BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Mr. ROMESH SOBTI President
Mr Sobti is a career banker with over 46 years of work experience in all three sectors of banking in India – Public, MNCs such as Grindlays Bank plc, ABN AMRO Bank, N.V. Holland and Private viz. IndusInd Bank Ltd. He was the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of two Banks for 24 years. While always based in India, Mr Sobti’s geographical area of responsibilities in the Dutch Bank ABN AMRO extended to retail businesses in UAE, Singapore, Pakistan and Indonesia. Mr Sobti was adjudged the Banker of the Year for several years during his tenure as CEO of IndusInd Bank and was also conferred with “The Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017-18”. He is currently based in Dehradun.
Mr. JAYANT KRISHNAVice President
Mr. Jayant Krishna led key initiatives of the Prime Minister’s Skill India mission as CEO, Executive Director & COO of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). He became the first Indian to be appointed Group CEO of the UK India Business Council (UKIBC). As Founding CEO of the Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology (FAST India), he set up the organisation from the scratch. His career spans over three decades across industry, government, think tanks, and nonprofits. Most of his 22 years in the Tata group were in global leadership roles at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). As Executive Director (Public Policy), he headed research and policy at the Silicon Valley nonprofit WF. He is a Senior Fellow in US-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, and serves on various Boards. Mr. Krishna is also a reputed coach and mentor for organizations requiring a breakthrough in their performance. He is a Fellow of the Computer Society of India and the All India Management Association. He studied at the University of Leeds as a British Chevening Scholar, taught at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, and received an Honorary Doctorate and the APJ Abdul Kalam Award for Innovation in Governance. He has published many OpEds and is a frequent panellist on TV channels.
MS. ANJALI SAPRAMember
Ms Anjali Sapra is an accomplished artist and a former student of Welham Girls' School. Following her formal education, she embarked on a successful career as a professional artist, with her work featuring in Solo and Group Art Shows and Commissions on national and international platforms. Ms. Sapra served as the President of the Welham Girls' Alumni Association (WGAA) from 2015 to 2018. Her tenure brought transformative changes to the WGAA, including the attainment of FCRA certification for overseas contributions, streamlining registration processes for alumni as well as sale of Welham memorabilia, initiation of the "One for One" Program under WeCare in partnership with the NGO Aasraa and targeted fundraising campaigns.
MS. RASHMANI SINGH PURIMember
Ms. Rashmani Puri Singh is an alumna of Welham Girls' School, with a deep-seated passion for advancing universal education. Over the years, she has cultivated valuable connections with prestigious educational institutions in India, to benefit the underprivileged. Since her graduation from Welham Girls’ School, Ms. Singh has remained an ardent and engaged member of the Alumnae Association. She played a pivotal role as part of a select team that initiated the tradition of fundraising among the school’s alumnae, leaving a lasting mark on the association's philanthropic endeavours. Ms Singh helped set up Vahani foundation along with the Chairperson and was involved in overseeing its legal, regulatory, financial and accounting aspects. She has been the Managing Director of the Vahani Scholarship since 2015.
Dr. SANJEEV CHOPRA Member
Sanjeev Chopra is the curator of the Valley of Words : a pan India Literature and Arts festival based out of Dehradun. He is currently a Senior Fellow of Contemporary History at the Prime Ministers Memorial and Library and a Trustee of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial . He is also on the Academic Council of the National Centre for Good Governance and the National Institute of Disaster Management . His recent books include The Great Conciliator: Lal Bahadur Shastri and the Transformation of India, and We the People of the States of Bharat : the making and remaking of India's internal boundaries.
Ms SHAILA BRIJNATHMember
Ms Shaila Brijnath is a social activist and Founder & Chair at Aasraa Trust in Dehradun. She gave up a career in investment banking abroad and returned to India to follow her childhood dream of working with children from the economically weaker sections of society. Her passion for education led her to acquire a degree in Education and found Aasraa Trust with just 35 children under the Bindal Bridge in Dehradun. Today, the Aasraa Team educates over 9000 children spread over 65+ projects and working in partnership with the Education Department of Uttarakhand in Government Schools across the state.
Mrs. VASVI BHARAT RAMMember
Mrs. Vasvi Bharat Ram is the Joint Vice Chairperson of The Shri Ram Schools and a member of the governing body of Lady Shri Ram College, one of the first and most prestigious women’s college of India. She is also on the Boards of the SRF Foundation, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) India and SAVE the Children India, all of which work towards providing a better quality of life to the under privileged of our country. She is a member of various Education Forums including the FICCI Arise School Education Committee and the Forum of Progressive Schools. Vasvi was the National President of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) 2017-18, the women’s wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Dr. PRATIBHA JOLLY Member
Dr. Pratibha Jolly served as Principal of Miranda House, University of Delhi for 14 years, during which she established the D S Kothari Centre for Research and Innovation in Science Education. She has held leadership positions in the International Union for Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) and its International Commission on Physics Education (ICPE). Dr. Jolly served on the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet constituted by the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government and co-chaired the Education Thematic Group for the National Science Technology and Innovation Policy 2020. She is an elected Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) and Institute of Physics (IoP) UK. She is recipient of numerous awards, including the ICPE Medal 2019, Australian Leadership Award Fellowship, Fulbright New Century Scholar Award, and American Physical Society Fellowship. She currently serves on the Executive Council of NASI and various DST committees promoting science research, education outreach and women in science leading GATI (Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions).
PROF. RISHIKESHA KRISHNAN Member
Prof. Rishikesha Krishnan is a distinguished Professor of Strategy at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB). An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, Stanford University, and IIM Ahmedabad, he has served as Director of IIM Indore and IIM Bangalore, leading both institutions to new heights of academic excellence. Widely recognized for his work on the management of innovation, he held the Jamuna Raghavan Chair in Entrepreneurship (2007–2010) and the Ram Charan Chair in Innovation and Leadership (2022–2025). Listed among India’s most influential management thinkers in the Thinkers 50 India list, he has authored two books on systematic innovation. Prof. Krishnan also serves on the boards of Gujarat State Petronet Ltd., Wheels India Ltd., and the Higher Education Financing Agency, and has contributed to several Government of India committees, including those on data protection.
MR. AVIJIT MUKERJIMember
Mr. Avijit Mukerji, FCA, is a Chartered Accountant with an accomplished career, having previously served as a Partner at Price Waterhouse and held several senior leadership positions at PwC India, including roles on the India Board and Leadership Team. He is the Managing Partner at TatvaSutra Solutions LLP. Mr. Mukerji also sits on the boards of Bandhan Bank Limited, Balaji Telefilms Limited, DIC India Limited and Bandhan Financial Holdings Limited. Beyond his corporate responsibilities, he is actively engaged in community service and also serves as Vice President of The Bengal Club, Kolkata. Academically, he distinguished himself by securing national ranks in both the Intermediate (AIR 12) and Final (AIR 21) examinations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India before beginning his professional journey.