The financial services sector is a key sector in the economy that provides various services, including banking, insurance, investment management, and financial planning. It assists individuals and businesses in handling their finances, planning for the future, securing assets, and accumulating wealth. It comprises institutions such as banks, insurance firms, investment companies, and financial advisory businesses. With markets and regulations changing constantly, professionals must be well-informed, credible, and adept at handling risks and opportunities. Financial services also help in economic stability by enabling transactions, extending credit, and encouraging savings and investments for long-term development. It is a dynamic and fundamental sector globally. At the age of 73, Sandi Saksena is a powerful example that it is never too late to reinvent oneself and fulfil one’s dreams. As the proprietor of Sandi Rich Management Consultancies, she has created an impressive legacy, basing it on almost three decades of experience in the financial services industry. But Sandi’s story is far more than a professional success; it is a story of resilience, faith, courage, and transformation. From a life of comfort and homemaking to navigating the storm of financial crisis and personal loss, Sandi has emerged as a role model for self-belief and reinvention, inspiring countless individuals, especially women, to take charge of their destinies.

A Journey Ignited by Financial Ruin and Fueled by Unyielding Courage That Transformed the True Meaning of Starting Over at Forty-Four

Sandi Saksena’s life was the epitome of security and domestic happiness. Raised in a warm and nurturing environment, she graduated for university married and began her journey as a devoted wife and mother. Embracing her role as a full-time homemaker with passion, her life was marked by love, routine, and a comforting sense of stability. However, everything changed when the family relocated to Dubai. In a sudden twist of fate, Sandi found herself in a severe financial crisis, exacerbated after her husband collapsed from intense stress and fatigue and hospitalized Thrust into unfamiliar territory, she lived in constant fear of creditors showing up at her doorstep. All in an instant, her world crumbled. At age forty-four, with no resume, no work experience, and no professional qualifications, she was confronted with the unthinkable: Stepping into the workforce Repeatedly, rejected by recruiters who viewed her age and lack of qualifications as liabilities, she persisted. Then, via a straightforward classified ad, came the breakthrough. The position was commission-only, no salary Driven by faith and circumstance, she grasped the opportunity and became a financial consultant. That step, made with confidence and unwavering determination, laid the foundation for a remarkable journey. Sandi’s reinvention began not in a boardroom, but in a moment of survival and bravery. Her story is a testament to how even the most devastating chapters can ignite bold new beginnings when met with resilience and self confidence.

A Remarkable Triumph Over Deep-Rooted Prejudice and Life-Altering Illness, Achieved Through Relentless Persistence and a Profound Awakening to Her True Life Purpose

Sandi’s early days in the financial services industry were marked by resistance and cultural scepticism As a woman entering the male-dominated financial sector in the Middle East during the 1990s, she faced widespread doubt and discrimination. Her presence in boardrooms and client meetings was often questioned, her capabilities underestimated, and her voice ignored. But rather than retreat, Sandi chose to lean in. She accepted rejection as a step in the process, earning her credibility with each conversation, sale, and achievement. She stayed focused on listening and establishing rapport and gaining trust with clients, and that finally paid off!  She wasn’t just selling financial solutions; she was providing guidance, protection, and peace of mind. Her business quickly turned into a mission to teach and empower others to gain financial independence. As her career was taking off, another life-changing incident took place. In 2000, Sandi underwent surgery and faced a critical moment when she didn’t regain consciousness on the operating table, failing to respond to anesthesia after the procedure, a life-altering experience that left a lasting impact. The ordeal was an unexplainable shift, an awakening that couldn’t be articulated, but one that set her on an entirely different trajectory. She started focusing on herself development and well-being. She enrolled for professional certification, qualifying with the Chartered Insurance Institute and being certified by the Institute of Administrative Management. Such accomplishments represented something greater than qualifications; they were a forceful awakening.

Shattering Age-Related Stereotypes by Embracing Vitality, Unleashing Creativity, and Fueling Ambition Throughout Her Sixties and Seventies 

