The Minds Behind Career Ahead

Akshay Kulkarni is a hospitality and education professional with over 25 years of experience. He has worked across continents in hospitality-linked businesses ranging from education to operations, consulting, and technology. He also brings a strong entrepreneurial mindset, having spent the last 15+ years helping organizations build new businesses and develop new markets. He is currently pursuing a PhD and spends his time consulting, teaching, and mentoring.

DJ Amit B has had a successful career spanning decades, performing at many high-profile events and venues. Based in New Delhi, he started his career in the late nineties, playing at Djinns at the Hyatt Delhi, Tapas at Hotel Vasant Continental; and at Mirage at Hotel Crown Plaza, Capitol at The Ashoka, and Hype at Hotel Shangri-La as a Resident DJ. He is also a composer, and his music is available on leading digital platforms.

Amit Malik is a sports and physical literacy professional who works on the advocacy, education, training and on-ground implementation of various projects related to Sports and Physical Literacy with support/coordination from government and non-government bodies. He is the Head of Sports Social Impact Initiatives at Abhinav Bindra Foundation and an ambassador of the International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA). Amit is a member of the committee on National Sports Education Board constituted by the Ministry of Sports in India, and he has been part of Pullela Gopichand’s core team since 2016. Before venturing into sports, Amit was an Associate Director at Grant Thornton India. He has a Doctoral Fellowship in Management from Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon and a Bachelor’s degree in technology in Computer Science from NIT, Kurukshetra.

Anjay Thakur holds a commercial pilot license from USA and is an Airbus A 320 type rated pilot. He was always passionate about photography and gradually his hobby became a full-time profession. He has worked as a fashion and advertising photographer, and has also shot publicity pictures for Bollywood movies. His professional expeditions also led him into the genre of landscape photography.

Ankur Budhiraja is presently associated with Jagannath Institute of Management Studies (JIMS), Greater Noida, as a full time management faculty. He has been teaching for 14 years and is a passionate teacher who loves creating magic in his classroom sessions.

A photographer, documentary maker and writer, Ankur Khurana is passionate about conservation and seeks to capture the wild side of our planet through his visuals. He is an accomplished writer and editor and regularly takes on assignments for the United Nations organization UNESCO MGIEP. On a personal note, Ankur is an ardent fitness enthusiast, loves spending time with his son and is passionate about music.

An engineer by profession, Anmol Garg is passionate about entrepreneurship and is the of Founder of Sales5X, a company that equips entrepreneurs and sales executives with 21st century selling skills. He specializes in business comedy and performs at corporate events; he is also the creator of several comedy shows with a dedicated fan following.

Anshul Saigal heads the Portfolio Management Services (PMS) business at Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company. He has over 20 years of experience in the Indian Capital Markets, of which he has spent over 14 years at Kotak PMS. In the past, he has worked with organizations like JP Morgan, ICICI Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, analyzing equities and corporate credit. Anshul completed his MBA (Finance) from Management Development Institute, Gurgaon and has a degree in Industrial Engineering from Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur. He is a voracious reader and constantly tries to upgrade his skill sets and instil multi-disciplinary thinking to the investment process. He has particular interest in the field of behavioural finance.

Anvita Zutshi is an experienced language teacher, author, TEDx Youth organizer, teacher-trainer, and above all, a passionate educationist. Anvita began her professional life as a classroom teacher in one of the highly reputed schools in India. Her fascination with how students construct their understanding and her interest in the way questions and big ideas could drive curriculum led to an exploration of integrative and inquiry-based methodologies. This passion has become a career-long focus for teaching and writing. The methodologies in which Anvita specializes are now central to curriculum framework and assessment strategies, including the International Baccalaureate. Having facilitated many workshops for young teachers, enabling them to develop curriculum and programs effectively, and improve their teaching and pedagogical practices, she believes that continued involvement in classroom teaching is critical to further success and understanding; and her personal approach is refreshingly practical, inclusive and always connected to the real work of teaching.

A Kathak guru, entrepreneur, social activist and wellbeing and conscience coach, Aparna Mishra is a woman of many talents. At the age of 13 she laid the foundation of Kala Saadhana Academy, today known as the Kala Saadhana Art & Wellbeing Centre. Revenues from the centre are directed towards the Shivaakriti Foundation, founded by Aparna for social upliftment of the underprivileged. Her unique training program ‘Conscience and Wellbeing’ has changed the lives of many with its focus on the promotion of ‘Wholesome Wellbeing' – aligning the mind, body and conscience of the individual.

