Meet The BiB Team
the balance of
respect with
commitment
Our team primarily of INSEAD alumni volunteers but now also inclusive of other alumni, come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have recently graduated, others have already had their 30-year anniversary. Some work in large organisations, others run start-ups. We come from a range of sectors banking, finance, technology, retail, HR and consultancies. What we all have in common: we believe in Balanced Businesses and a shared mission to generate impact!
The Board
Florence Hamilton
MBA’85J
Founder INSEAD Alumni Balance in Business
“As the founder of this initiative, my mission is to create a community of alumni where men and women come together with one common purpose – that of creating gender balanced businesses. It is a business as well as a social imperative
Entrepreneur with over 30 years in business. Started out post INSEAD with JP Morgan and had stints with Johnson Wax, Mars, Coopers and Lybrand and Caffe Nero. 15 years of entrepreneurial experience in the property management business. Recently, very active in the non-profit sector, latest venture UK INSEAD Alumni Balance in Business Initiative and Founder of INSEAD Alumni Impact Mentoring. Florence has also received the INSEAD Aumni Volunteer Leader Award 2020.
Entrepreneur with over 30 years in business. Started out post INSEAD with JP Morgan and had stints with Johnson Wax, Mars, Coopers and Lybrand and Caffe Nero. 15 years of entrepreneurial experience in the property management business. Recently, very active in the non-profit sector, latest venture UK INSEAD Alumni Balance in Business Initiative and Founder of INSEAD Alumni Impact Mentoring. Florence has also received the INSEAD Aumni Volunteer Leader Award 2020.
Norman Fiore
General Partner, Dawn Capital
MBA'98D
“I am delighted to be involved in this remarkable initiative which supports future women leaders in their careers, and I look forward, as a mentor myself, to learning how to improve balance in my own organization
Norman co-founded Dawn Capital in 2007, a Technology Venture Capital Firm with over $1B in AUM. Since that time he has invested in many of Europe’s leading software businesses.
Prior to Dawn, Norman was Partner and subsequent owner of the Reuters Greenhouse Fund, Reuters Plc’s global technology VC fund. He started his career at Bain & Company in London, initially in the Telecoms practice and then the Private Equity group.
Norman is a graduate of Stanford University with dual BS and BA degrees in Engineering and Economics and holds an MBA with distinction from INSEAD
I spent my most formative years at Stanford University, founded as a coeducational and non-denominational university in 1891 and still espousing its trailblazing liberal values when I attended a century later. There, I found myself for four years in an environment where 50% of attendees were women and everywhere there were strong female role models, celebrated indistinguishably from men, by all. At that time, I would never have expected that I would not be immersed in a similar environment for decades – in fact, not until I founded my own business.
After university, I joined a leading consulting firm where the partners were overwhelmingly male. In fact, there was only one female partner and it struck me at the time that there was only an awkward extended silence from the leadership team when this Partner went on maternity leave for a period of time. From a balance in business perspective, this was a poor training ground for some of the talented leaders of tomorrow.
After consulting, I went to business school at INSEAD in 1998 where miraculously, given the tiny female representation, I met my wonderful wife and proceeded to have four daughters. They all deliberately went to girls only schools where all students were celebrated, as (among many other personas) artists, scholars, feminists, and sportswomen without ever reference nor comparison to boys.
After INSEAD I joined the VC world, again a hugely male dominated industry both one the investors side and the mostly male founders.
I then co-founded Dawn with two other men. And it has taken us 17 years to fully become a gender and diversity balanced business, with half the investment team women, as well as the functional heads of IR, Finance, Legal, Talent and Operations. We have had to learn everything about making a women friendly environment – from hiring, to changing the office banter, to maternity leave – from trial and error which is why BiB is still so relevant and much needed today, a mission that I am proud to be able to support.
Steven Parker
Non-Executive Director & Executive Coach
INSEAD MBA89D
“When I returned to the UK in 2013 after many years working across the world, it was a culture shock to see the lack of balance in senior roles in UK companies and organisations. We need to do all we can to rectify this imbalance for many social and economic reasons and because, in the end, it makes for healthier organisations.
I have spent the majority of my working career living around the world – from the Solomon Islands to Scotland and several countries in Oceania, Asia, Africa the Middle East and Europe, in between. Through to 2017, I worked across financial services, digital payments and data analytics, with such international blue-chip companies as HSBC, Standard Chartered, NatWest Group, Visa Inc. and Experian. I now have a portfolio career, which includes executive coaching for senior leaders and non-executive roles in financial services and advisory firms.
