Home | Map Your Ascent

Change is not a detour - It is your Leadership Edge

Rachel Hutter
Head of Operations, Disney Studios

Ashwini’s purposeful career decisions and thoughtful reflections will help you map your personal path to fulfillment no matter where you are on your career journey. Map Your Ascent not only inspires you to your most courageous career but gives you a framework to remain aligned to your personal goals and motivations.

Testimonials

Ghassan Kridli
Interim Provost, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Ashwini masterfully weaves her life experiences with clear and practical frameworks, to offer a powerful guide for navigating uncertainty with clarity and purpose. Grounded and deeply practical, this book provides valuable guidance for professionals and leaders striving to grow through change and make better decisions in moments that matter.

Cheryl Thompson
Founder, CEO, CADIA

In Map Your Ascent, Ashwini Balasubramanian shares hard-won wisdom on leading with intention. Through her 3P Framework (Personality, Perspective, and Presence), she offers a rare look at the grit required to navigate global career pivots while remaining rooted in one's values. What sets this book apart is its Leadership Toolkit - practical systems like the '4 Ws and 1 H' and her Opportunity Filter that turn ambiguity into disciplined, purposeful action. This is an essential guide for any professional seeking to lead with both strategic clarity and a full heart.

Stephanie May
Director, Women Automotive Network

“I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Ashwini in action—on stage at WAN’s Detroit Summit, in conversation when I interviewed her at AutoTech, and through the ongoing collaboration between Women Automotive Network and AWAF. In every setting, she brings clarity, depth, and purpose to complex moments of change. Map Your Ascent reflects exactly who she is as a leader: grounded, insightful, and deeply practical, offering a thoughtful guide for navigating change with confidence and purpose.”

About the Author

Ashwini Balasubramanian

Ashwini Balasubramanian is a strategic leader and storyteller with a career spanning global roles in technology infusion, product innovation, and corporate strategy at Fortune 500 companies. With roots in engineering and a passion for purpose‑driven work, she has become a respected voice in sustainability and corporate governance, earning recognition as a Certified Sustainability Excellence Associate and speaking on ESG topics around the world.

Beyond her professional life, Ashwini is grounded by her family — her husband, Ravi, and their children, Rithi and Shiv. She finds joy in Indian film music, spontaneous dancing, and losing herself in a good book. Her journey blends ambition with authenticity, and she brings that same energy, curiosity, and heart to her writing. Map Your Ascent reflects her belief that leadership is as much about emotional intelligence as it is about vision.

Ashwini's LinkedIn