Arvinder Gujral has a career spanning over two decades across India, Silicon Valley and Singapore. From humble beginnings in Calcutta, his life and career have taken him to numerous cities and countries around the world where he has worked with companies large and small, global and local. He has won many accolades over the years – from award-winning marketing campaigns to being the top sales head globally. Arvinder helped usher in the Internet Revolution in India via 3G and had a ringside view of the growth of social media in Asia. His last position was as Managing Director of South-East Asia for Twitter, where he turned around a struggling business – delivering 600% growth in four years. Always re-inventing and never still, the only thing that exceeds his infectious energy is his always-on curiosity. A voracious reader, consumer of information and advocate for 'continuous learning', Arvinder is an award-winning podcaster and speaks at events around the world.

Environmentalist and green-hospitality crusader Ashwani Khurana is the Chief Executive of Karma Lakelands – a green and serene destination in Gurugram, Haryana. The eco-responsible development comprising luxury residencies, Klub Karma, The Grand Ball Room, indoor and outdoor spaces supported by multiple F&B outlets and the golf course is ideal for corporate retreats, conferences, golf tournaments, getaways, private parties, destination weddings and romantic sojourns. Years after its inception, Karma Lakelands continues to stay true to its core principles and values – Rest. Relaxation. Responsibility. www.karmalakelands.com

Aysha Iqbal is the Director of Wizz Media, a media and communications consulting and coaching business. She works with businesses, corporations and educational institutions showing them how to enhance their communication skills and how to connect and engage with the media effectively. Prior to Wizz Media, she was a news anchor for BBC Spotlight.

Bhawna Gulati is currently Joint Director (Law) in the Anti-Trust Division of the Competition Commission of India. She is a lawyer with master’s degrees in both law and economics. She holds a Dual LL.M degree, first from NYU School of Law in the US second from NUS Faculty of Law, Singapore. She also holds a master’s degree in economics from Kings College London. Post LL.M, she joined Jindal Global Law School, India, in August 2010. She has been working with Competition Commission of India since 2012. Ms. Gulati has vast international exposure, including her master’s degrees from reputed schools in Asia, UK, and US, besides having hands-on experience in international competition cases during secondment to DG Competition, Europe.

Bubbles Sabharwal is a published author, director, playwright, columnist, and businesswoman. She is co-director of two theatre groups Kidsworld, for children, and Theatreworld, for adults. She has published the novel ‘Tomorrow’s Promise’ and book of children’s adventure stories ‘The Curse of the Broken Step’ and ‘Nizam’s Jewels’, which she co-authored. Bubbles has also acted in the movies ‘No One Killed Jessica’ and ‘Veere di Wedding’, as well as in the play she wrote for stage, ‘Women in Black’. She has been awarded by the ICUNR for her contribution to the world of art and culture.

Chiranjeet Rege is CEO of SILICA Institute and has been with the organization for 10 years in an entrepreneurial role. He specializes in aptitude test and career guidance, coaching for NID, NIFT, and Architecture (NATA / CAT / JEE), as well as online strategies and marketing using Google Ads, SEO, and social media. Prior to joining SILICA, Chiranjeet worked with Deloitte LLP London, KPMG Mumbai, and KPMG London. He aims to deliver exceptional quality education and guidance to SILICA students by building teams, systems and technology which will consistently deliver the SILICA promise of exceptional quality.

Mr. Daniel Sheratte is the International Recruitment and Engagement Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). He has twenty-eight years’ experience in international hospitality, leisure and tourism industries; successfully leading teams in continental Europe, Africa and the UK. With a wealth of international cultural experience, having lived and worked in nine countries within four continents; he is truly a global citizen.

Deepak Zutshi is centre head for Select CITYWALK mall. Prior to this, he was Vice President for Leasing and Retail. With over two decades of experience in the retail industry behind him, Deepak is passionate about creating the perfect shopping experience for customers and retailers and keeping Select CITYWALK ahead of the competition.

The definition of a truly global business leader, Mr. Dejan Stancer is Chairman of the Global Chamber of Business Leaders (GCBL) and Founder and current President of the Kazakh-Slovenian Business Club (KSBC), one of the largest business clubs in Central and Southeastern Europe. He is a licensed lobbyist as well as a recognized International Advisor. Through KSBC, Mr. Stancer facilitated strategic partnerships between countries, governments, and businesses. With decades of experience in international business and a rich entrepreneurial background, Mr. Stancer is a popular keynote speaker and has been honored several times for his role as a leader in international business.

