HYDERABAD: The best way to understand Consul General Katherine Hadda is to listen to her chat up eight-year-old Deepti from Safrani Memorial School on a sunny morning. When Deepti asks her, “How can a young Indian girl like me help other kids,” she answers helpfully saying, “When I was your age, I was a girl scout and I sold biscuits to raise money for charities in the US. It is common for children there to organise activities to help other children. You can think of something like that too.”
Hadda, as she is known in Hyderabad, wanted to be a vet as a child, She loved cats and dogs and wanted to become a doctor who could help sick animals recover. But as she grew up, her fascination for other countries and people grew and she decided she wanted to be a diplomat. An avid reader who used to consume two books a day as a school student, her visits and stay across the globe including countries such as China, Taiwan, London, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Italy gave her a new perspective towards life. Hadda loves meeting people and she was instrumental in organising a get-together in the city on the day of the Presidential election in the US. She completed a year in Hyderabad and she shares her thoughts.
How does it feel looking back?
I took charge as the US Consul General in Hyderabad on October 18, 2016. Hyderabad has been a darling city. I have thoroughly enjoyed the dynamics it has presented to me. The city, its people, weather, food, vibes… everything has made my last one year here worthwhile. In fact, I haven’t faced Monday ‘morning blues’ even in a single week! That’s amazing, isn’t it!
Was Hyderabad always on your radar?
Hyderabad is definitely a coveted city for a diplomat. It is the first consulate in independent India and yes, it was a competitive post, with 21 more applying for this. Considering almost one in four people in the Telugu states has a family member in the US, this is an office that definitely has potential. I am happy to be the chosen one for the job.
What was your to-do list when you landed in Hyderabad. How many did you manage to tick off?
(Laughs) I did come with an ambitious list, I must say. There are about 130 US companies in Hyderabad and I wanted to visit their premises to understand how we could work together. I am afraid I have a long list to tick off. I have so far visited the Microsoft, Sales Force and other such companies here. I am hoping I will take a couple of more years to finish all in the list. Hopefully, before the completion of my tenure.
The GES summit is coming up shortly. How do you think Hyderabad will benefit out of it?
The event will put Hyderabad on the global map. The GES summit will be the beginning of many things. It is not a one-off event, but there will be a bunch of follow up events that will ensure the action and results are sustained. Women entrepreneurship is our focus. I am hoping that those here will find some global relevance at the summit. We are bringing in women investors, speakers, experts, entrepreneurs etc. We are going to have several of the sessions live streamed so that it reaches out instantly to more people.
So what all do you think you have managed to do this year?
I feel that among the important things the office does is to facilitate travel, take care of the American citizens here, facilitate exchange between the two countries, provide a platform to nurture entrepreneurship, help NGOs fight trafficking and do any other programmes and events that is relevant to both India and the US.
What is your Vision 2020 for Hyderabad vis-a-vis the US?
Among various other things, we plan to open our centre in Gachibowli by 2020/21. We should be able to process more visas, have better cultural partnerships and of course continue the work we are currently doing.
You are pretty active on social media, conducting video interviews of sporting stars from the city.
Yes, it was part of our efforts to celebrate the Indian woman and her achievements, especially in sports. I had interviewed Olympic champion PV Sindhu, tennis star Sania Mirza and mountaineer Poorna Malavath.
On the personal front, have you managed to get under the skin of Hyderabad, visit its sightseeing spots and savoured its food?
Yes, I did sample the famous biryani and the haleem. The others in my list are to check out some organic eateries in the city. I also love the local handlooms. I want to buy some soon.
Brief bio
Consul General Katherine B. Hadda assumed the post of US Consul General in Hyderabad on October 18, 2016. Hadda is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with 28 years of experience in policy positions in Asia, Europe, and Washington, DC. She recently served as Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the US Embassy in Rome, where she promoted bilateral and regional trade and investment, entrepreneurship, and improved cyber security. Prior to Rome, Hadda was an Associate Dean at the Foreign Service Institute, and was responsible for training State Department and other U.S. government officials in economic and regional studies as well as preparing them for assignments in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other conflict areas.
Her other assignments include Afghanistan, China, Taiwan, the U.K. and New Zealand, as well as in the State Department, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, and as a fellow in the U.S. Congress. Hadda speaks Mandarin Chinese and Italian. Originally from New York City, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Smith College, and her Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from Columbia University. Her husband, Michael Andrews, is an Information Technology consultant specialising in content strategy. When not overseas, the couple lives in Arlington, Virginia.