to be one of the top 10 trusted schools in the city. IEC School which was established in 1997 with 13 students today produces more than 800 Fashion and Interior graduates, every year. IEC College began with 21 students in the year 2009 and is today, considered to be one of the premier institutes to offer world class education in the world of Fashion and Design.

IEC College is a proud recipient of the INTERNATIONAL GOLD QUALITY AWARD (USA) for quality education; TQM in 2003 and now IEC College of Art & Fashion is the proud winner of the ASIAN TOP FASHION ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR, 2016 in FASHION ASIA AWARD, 2016 held in China & a recent winner of NEPAL BEST BRAND LEADERSHIP AWARD 2018.

IEC School and College has a network multiple study centers across Kathmandu valley with a fantastic faculty of working professionals and state-of-the-art technical facilities. IEC School has been offering the best of infrastructure and educational resources through its centers in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. More than 272 Fashion Labels & 121 Interior Design Studio are run by IECians in Nepal & abroad.

Individual Achievements

Ms. Adhikary’s extraordinary contributions have caused her to be lauded by various well-known organizations over a period of time. She was chosen as one of the Great Women of the 21st Century in 2006 by the American Biographical Institute, North Carolina, USA. She has been conferred with the Educational Excellence Award 2012, held at IIT – New Delhi, India. Her other noteworthy achievements include being on the panel of Judges for the coveted Miss Nepal 2011 as a revered fashionista.

She has also been conferred with

  • Global Woman Achiever at CMO Global and World Women Leadership Congress, 2022.
  • Best Women Entrepreneur at the NewBiz Conclave and Awards, 2013.
  • The National Award for Excellence in Education 2019 By PSCWA of INDIA
  • Rastriya Nari Saman 2075, Nepal
  • Rastriya Nari Saman 2074, Nepal
  • Rastriya Nagarik Sewa Saman 2071, Nepal

She holds the position of Executive Member at the Nepal Swiss Chamber of Commerce, is an active member of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), and holds membership in the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO).

She is pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration from Golden Gate University in California.

She has varied interests, apart from her passion for business, education, and fashion, and she is an active contributor to issues of social importance and believes in giving back to society in any manner she can. She reckons her biggest achievement is not hers but her students’ success.

She works closely with various local bodies and non-governmental organizations on matters of educational importance and developmental projects in areas of her expertise.

Link

As of April 11 , 2024