Dharma P. Naik has almost 20 years of professional experience in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Admissions, Non-Profits, Leadership Trainings and International Education in the US, Europe and South Asia. She currently oversees the strategy, training and growth of the US destination in South Asia for IDP Education India, Pvt Ltd. Dharma has a Master’s degree in Counselling and Personnel Services and a Graduate Certificate in Leadership Management from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA. She has worked at esteemed institutions like American University, University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Pennsylvania. IDP Education is a proud co-owner of IELTS and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Dikshu C. Kukreja is the Managing Principal Architect of C. P. Kukreja Architects (CPKA). He received his B. Arch Honors as a Gold Medalist from School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi. He attended the prestigious Taliesin Fellowship at Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, USA and received his master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Harvard University. He has worked in India, France and the USA and has lectured and taught at institutions in India and abroad. His firm CPKA has been consecutively ranked amongst the top 100 Architecture firms in the world and the top 5 in Asia.

Diya is Director – Talent with a multinational financial services organization and is based in New Delhi, India. She has over 18 years of HR experience in business partnering, learning and talent development. She is passionate about leadership and management development, life-long learning, and keeping inclusion and diversity at the heart of all development. She is a certified organizational coach, continually working towards her goal of further developing her coaching skills in the next couple of years.

Dr. Suryasnata Das attained her MD, DNB Microbiology and proceeded to work in various capacities in Seth GS Medical College; Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai; Quest Diagnostics, Gurgaon; and Jaypee Hospital, Noida. She has over 15 years of experience in Laboratory Medicine, especially Microbiology. She is presently working as Lab Co-ordinator and Associate Director of Lab Medicine at Jaypee Hospital, Noida, and has been published many times in peer-reviewed journals.

(Hony) Brig Dr Arvind Lal, Executive Chairman of Dr Lal PathLabs, is credited with modernizing Indian medical diagnostics and bringing laboratory services in India at par with the western world. He also led Dr Lal PathLabs to the first Private Public Partnership in the field of laboratory testing in India. In 2009, Dr Lal was conferred with the Padma Shree award for his contributions to the field of medicine. Dr Lal is also the first civilian doctor to be granted an honorary Brigadier’s rank in the Armed Forces Medical Services by the President of India. He is the recipient of All India Management Association (AIMA) ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award 2016, FICCI ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ 2017, and EY ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award in Healthcare 2019, amongst several other awards and recognitions. He has authored a book 'Corporate Yogi: My Journey as a Spiritual Seeker and An Accidental Entrepreneur’.

Dr Cdr Kartikay Saini is the Chairman of Scottish High International School, Gurgaon. Dr Saini is an ex-commander of the Indian Navy, and spent 15 years serving the nation before turning to the corporate world. He is also former-Chairman and current Board member of Special Olympics Bharat, an organization that mentors 1.4 million Indian athletes with disabilities. He is the first Indian to be appointed to the Board of Special Olympics International, which mentors special athletes in 177 countries across the world. Dr Saini is a pioneer of inclusivity in education and has been recognized and awarded numerous times for his contributions to education and special needs.

Dr Neeta Bali is a seasoned educator with over 38 years of experience in education in leading schools across India, and she is currently the Director-Principal of G D Goenka World School, Sohna, Haryana, India. An eloquent speaker and trainer, she is frequently invited to speak at various educational conferences all over the country. Her repertoire includes various curricula, ICSE and ISC, CBSE, IBO Accredited programmes – PYP and IB-DP, Cambridge accredited programmes – IGCSE and AS and A-Levels. She has worked intensively with the British Council as a BCSA (British Council School Ambassador) in promoting the spirit of international mindedness. Apart from this, Dr Bali has authored English Language books for Frank Educational Aids and a book of Essays for Madhuban. A trained Career Counsellor, her forte is English Language teaching, teaching of Psychology and Career, as well as Psychological Counselling.

Dr Ratna Raman is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Delhi. She writes articles, reviews and short stories for newspapers and magazines, and wrote the weekly column 'Mind Your Language' for the Chandigarh Tribune. Her PhD is on Doris Lessing. She also writes about food and travel on her blog, 'In the Midst of Life'. She contributed to Career Ahead's January 2021 issue.

Dr Swati Jindal Garg is an Advocate-on-Record practising in the Supreme Court of India, the Delhi High Court and Delhi's district courts and tribunals. She holds a doctorate in criminal law and serves as legal member on internal complaints committees of several private and government organisations. She has been a visiting lecturer at Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, and has written books on legal issues affecting women. She contributed to Career Ahead's October 2020 issue.

Dr Ekaterine Maisuradze is a physician by training who moved into business. She is CEO of the International Relations Centre, founder and chairperson of the Georgia and Asia-Africa Chamber of Commerce, and founder of the Union of Business Ladies, now Business and Professional Women Georgia. She works on women's empowerment and on promoting Georgia internationally. She contributed to Career Ahead's July 2021 issue.