Sandi Saksena didn’t just conquer life’s challenges; she reinvented what it’s like to age with gusto, inquisitiveness, and drive. Having recreated herself professionally in her mid-forties, she went on to defy expectations well into what was considered the traditional retirement age. At sixty, she further extended her reach as a speaker, magazine editor, and podcast guest, drawing on her own experience to inspire others in midlife transitions. But she didn’t just stop at mental and emotional development. She also pushed her physical limits. At sixty-eight, she completed the sacred trek to Mount Kailash at 18,000 feet and went skydiving, a powerful example that attitude, belief, and courage can thrive at any age. Most impressively, perhaps, at seventy-one, she strutted down the catwalk as a fashion model, demonstrating that style and self-expression know no age. While her peers are slowing down, Sandi is gearing up. At age seventy-three, she started Sandi Rich Management Consultancies, a business that focuses on mentorship and empowerment. The decision shocked many, who perceived it as an unnecessary or foolish move. But for Sandi, it was a transformation. Her consultancy turned into a conduit to empower others, especially women, towards financial literacy and life transformation. Each chapter of her life has been more satisfying than the previous one, not due to riches or glory, but due to her unwillingness to be defined or bound by societal norms. By her own example, she has upended the definition of ageing and instead substituted a philosophy of continuous discovery, reinvention, and leadership.

Distinguished Awards and Honors Recognizing Outstanding Excellence, Dedicated Service, and Her Profound Impact on Advancing Women’s Empowerment

Throughout her motivational odyssey, Sandi Saksena has won recognitions that are as much a testament to her professional success as to the commanding influence she exercises as a change-maker and role model. Her professional accomplishments are highlighted by her intellectual dedication, achieving three certifications from the United Kingdom-based Chartered Insurance Institute and becoming an accomplished member of the Institute of Administrative Management. Her commitment to financial services and learning is reflected in the numerous awards, as she has repeatedly qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table Organization Membership and has garnered recognition for exemplary and consistent performance. Her influence extends well beyond the numbers.

She was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Berkeley Women’s Investment Forum for her decades of service educating and empowering women. She was awarded the Best Woman Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award just three years ago, a title that recognised her strength, ingenuity, and impact. The Dubai Women’s Run crowned her as the Most Inspiring Woman of Substance, and as the Woman of Substance Legends Award. These awards stand for so much more than plaques and titles. They are public endorsements of a woman who has shattered life-changing glass ceilings and built bridges in her wake. Her work as a member of the jury for outstanding women’s award schemes and testament to her ongoing drive to highlight excellence in others. Throughout all of this, Sandi is always looking to the legacy, not the trophies, evidence that real success is about lives touched.

Living with Deep Purpose and Strong Principles While Redefining What Success Truly Means in the Later, More Meaningful Years of Life

Through all stages of her life, Sandi Saksena has been grounded in her fundamental values. At the core of her philosophy is an unshakeable faith in herself, a faith that has seen her through tempests and into sunshine. All her choices are informed by purposefulness and inner determination to be true to herself. She doesn’t measure her success in terms of traditional markers such as money, titles, and fame. She measures it by peace of mind, health, happiness, and the ability to make informed choices beneficial to her, Sandi also puts a huge value on her surroundings. She believes that the people you surround yourself with can either encourage you towards growth or suppress your potential, and she has constructed her network on that premise. She does not see money as something to be feared or corrupt but as a form of energy exchange, representing not just material wealth, but also the flow of resources, opportunities, the potential for positive change. It’s an instrument that can be used to support one’s higher purpose-  social causes, to climate change. She respects times as sacred, knowing that how one allocates time is more often than not a better predictor of values than any résumé or any bank statement. There is no thought at seventy-three to retire. She continues to work, mentor, and build because her vision is filled with infinite possibilities.  Her goal is to leave behind not just a résumé of accomplishments but a legacy of purpose-driven action. Sandi’s life is a living example that success is not a destination but a series of intentional, values-aligned choices made over a lifetime.

Advice from Sandi Saksena: Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Achievers

From a truly inspiring life experience, Sandi Saksena provides ageless advice for anyone aiming to shift their own personal or professional lives. Her journey from homemaker to iconic businesswoman and mentor defies norms and demonstrates that reinvention is always an option. Sandi promotes aggressive self-belief, maintaining confidence as the basis of all success. She reminds us that age doesn’t matter when passion propels ambition and inspires starting right where we stand, without apology or delay. For Sandi, being successful starts with valuing time, creating a niche, and making tough decisions.  She speaks on prioritizing physical and mental health and stresses fiscal literacy as a non-negotiable path to freedom. Curiosity and love of lifelong learning, she states, are secrets to being relevant and motivated. Her strongest message: Own your life completely. Don’t ask for permission; create your stage. She puts it this way, “Don’t chase people. Don’t chase money. Be so good they can’t ignore you.” Sandi’s legacy is one of fearlessness, impact, and empowerment. She is a testament that setbacks are setups for comebacks, and the greatest chapters in life start when we decide to believe, rise, and lead.