Much of my family life was in the company of strong women – my mother financially sustained our family; I had only one grand-parent (my grandmother, who was widowed during the war); and my own family consists of 2 daughters. At work, I have often had women bosses and my latter career – spent in Hong Kong and Russia, was in companies where many senior roles were held by women. When I finally returned to the UK in 2013, it was therefore a culture shock to see the lack of balance in senior roles in UK companies and organisations. We need to do all we can to rectify this imbalance for many social and economic reasons and because, in the end, it makes for healthier organisations.
I have a personal passion around inclusion and social impact and have spent increasing amounts of my time trying to contribute back. I have mentored women, through the INSEAD Impact Mentoring programme, and minority ethnic civil and political leaders, through Operation Black Vote. I am particularly engaged in initiatives supporting disadvantaged young people and am the Trustee of a charity caring for young people at risk in the Balkans (House of Opportunity) and personally support a Shakespeare Schools Foundation project in Nottinghamshire / South Yorkshire and am proud to be part of the BiB team.
Helen Pitcher OBE
Chair, Advanced Boardroom Excellence Ltd
IDP-C'00
“I am passionate about ensuring talent is recognised and supported to ensure individuals achieve and exceed their potential. Influencing business leaders to create a level and balanced playing field is of paramount importance to the sustainability of society
Helen Pitcher OBE is an experienced Chairman, SID, NED, Board Evaluator and Coach.
In her career, past and present, she has worked across FTSE organisations, Large Family owned Enterprises, the Legal profession, Education, Charity, Health, Food and Drink Sectors. Current appointments include, Chairman JAC, CCRC, PCF and Advanced Boardroom Excellence Ltd., SID One Health Group, NED, Chair of Remuneration Committee and a member of the Nomination Committee United Biscuits. President KidsOut (National UK Childrens Charity).
Over the past thirty years, Helen has been a role model for women seeking to achieve their own goals. She has inspired and facilitated a generation of women and men to live their values in the Business, Public Service and Charitable Worlds.
She demonstrates that successful Business and Public Service Careers can go hand in hand, albeit not without risk of being in the public glare at times!
Helen’s journey has led her to one of her current roles as a Board Member and Judge on the Balance In Business Initiative (BIB), run by INSEAD alumni volunteers. BIB’s focus is to engage and inspire current and future Leaders on why Balance In Business matters, especially focused on gender balance, and how to implement BIB and recognise the value it can create.
Through both her Professional Leadership Coaching and her Voluntary Mentoring of women, Helen has energised women to aspire to, and achieve, Senior Leadership roles in their Companies, on Boards and in Public Life. There is a wide cadre of women (and indeed men) in senior roles who would credit Helen as the catalyst for them raising their goals to become the leaders in their chosen fields, and importantly, live the values they hold dear (indeed, this was the basis of her being awarded her OBE in 2015).
Helen also has a highly successful Business career as Chair of a leading Board Governance Consultancy where she has striven to drive Standards and Effectiveness into our National and International Companies. She led a 10-year campaign to create a Code and structure for undertaking External Independent Board Reviews which has culminated in the publication of a Code of Practice.
Through this combination of Business, Public Sector and Charity work, Helen has espoused the values of engagement and accessibility to all, she has, and continues to be a leading exponent of the principles of effective Governance, Equality and Authenticity.
Helen is an alumni of INSEAD: The International Director’s Programme, Strategy in the Age of Digital Disruption, Strategy for Accelerated Growth, Diversity and Inclusion Programmes and Leading from the Chair where she features as a presenter. She has served as voluntary President of the INSEAD International Directors Network (IDN), was Vice President Global Clubs and led the Sponsorship Team for the INSEAD Alumni Association. She is widely published through articles, presentations and seminars and is a fearless and successful Presenter challenging Directors to live their beliefs based on the responsibility of delivering better value to Society and Communities.
Her career started over thirty years ago with an appointment as one of the first and youngest Directors of a subsidiary within Grand Metropolitan one of the major heritage Companies of Diageo. Her Business career has interwoven this with Public Service with the Employment Appeals Tribunal for 18 years, Chairmanship of Public Sector Bodies, being commended as a notable advocate of Equality of access to the Legal World for Women and Ethnic Minorities.
As a lifelong and powerful advocate of the benefits of Women in the Business and Public Sectors, Helen is well placed to continue this advancement as part of the Balance in Business Initiative.