Faisal Sajwani is an Emirati board member, executive and strategic adviser. He is a board member at the Private Office of Sheikh Saqer Bin Mohamed Al Qasimi and a founding partner of Fate Capital Management, an ESG-focused investment fund. He is also a mentor at the Dubai Business Women Council and sits on the advisory board of the Sustainability Action Society. He contributed to Career Ahead's April 2022 issue.

Gautam Garg is Senior Director and Chief Information Officer at PepsiCo India, where he leads the IT function across business units. He joined PepsiCo in 2000 and has worked across IT roles in India and international markets, with a focus on SAP ERP, IT infrastructure and sales automation. He is a chemical engineer from Bangalore University and holds an MBA (Systems) from IIT Delhi. He contributed to Career Ahead's April 2022 issue.

George Betz is International Director of Fine & Country, a real estate brand licensed to independent agents operating from about 350 offices in 18 countries. He has been elected President of the British Chapter of FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, three times. FIABCI holds special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. He contributed to Career Ahead's October 2020 issue.

Göran Engberg has worked in the knowledge industry for more than 30 years, on projects in over 20 countries. He has taught at universities in the US, Italy and Sweden. His specialities are strategic management, leadership development, process development and hybrid-organisational development. Through his organisation Growise, he provides online business coaching and training. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2022 issue.

Grant Polachek is the Chief Growth Officer at Atom.com, an AI‑native premium domain marketplace for startups and established businesses ready to secure a strong name, build a stronger brand, and move faster toward success.

Guneet Ohri is the founder principal of Suncity School, Gurugram, which was established in 2018. She has more than 30 years of experience in education and advocates for values-based learning and the socio-emotional well-being of children. Alongside running the school, she teaches geography and focuses on building 21st-century skills in her students. She contributed to Career Ahead's July 2020 issue.

Harry Singha is a speaker, speaker coach and mentor with more than 30 years of experience. He is President of Elite Transformations Global, a UK-based consultancy, and founder of the World Class Speakers Academy and the Harry Singha Foundation. In 2017 he was named Humanitarian of the Year by a peer group of global change makers. He contributed to Career Ahead's April 2021 issue.

Himmat Anand is the founder of Tree of Life Resorts & Hotels. After a career in the travel industry, he left the corporate world to build his own brand of experiential resorts. He also launched A Dog's Story, a range of getaways designed for pet owners and their pets. He contributed to Career Ahead's October 2020 issue.

Holly Hulse is a professional photographer based in North Carolina. She specialises in fashion photography and portraiture, and her work has received awards. In Career Ahead's October 2022 issue, she wrote about how she built her photography business and her approach to portrait work.

Indu Sabharwal Mehta is President, Special Projects at RSWM Ltd, part of the LNJ Bhilwara Group, where she works on client relationships, customer experience and brand development. She also manages operations and brand identity for the Jawahar Foundation in Rajasthan. She has worked with brands including Etihad Airways, DNATA and Unilever Arabia, and holds an MBA from the University of Leicester. She contributed to Career Ahead's January 2022 issue.

Jahnvi Sharma is a third-generation practicing advocate at the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India. She specializes in Intellectual Property Rights Law, Constitutional Law, Family Law, International Relations & Diplomacy, as well as Mediation & Conciliation. A trained mediator, she is adept at legal drafting, argumentation, and research. In addition to litigation, she provides legal advisory and consultancy services to various educational institutions and organizations. With a background in Political Science (Hons.) from Hindu College, Delhi University, Jahnvi is also an avid reader and an occasional poet. She is closely associated with TheVirtualLawyer, an Instagram initiative dedicated to enhancing virtual legal education through live sessions. The platform has conducted over 100 webinars and interactive discussions, making legal knowledge more accessible.

Joanne Brooks is the founder of Navig8 Circle and Her Transformation. With 30+ years of experience scaling, rebuilding, and mentoring businesses, she has launched 17 companies. A former banker turned strategic mentor, Joanne helps women shift from chaos to clarity using real systems and mindset tools. Joanne’s work empowers female founders to lead with structure, confidence, and calm.

Johannes Grassl is CEO of the Leaders' Integrity Foundation, a Swiss-based foundation that works to strengthen the integrity of leaders in business and politics. He is a consultant, public speaker and author of several books. For about 20 years he has worked with executives on leadership, self-management and career design. He contributed to Career Ahead's January 2022 issue.

