BOARD OFDIRECTORS
Mr Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Essel Group of companies, is an educationist, philanthropist and a parliamentarian (Member of Rajya Sabha). Rightly referred as ‘The Father of Indian Television’, Mr Chandra’s pioneering vision has gifted India, not just its first private satellite television company but an entire industry in itself. ZEE now caters to over 1.3 billion viewers from 173 countries in more than 19 languages.
As the Chairman of Ekal Global, which works for the under-privileged children, especially in the tribal areas, he had enabled 86,000 schools in 22 Indian states and in Nepal, educating over 2.3Mn children and working towards rural development in many villages. Mr Chandra has been contributing towards society in association with various NGOs including TALEEM Foundation, Ekal Vidyalaya, Global Vipassana Foundation, Global Foundation for Civilisation Harmony and Subhash Chandra Foundation. For his contributions to the industry, Mr Chandra has been awarded the 2011 International Emmy Directorate Award at their 39th International Emmy Awards in New York. He became the first Indian ever to receive a Directorate Award recognizing excellence in television programming outside the United States.
A Chartered Accountant and MBA from the London Business School, Mr. Manish Chokhani is one of India’s most respected financial experts and investors. He was CEO of Enam Securities, and led its $400 million merger in 2011 with Axis Bank to create Axis Capital Ltd., which he led as MD & CEO until the end of 2013. From 2014 to 2016, he served as Chairman of TPG Growth in India and is a Senior Advisor to TPG Group, one of the world’s largest PE firms. He also serves on the Governing Board of Flame University. He is a Board Member of Livinguard AG, a healthcare technology company based in Switzerland. Mr. Chokhani is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. He has served as a member of SEBI’s Alternative Investment Promotion Advisory Committee and also as Co-Chairman of the Capital Markets Committee at the IMC. He has been a visiting faculty member at IIM-Kozhikode and has served on the International Alumni Board and scholarship panels of the London Business School.
Mr. Ashok Kurien is one of the founders of ZEEL. He has been in the business of building brands for over 35 years, particularly in the fields of media and communications and now menstrual hygiene and water filters (without electricity) for the poor and the marginalized. He has a keen eye for driving start-ups in emerging businesses and guiding them to size and scale. He is the founder and promoter of various business ventures including Ambience Advertising (sold to Publicis Groupe); Hanmer & Partners, one of India’s top-3 PR agencies; Livinguard Technologies (India), the world’s first self-disinfecting textiles; and a few other internet ventures. He is also a Director at Livinguard AG, Switzerland.
As MD and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., Mr Punit Goenka has been extremely successful in enhancing the company’s performance and in driving the company towards its set goals. His futuristic vision and sharp acumen in the new media domain, has led the company to a global stature today. Punit is also responsible for expanding the company’s international presence across 173 countries, and its reach to over 1.3 billion viewers.
Mr Punit Goenka is also listed amongst the top 100 CEOs of India, in a study published by Business Today. He was conferred the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Media’ award at the Managing India Awards hosted by AIMA & bagged the prestigious IAA Leadership Award under the category of “Media Person of the Year”. Punit has also been awarded the esteemed Medaille d’Honneur Award at MIPTV. He plays an active role in shaping the future of the M&E industry as the President of IAA India Chapter, Chairman of BARC India and Director on the Board of IBF.
Prof. Neharika Vohra, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, holds two post- graduate degrees. A first ranker in graduation and a post-graduate in psychology, she also holds a Ph.D in social psychology from the University of Manitoba, Canada. She has been the recipient of various awards and recognition in her professional field, including the ‘Best Teacher Award’ by the University of Manitoba, the ‘Young Psychologist Award’ by the International Union of Psychologists, the ‘Learning Luminary Award’ by OD Roundtable and the ‘Woman Achievers Award’ by FICCI Ladies Organization.
Mr. Subodh Kumar (IAS-Retd.) holds an M.Sc in Physics and several diplomas and management certificates from IIM-A, IIM-B, IIM-C, Harvard Business School, IDS Sussex, and IMF amongst other Ivy League institutions. Mr. Kumar has had one of the most illustrious careers in the Indian Administrative Service, spanning 35 years, heading various key government agencies with stellar integrity and transparency. He also served as Municipal Commissioner of Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
Prof. Sunil Sharma has earned a fellowship (Ph.D) in Business Policy from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Prof. Sharma’s specialization lies in strategic thinking under uncertainty, innovation management, and organizational capabilities. He teaches courses on strategic planning, implementation, consulting and professional service firms, and innovation at IIM-A. He was the Chairperson of IIM-A one-year program in Management from 2016-18. His most recent consulting assignments were with Competition Commission of India, BBNL, and a leading professional service firm on vision setting, organization structure, strategy implementation, business model, and partner governance.
Mr. Adesh Kumar Gupta is a Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary and AMP from Harvard. He has a rich experience of almost four decades in corporate strategy, M&A, business restructuring, fund raising, taxation etc. During his 35 years at Aditya Birla Group, he held various senior positions in companies with varied businesses (including the position of whole time Director & CFO). He was awarded the ‘Best CFO’ award by ICAI, IMA and Business Today. He helps corporates and business units to implement growth, turnaround or performance strategies. He is also an independent director in several listed companies which include Care Ratings Ltd., Vinati Organics Ltd., Essel Mutual Fund and some Aditya Birla Group companies. Presently Mr. Gupta is working as a qualified Insolvency professional and is a partner in DMKH Insolvency Resolutions Services LLP, an Insolvency Professional Entity registered with Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India.