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox
CEO, 20-First
MBA’84J
“Balance in business is a 21st century management skill. The next phase of balance is engaging men and leaders to convince other men – and the companies they lead – of its benefits in attracting top talent and targeting high-value customers to boost performance
Avivah is a prolific writer, speaker, thinker and podcast host. She is a global expert on 21st century leadership, with a particular focus on gender and generational balance, longevity and the future of work and careers.
Avivah is a Harvard 2022 Advanced Leadership Fellow and focuses on longevity, gender differences in ageing and how to manage individuals and teams through the 3rd and 4th Quarters of 100-year lives.
As the CEO of gender and generational balance consultancy 20-first, Avivah works with organisations focused on capturing the competitive advantages of the future of work and the impacts of changing demographic trends on talent and markets. Author of WHY Women Mean Business (Wiley), and 7 Steps to Leading a Gender-Balanced Business (HBR), she’s a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, as well as a sought-after
speaker with three TEDx talks. Avivah was recently inducted to the Thinkers50 Hall of
Fame. She’s on the Board of the Chartered Management Institute’s Everyone Economy and
is an Ambassador for Stanford’s Center on Longevity, the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing and the Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna.
Avivah is CEO, writer, speaker, coach, consultant, change agent – depending on the call and the context. She is a global expert on 21st century leadership, gender and generational balance, longevity and the future of work and careers. She is a Harvard 2022 Advanced Leadership Fellow and is helping individuals and organisations manage the transitions and extensions of the 2nd and 3rd Quarters of 100-year lives. Themes summarised in her latest graphic book Thriving to 100 – Through Life’s 4 Quarters and regularly featured on her longevity-focused podcast 4-Quarter Lives and weekly substack, elderberries.
She joins BIB to support a cause she’s devoted her career to – better gender balance in business. Especially in leadership. She knows just how much getting organisations to balance requires three things that have little to do with women: leadership, culture and systemic adaptations. BIB helps identify and celebrate the companies that have future-proofed themselves with balance, and shares their learnings with others. Role modelling how to change, and measuring the results is a key part of the game. BIB plays its part.
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox is also an Ambassador for the Stanford Center on Longevity, and the Global Peter Drucker Forum, and sits on the Boards of the National Innovation Centre on Ageing (NICA) and the Chartered Management Institute’s ‘Everyone Economy’ Board. She is also an Adjunct Professor at DePaul University in Chicago. In 2023, Avivah was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame.
Born in Canada of European parents, she is a bilingual tri-national (French, Swiss and Canadian), now based in London with her British husband after several decades in Paris, and has two very charming, gender-balanced children (a son and daughter) who occasionally visit from Dakar and New York city.
Francois Aguerre
Co-Head of Investment, Coller Capital
MBA’05
Francois Aguerre is a Partner at Coller Capital, heading their flagship equity secondary strategy. He joined the firm in 2007, sits on the Executive Committee, and he focuses in particular on the management of the investment team as well as the sourcing of investment opportunities for the flagship fund. Francois also co-chairs the DEI Committee at Coller. Based in London personally, his time is split between the London and the New York offices.
Prior to joining Coller Capital, Francois has worked and lived in Paris, New York and Singapore. He was trained as an engineer at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees, had his whole a career in the financial industry, and an MBA from INSEAD as a Dec’05 alumnus. Francois run the INSEAD PE group in the UK for 8 years, he was also the President of the NAA of the UK from 2017 to 2021.
Francois is French and Spanish. Married to Anais, they have three children, Emma, Antoine and Lou. For 20 years, his main hobby has been (ultra-)long distance running, completing many marathons, ultra-trails (incl. UTMB) and he is also an i-man finisher.
I am a longstanding professional from the private equity and the financial services industries. In private equity, senior professional women in Europe represent a single digit percentage of the senior group.
I went to INSEAD in 2005. In my promotion, women represented 16% of the group. Beforehand, I trained as an engineer in France, where women represented around 15% of my promotion.
So it is fair to say that I have evolved my whole adult life through environments where women were under-represented, without an objective gender argument, as to why this should be the case. I see this as a sub-optimal social reality.
I am married to a amazing woman, wife and mother of three. Anais has always been a full time working mother. We have a daughter, a son, and a trans daughter. All of them asking for fairness and equality and never accepting excuses as a response.
Because of that paradox, world reality vs home demand, our engagement has always been biased towards women, in order to accelerate their catch up. We supported scholarships for women at INSEAD. We sponsored women through separate channels to help them achieve specific professional objectives. And I dedicated myself to mentor only women professionals, because time is scarce and the catch up is a massive challenge, and a priority.