Joy Garner has a 40-year career that includes international student recruitment, AIDS research and teaching science. She holds undergraduate degrees in biomedical sciences and science education and post-graduate degrees in management and education from universities in the North of England. At the time of writing she was with Twin Group, London, and a member of Women in Public Policy. She contributed to Career Ahead's January 2021 issue.

Jyoti Kumari is a Mumbai-based writer and editor who grew up in New Delhi. In a career of nearly two decades she has worked with NDTV, Condé Nast Traveller, Roli Books and Penguin Random House, and has written and directed award-winning ad films. At the time of writing, she headed content and product strategy at a wellness app. She contributed to Career Ahead's October 2021 issue.

Keith Krach is an American businessman and former US Under Secretary of State, a post he held from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as CEO of DocuSign and Ariba and as Chairman of Purdue University's Board of Trustees. He is chairman and co-founder of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2022 issue.

Kirti Tandon is the founder principal of St Xavier's High School, Greater Noida West, and has nearly two decades of teaching experience in Indian schools. She is also a writer, poet, editor and teacher trainer. She has helped create material for PISA online exams and has conducted capacity-building workshops for CBSE teachers across North India. She contributed to Career Ahead's July 2020 issue.

Kuldeep Singhania is an actor, model, and content creator with a wide fan base across several social media platforms. He is CEO of The - K - Factor Productions, which makes digital ads for brands worldwide. After starting his modelling career at the age of 18, he got his first break on television with Balaji Telefilms, following which he has been a part of multiple shows on Zee TV and channel V.

Larisa Miller is CEO of Phoenix Global, a Miami-based boutique consulting and investment firm. She began her career with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Governor of Pennsylvania's office of public policy, and later worked in Abu Dhabi as a business development manager and head of a non-profit foundation. She is a keynote speaker and has written for several Career Ahead issues between 2020 and 2024.

Lina Ashar is an educator and the founder of Kangaroo Kids and Billabong High. She began her career as a teacher and completed her higher education in Australia. In 1993 she opened a pre-school in Mumbai, which grew into a network of pre-schools and international schools across 29 Indian cities, as well as Dubai and the Maldives. She contributed to Career Ahead's January 2021 issue.

Lindsay Singleton is a social impact leader, media commentator and communicator based in Washington, DC. She works with Fortune 100 companies and non-profits to build collaboration across sectors, and her work has appeared in Fast Company, Fortune and Forbes. She contributed to Career Ahead's April 2022 issue.

Madhavi Latha Prathigudupu is a former national para-swimming champion and an Associate Vice President at a multinational company. She founded the Paralympic Swimming Association of Tamil Nadu and the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India, and started the 'Yes We Too Can' movement to encourage people with disabilities to take up sport. She is the author of the autobiography 'Swimming Against the Tide' and a TEDx speaker. She contributed to Career Ahead's January 2022 issue.

Malavika Kishore brings a wealth of knowledge and a nurturing spirit to her writing, drawing from her experience as a Librarian at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Kabirdham District, Chhattisgarh. Beyond her role in the library, she is a certified career and life coach, with professional affiliations including the Asia Pacific Career Development Association (APCDA), the National Career Service (NCS), and the Career Counselling Institute (CCI). Malavika's unique blend of educational guidance and life coaching expertise informs her compassionate and insightful contributions to the field of personal development.

Dr Meenakshi Pahuja is an Assistant Professor of Physical Education at Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, and a swimmer. She was a three-time national games champion and began marathon swimming in 2006, competing internationally. She advocates for greater support for Indian athletes, especially women. In 2018 she received the Nari Shakti Puraskar from President Ram Nath Kovind. She contributed to Career Ahead's October 2021 issue.

Mehar Sindhu Batra, a distinguished career coach and founder of MSB Vision, is passionately committed to guiding young professionals towards realizing their utmost potential. With an MBA from Imperial College London and a Chartered Accountancy background, Mehar's extensive experience includes personal coaching sessions and workshops for over 15,000 individuals. A celebrated TEDx and Josh Talks speaker, her insights have been featured across prominent platforms including TOI, BBC, and CNBC TV18, underscoring her significant impact in the realms of mentorship and professional development.

Mike Knowles is a designer and design educator who trained to teach 3D design at Southfields College, London. He worked with London designers before founding Mike Knowles and Associates in the mid-1980s. He later moved to India to develop job-creation and export projects, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2003, and became Emeritus Professor at Rishihood University's School of Creativity. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2020 issue.

Monica Khanna is a Delhi-based interior designer working on architectural and luxury interior projects. Her company advocates sustainable green design, and she has designed interiors for two luxury trains. She has written for interior design magazines, spoken at seminars on sustainable design and run workshops for interior architecture students. She contributed to Career Ahead's January 2021 issue.

