Directors’ Institute – World Council of Directors Honours 10 Distinguished Alumni from Saïd Business School

There are moments in leadership that deserve to be paused for — not because of titles or positions, but because of the journeys behind them.

The Directors’ Institute – World Council of Directors proudly celebrates ten distinguished alumni from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, recognised through the International Corporate Directorship Programme. This recognition is not merely ceremonial. It represents readiness — the kind shaped by experience, sharpened by academic rigour, and strengthened by responsibility.

Each of these leaders carries with them more than credentials. They carry decades of decisions made carefully, teams led thoughtfully, and organisations strengthened quietly. Their stories reflect resilience, discipline, and a deep understanding that governance is not about control — it is about stewardship.

1. Dr R. Suresh Kumar Dr R. Suresh Kumar brings over 30 years of cross-industry leadership across FMCG, manufacturing, automotive, chemicals, power, and government-linked projects. Currently, he has ventured into entrepreneurship and founded his own business consultancy firm, “Shyena Business and HR Innovators.” He has led IPO readiness, M&A integration, digital HR transformation, and navigated complex labour and compliance environments. His depth in strategy, governance, labour law, and organisational design enables him to contribute informed oversight, risk awareness, and long-term value creation at the board level.

2. Ms Neelam Jehangir Shaikh

 Neelam Shaikh is a Certified Board Director with over a decade of professional experience spanning business structuring, governance coordination, financial literacy and oversight, ESG awareness, and purpose-led initiatives. She is a Partner at Globida Enterprises LLP and the Founder of Tisaani, a clarity-focused FMCG wellness brand. She also serves as the Founder and Chairperson of Nava Vida Foundation, a Section 8 not-for-profit organisation. Her work reflects a blend of entrepreneurship, broad commercial exposure, and stakeholder engagement, contributing to considered decision-making, cultural oversight, and long-term value creation in governance-oriented roles.

3. Mr Kishan Rao Puthli Kishan Rao Puthli holds 30+ years of experience in finance leadership across Global MNCs in manufacturing, construction, automotive, and financial services. Currently serving as Fractional CFO, he has led NBFC setup, regulatory compliance, ERP and GST transformations, M&A integration, and enterprise risk frameworks. His experience in navigating regulated environments, large capital programmes, and cross-border operations enables disciplined oversight of financial strategy, risk, and governance at the board table.

4. Mr Syed Tanvir Osama

 Syed Tanvir Osama has spent over three decades building and scaling businesses across consulting, technology, FMCG, and systems integration in the Middle East, Africa, India, and Europe. As Founder and Director of Connektions MEA LLC, he advises organisations on market entry, operating model design, and digital transformation. His experience establishing EMEA operations, navigating acquisitions, and working with ESG and AI governance frameworks informs balanced judgement on strategy, risk, and long-term enterprise direction in board discussions.

5. Mr Girish Gul Manik

 Girish Gul Manik has 22+ years of executive leadership experience across venture building, GCC operations, and technology-led businesses. Formerly CEO and Director at Blenheim Chalcot India, he scaled the organisation into a £20 Million+ with consistent double-digit growth while strengthening governance and cost discipline. This blend of P&L ownership, multi-venture oversight, and people-first leadership supports clear, enterprise-wide thinking at the board table.

6. Dr Kaveri Rangappa

 Dr Kaveri Rangappa has 20+ years of global leadership across pharma, biotech, and healthcare life sciences, combining clinical practice with regulatory and governance expertise. Currently serving as a Strategic Advisor, she works closely with boards and C-suites on clinical strategy, pharmacovigilance, and regulatory oversight across the US and India. Her experience spanning emergency medicine, global regulatory submissions, and data-driven innovation enables balanced judgement on risk, compliance, and responsible growth in board deliberations.

7. Mr Deepak Tanna

 Deepak Tanna brings over 27 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, spanning silicon architecture, SoC design, and large-scale technology delivery. He is a Senior Technology Leader at Intel India Private Limited, serving as a Principal Engineer and Soft IP Product Owner, with long-term leadership across multiple IP architectures, including ground-up definition and development of new IPs, and deep exposure to multi-core CPU programs. His work is characterised by a strong focus on technology definition, risk, scalability, and execution discipline, alongside mentoring global engineering teams across geographies. This combination of hands-on technical depth and systems-level thinking reflects a mature leadership approach aligned with strategic decision-making and governance-oriented perspectives on innovation and technology.

8. Mr G.N. Sharma

 G. N. Sharma has 22+ years of experience across operations, maintenance, and technical audit within India’s natural gas sector. Formerly, as Deputy General Manager – Technical Internal Audit at GAIL, he strengthened internal controls, compliance, and risk frameworks across large-scale energy operations. His background in pipeline systems, ESG-led emission reduction, and regulatory oversight enables practical judgement on safety, sustainability, and governance matters relevant to board-level oversight in energy and infrastructure organisations.

9. Mr Tirthankar Mitra

 With over 34 years career in the global ICT industry, Tirthankar Mitra has led organisations through multiple technology shifts—from early Networking and Open Source platforms to Cloud , AI and Cybersecurity . As a Chief Revenue Officer ( CRO ) for India , Middle East & other International Regulated Markets at Data Safeguard India; he drives Sales, Marketing, Business Development, and Strategic Partnerships. His track record of scaling large P&Ls, building global partnerships and managing enterprise risk in Data Privacy brings strong Commercial and Technology perspective to Board-level decisions.

10. Mr Umashankar V. 

Umashankar V. holds across 24+ years of experience in global technology leadership, and has steered large-scale engineering and operations programmes spanning cloud, AI and enterprise platforms. Currently serving as a Senior Engineering and Business Leader at NetApp, he aligns technology execution with business strategy, governance and innovation. His experience scaling global teams, overseeing multi-million-dollar portfolios and advising executive leadership strengthens board-level perspectives on risk, operational discipline and long-term technology investment.

11. Mr Hareesh Kumar Chandran

Hareesh Kumar Chandran brings 22+ years of hands-on leadership in quality assurance, cloud migration and enterprise risk management. Currently serving as QA Manager at Experian, he oversees modernization initiatives, testing governance and delivery assurance across global teams. His structured approach to risk, compliance and execution strengthens board-level evaluation of digital transformation and control frameworks.

A Closing Reflection

Leadership is often spoken about in terms of scale — bigger numbers, bigger teams, bigger impact. But when you look closely at the journeys of these ten leaders, something else stands out.

Consistency. Integrity. The courage to evolve.

Each of them has spent decades making decisions that affected people’s livelihoods, organisations’ futures, and industries in transition. They have navigated uncertainty, embraced change, and carried responsibility — not because it was easy, but because it was necessary.

This recognition is not just about where they studied. It is about who they have become.

It is about professionals who chose growth over comfort. Learning over complacency. Stewardship over authority.

And that is the real takeaway.

Great boards are not built by titles. They are built by individuals who understand that governance is service — service to shareholders, to employees, to communities, and to the future.

To these ten distinguished alumni: this honour reflects the trust you have earned over time. May your wisdom continue to guide institutions, inspire teams, and strengthen boardrooms around the world.

And to every reader who aspires to sit at the board table one day — remember this:

The journey begins long before the seat.

It begins with the choices you make every single day.

That is where real leadership is formed.