BANKING bosses face a multitude of challenges in their roles, ranging from regulatory hurdles to technological disruptions, but CS Venkatakrishnan, group chief executive of Barclays, had the daunting prospect of battling cancer last year.

In March 2023, he announced that he has completed treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer affecting the lymph system, and was in remission.

“I am pleased to inform you that I have completed the treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma that I commenced last November. I am now in remission (no evidence of disease),” Venkatakrishnan told colleagues in a letter.

“Over the coming weeks, I plan to be working more from the office, and ultimately resuming travel.”

Coimbatore Sundararajan Venkatakrishnan, known inside the bank as Venkat, had previously said in November 2022 that doctors viewed his prognosis as “excellent” and that he would keep working when possible, while receiving treatment in New York.

“I am very grateful for the care I have received,” he added in his letter. “As always, I encourage you to pay close attention to your physical and mental wellbeing. If you or eligible members of your family have been diagnosed with cancer, please do make use of the support we provide to employees worldwide.”

The head of the British multinational bank, which employs 90,000 people worldwide, has since spoken about the lessons he learned during his treatment. “I am easing into the global CEO’s travel schedule,” Venkatakrishnan told the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit in May last year. “I’m taking fewer, but longer, trips.”

“As CEOs, we spend a lot of time thinking about our companies, their business prospects and the potential risks. We don’t think about ourselves as much,” he added. He revealed how the feedback to his decision to remain in the top post while undergoing treatment – questions like whether