Naresh Priyadarshi is CEO of the IIITD Innovation & Incubation Centre, promoted by IIIT Delhi. He has 28 years of corporate experience in strategy, management advisory, business development and start-ups, with roles at SAIL, AFF (Deloitte), Ernst & Young and American Express. He holds an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and mentors start-ups. He contributed to Career Ahead's April 2021 issue.

Ms. Nishtha Shukla Anand is a writer-entrepreneur with a deep interest in digital technology. She is Founder of Techthirsty.com, a platform that simplifies tech news and events, and has won Google Woman Entrepreneur of the Year for her umbrella enterprise Pen Pundit Media Services. She is also Director Communications and Trustee of Himachal-based Shoolini University.

Alumnus of Delhi University and Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, Nishu Malhotra is currently country Head for Impact Investing and Corporate Healthcare for IndusInd Bank. Nishu has over 17 years of experience in Corporate Banking in Foreign and Private Banks in India. While she specializes in Finance and Marketing, over the course of her career she has moved across various roles within Corporate Banking. In her free time, Nishu enjoys travelling and is an avid reader.

An ardent disciple of Yogacharya BKS Iyenger, renowned yoga guru Nivedita Joshi holds a Master’s degree in Microbiology. After facing challenging health issues at a very young age, and a re-birth of sorts through yoga, she decided to dedicate her life to yoga. Ms. Joshi is also a published poet and a lyricist. She has written and published ‘Yogikasparsh’ a one-of-its-kind yoga manual in braille, for which she was awarded the ‘First Ladies’ Award’. Delhi’s first accredited Iyenger yoga centre, Yogakshema, is one of the biggest and best equipped Iyenger yoga centres in the world.

Payal Jain is an Indian fashion designer with a career of nearly three decades. She graduated summa cum laude from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, California. Her label combines heritage fabrics and craftsmanship with modern design, and she has worked with artisans in Rajasthan, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar to revive traditional crafts. She is a board member of the Fashion Design Council of India. She contributed to Career Ahead's July 2022 issue.

Phillip Charlton has more than three decades of experience in education and training. For over ten years he was CEO of the Hospitality Training Association in Brisbane, Australia, a major skills-training provider for hotel managers and chefs in Queensland. He has been associated with Le Cordon Bleu, TAFE Australia and Navitas, and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Queensland. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2020 issue.

P K Mohankumar is a hospitality professional with about 45 years of experience in the industry. He is a former Chief Operating Officer of Taj Gateway Hotels and a former Managing Director of Ginger Hotels. His career has covered all four hotel segments, luxury, premium, mid-market and economy, with a strong focus on operations. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2020 issue.

Prenita Dutt is a Delhi-born, self-taught artist with a degree in psychology from the University of Delhi. She has exhibited across India, and her work is held by collectors around the world. For more than a decade she has worked as an art facilitator for adults with disabilities. She illustrated Ruskin Bond's book 'While the Birds Still Sing'. She contributed to Career Ahead's October 2020 issue.

Priti Rathi Gupta is the founder of LXME, a financial planning and education platform for women. At the time of writing, LXME had more than 75,000 women in its community. She is also Managing Director and a promoter of the Anand Rathi Group, which provides wealth management, investment banking, brokerage and other financial services. She contributed to Career Ahead's January 2022 issue.

Priya Menon Nair is an entrepreneur and educator who has co-founded companies in corporate training and education. She co-founded the Prahlad Kakkar School of Branding & Entrepreneurship (PKSBE) and the School of Branding & Advertising (SOBA), and has served as Program Director of the NMIMS School of Branding & Advertising. At the time of writing she was pursuing a PhD. She contributed to Career Ahead's January 2022 issue.

Puneet Dua was born in Delhi and studied at Modern School, Barakhamba, and Pearl Academy of Fashion. He is a certified branding professional from LDT Nagold and worked in fashion with brands including Salvatore Ferragamo and Arvind before moving into gaming. He has played poker since 2008. He wrote about professional gaming as a career for Career Ahead's July 2021 issue.

Raghav Sibal is Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand at Manhattan Associates, a supply chain software provider. He has almost two decades of experience in the supply chain industry worldwide. In Australia and New Zealand, Manhattan Associates works with retailers and logistics firms including Coles, Chemist Warehouse, Cotton On and DHL. He contributed to Career Ahead's October 2021 issue.

Rahul Guha is a career coach who previously spent more than two decades as a human resources leader in the corporate sector. Born in Kolkata to a family of educators, he holds post-graduate degrees in management and law. He runs the course 'Career Domination Mastery' and the 'WinCareer' community for professionals working towards their career goals. He contributed to Career Ahead's January 2022 issue.

Rajeev Sunu is a former Vice President and Head of International Business at Tata Projects. He has taught as visiting faculty at business schools in India, Thailand and Australia. Earlier in his career he worked with Trust Power New Zealand, Mitsubishi Motors, Vodafone Australia, France Telecom and Tata Teleservices. He contributed to Career Ahead's October 2021 issue.

Rajgopal Nidamboor, PhD, is a wellness physician, writer-editor, independent researcher, critic and columnist. His published work includes hundreds of newspaper, magazine and web articles, essays and columns on a wide range of subjects. He has also written eight books on natural health, two coffee-table books and a treatise on Indian philosophy. He contributed to Career Ahead's April 2022 issue.

Ranveer Singh Saini is an Indian golfer with special needs. He won gold at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles and silver at the 2019 World Games in Abu Dhabi, and has won multiple gold medals at the Asia Pacific Golf Masters in Macau. He contributed to Career Ahead's January 2021 issue and is also featured in the April 2026 issue.

Ravi Ranjan is co-founder of Velocity1 and has held leadership roles in entrepreneurship and innovation at Venture Catalysts and Techno India Group. He has more than ten years of experience working with start-ups, entrepreneurs and governments in India, and is a TEDx speaker and start-up mentor. He has trained more than 180,000 aspiring entrepreneurs and 10,000 faculty members. He contributed to Career Ahead's April 2022 issue.

Richard Jaimes is a foresighter, strategist and adviser with more than 20 years of professional and executive experience in transnational corporations. He has led teams, developed strategy and innovation, and advised senior management for international companies and associations. He has lectured at universities including Yale, Clermont Ferrand and IPAG, and is a founding partner of TurningPoint. He contributed to Career Ahead's October 2021 and October 2022 issues.

Rohit Malhotra is a hospitality professional who, at the time of writing in 2020, was CEO of Applebee's Neighbourhood Grill & Bar India and Gloria Jean's Coffee India. His career has focused on operations management, franchise operations and business development, and he has written franchise operations and training manuals. He contributed to Career Ahead's October 2020 issue.

Ron Johnson is an author, entrepreneur and wellness coach who helps people through major decisions and changes in relationships, careers, education, business and relocation. He holds an engineering degree, an MBA in human resource management, an MA in counselling from Waterloo, Canada, and a success-coaching certification from California. He co-hosts a podcast about new immigrants in Canada. He contributed to Career Ahead's April 2021 issue.

Ruby Chaudhary is an Assistant Professor at Pearl Fashion Academy, New Delhi. She also writes a blog on luxury fashion, beauty and lifestyle trends. She wrote about professional courses and career paths in make-up and beauty for Career Ahead's January 2021 issue.

Rusmel Muñoz is a change and transformation management specialist and a senior trainer and consultant at Impulse Consulting in Regensburg, Germany. He holds a master's degree in business coaching and change management and works in leadership development, organisational transformation and lean process improvement. He also runs his own consultancy, TurningPoint. He has contributed to Career Ahead's January 2022, October 2022 and January 2025 issues.

Sachin Pabreja is a hotelier and restaurateur with more than two decades of experience in food and beverage and hospitality. He is co-founder of EazyDiner, a restaurant table reservation platform, and an alumnus of Cornell University. Before EazyDiner, he worked at The Imperial, Grand Hyatt and Claridges in New Delhi. He contributed to Career Ahead's October 2020 issue.

Sameep Shastri works on youth leadership and governance and is a grandson of former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. He is associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is Chairman of the Indian Institute of Governance and Leadership, President of the Confederation of Young Leaders, and Vice Chairman of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He contributed to Career Ahead's January 2022 issue.

Samir Kuckreja is Founder and CEO of Tasanaya Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. From 2009 to 2019 he was a trustee and president of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). He has been a founding governing body member of the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council since 2014 and serves on the Board of Governors of The Doon School, his alma mater. He contributed to Career Ahead's January 2021 issue.

Samta Tahilianney is a senior IT executive with more than 17 years of experience, working on human resource automation for a large technology company. She has worked with technology and product clients on business transformation, change management and design thinking. She also coaches people on motivation and team performance and writes a blog on parenting and child psychology. She contributed to Career Ahead's April 2022 issue.

Sanjay Lakhotia is a senior management professional and the founder of Noble House Consulting - On-Demand Talent. He advocates for the gig economy and flexible working. Through his organisation, he helps freelancers find assignments and helps companies move towards a more flexible workforce model. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2021 issue.

Shalini Nambiar has more than 26 years of experience in education. She has worked with institutions including the VIBGYOR Group, G.D. Goenka Public School, The Heritage School (Gurgaon), Excelsior American School and GEMS Education, and has received awards for innovation in education. She provides leadership development and behavioural skills training for organisations, schools and individuals. She contributed to Career Ahead's October 2020 issue.

Shalini Passi is a Delhi-based art collector, artist and philanthropist. She sits on the advisory board of Khoj Studios and is a patron of the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Through the Shalini Passi Art Foundation she supports emerging artists and arts education, and she founded MASH, a digital platform on art, design and fashion. She contributed to Career Ahead's October 2020 issue.

Shankar Prakash is a faculty member in Operations Management, Quantitative Methods and Information Systems at IIM Udaipur. He has 20 years of work experience in IT service operations, digital operations, supply chain and service automation. He teaches digital technologies, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to MBA students, and researches machine learning and natural language processing. He contributed to Career Ahead's January 2022 issue.

Sharat Chandra Srivastava is an Indian classical violinist and composer of the Senia gharana. He was a member of the band Parikrama from 1992 to 2004 and formed and leads the band Mrigya. He has performed with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Sting, and directed the Strings of the World festival. He contributed to Career Ahead's April 2021 issue.

Shiv Kapur is an Indian professional golfer and Arjuna Award winner. He won individual gold for India at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan and turned professional in 2004. He won the Volvo Masters of Asia in his second season, has won four times on the Asian Tour and twice on the European Challenge Tour, and played in the 2014 US Open. He contributed to Career Ahead's October 2020 issue.

Sristhi Assudani is the Global Chief Executive Officer of Monterra Capital, overseeing the strategic direction of Finhub Group, Sonect Group Holding, and Apex Legal. With more than 20 years of leadership experience across fintech, blockchain, BFSI, infrastructure, and real estate, she has built and scaled global technology, payments, and banking businesses. Recognized as a Top APAC Voice by Thinkers360 and a Top 50 Global Blockchain Thought Leader, she also serves as Co-Chair of the IEEE APAC Blockchain Community. Her expertise spans payment infrastructure, embedded finance, regulatory compliance, investor relations, and corporate governance.

Stephen Page is an entrepreneur, investor and fund manager with nearly 40 years in the software industry. He founded and exited several software companies, including DataEase and Sapphire, Inc. In 2012 he founded SFC Capital, a UK seed investor that has backed more than 250 early-stage start-ups, where he leads company direction and investment strategy. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2020 and July 2021 issues.

Dr Sujata Khandai is Professor of Marketing, Deputy Dean of Academics and a director at Amity University, Noida. She holds an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, and a PhD from GGSIPU, New Delhi. She began in consumer durables sales and marketing before moving to academia, and co-authored 'Consumer Behaviour - In the Indian Context'. She contributed to Career Ahead's July 2021 issue.

Tara Malhotra is the founder of Nytarra, a New Delhi-based beauty and wellness brand. After working at Planman, the BBC and NDTV, she started her own skin and hair care range and later expanded into home and wellness products inspired by traditional practices. She wrote about her move from media into entrepreneurship for Career Ahead's October 2021 issue.

Thomas Fleming is Senior Vice President of Enterprise Delivery at Paysafe, where he specialises in scaled agility and heads the robotic process automation and cognitive function. He studied computer science and economics at the University of Manchester and began his career at BP IST. Before joining Paysafe in 2018, he led the enterprise PMO at Schroders. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2021 issue.

Trishla Malik is a corporate lawyer, a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and a founding partner and director of Amicus Legal Firm and Consultancy LLP. She serves on internal complaints committees for several organisations and works on women and child empowerment. She is also an international-level pistol shooter and a qualified emotional intelligence coach. She contributed to Career Ahead's April 2022 issue.

Udit Jain works in digital media, with about ten years of experience in reader revenue, product innovation, product marketing and analytics across more than six international markets. He was a founding member of central digital teams at media groups including Condé Nast, HT Media and Mediacorp. He holds more than 13 diplomas and certifications, including from Harvard Business School and Google. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2021 issue.

Vishaal Uppal is a former Indian Davis Cup player and captain of India's Fed Cup team. Under his captaincy, India qualified for the World Group Playoffs for the first time in March 2020. He won a bronze medal at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, is a former national champion and received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Puruskar, the Delhi Government's highest sporting honour. He contributed to Career Ahead's July 2020 issue.