As the President of the NAA of the INSEAD UK, I had the honour of supporting Florence Hamilton to kick start a mentoring programme dedicated to women, which was the ancestor of the BiB initiative. As such, I am delighted to be able to continue to contribute to that initiative. As an ultra-runner myself, I am very energised, fully conscious of and prepared for the tremendous effort required here.
Executive Committee
Sarah Auerbach
Executive Team – BiB Events Lead
“Gender balance is vital. It’s not about being fair, it’s about making business sense. Companies that are diverse and inclusive perform better than others. Gender balance leads to increased GDP and economic growth. I am thrilled to be part of Balance in Business to help build awareness
Sarah is a specialist in e-commerce and marketing for early stage B2B & B2C businesses. Sarah Co-Founded AURORA LONDON, winner of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Awards in 2020, and FRESH ATTITUDE EVENTS.
Spent six years working in luxury health & beauty marketing at L’Oreal and LVMH managing a diverse portfolio of brands including Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Lancome and Givenchy. Developed key insights into product desirability and a unique understanding of customer purchasing behaviour.
Sarah is a specialist in e-commerce and marketing for early stage B2B & B2C businesses. Sarah Co-Founded AURORA LONDON, winner of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Awards in 2020, and FRESH ATTITUDE EVENTS.
Spent six years working in luxury health & beauty marketing at L’Oreal and LVMH managing a diverse portfolio of brands including Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Lancome and Givenchy. Developed key insights into product desirability and a unique understanding of customer purchasing behaviour.
Carol Pearson-Giraud
MBA'88D
Executive Team – Fundraising
“
Throughout my career I have been committed to supporting women to thrive in the workplace through coaching and mentoring as well as conceiving and promoting scholarships to allow them to pursue their dreams. The Balance in Business Initiative enables me to take this commitment to the next level
Carol has extensive international experience of working with, and winning new business for, large multi-national organisations including P&G, PwC and Fujitsu Services as well as educational institutions such as INSEAD and International Schools of Business Management (a charitable consortium of Business Schools) for which she is the Company Secretary and Chief Operating Office.
She is known for being an excellent communicator with strong people management skills: coaching and mentoring to improve individual and team performance; getting results by motivating people; and inspiring them to raise their game.
A Henley Business School qualified Coach, and NLP Master Practitioner/Trainer, Carol has led training programmes and coached executives across the globe. She has championed women and other under-represented groups througout her career.
Carol has extensive international experience of working with, and winning new business for, large multi-national organisations including P&G, PwC and Fujitsu Services as well as educational institutions such as INSEAD and International Schools of Business Management (a charitable consortium of Business Schools) for which she is the Company Secretary and Chief Operating Office.
She is known for being an excellent communicator with strong people management skills: coaching and mentoring to improve individual and team performance; getting results by motivating people; and inspiring them to raise their game.
A Henley Business School qualified Coach, and NLP Master Practitioner/Trainer, Carol has led training programmes and coached executives across the globe. She has championed women and other under-represented groups througout her career.
Avalon Lee-Bacon
Executive Team – BiB Awards Applications Lead
“I was so impressed by the impact the Balance in Business initiative achieved with their first awards, and I am delighted to join the executive committee. It is inspiring to work alongside a team so committed to furthering gender balance in the workplace, and a pleasure to be able to recognise and celebrate the success of organisations doing great work in this space
Avalon leads the talent platform at Dawn Capital. She advises Dawn’s portfolio companies on leadership hiring, and partners with Dawn’s founders on their talent agenda. Before joining Dawn, Avalon sat in the technology team at executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. She began her career at a cultural communications agency, delivering PR campaigns for museums and galleries.Avalon holds a BA and MPhil in History of Art from Cambridge University.
Avalon leads the talent platform at Dawn Capital. She advises Dawn’s portfolio companies on leadership hiring, and partners with Dawn’s founders on their talent agenda. Before joining Dawn, Avalon sat in the technology team at executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. She began her career at a cultural communications agency, delivering PR campaigns for museums and galleries.Avalon holds a BA and MPhil in History of Art from Cambridge University.
Diya Raj
MBA'08
Executive team – BiB Marketing Lead
“
Throughout my career I have been committed to supporting women to thrive in the workplace through coaching and mentoring as well as conceiving and promoting scholarships to allow them to pursue their dreams. The Balance in Business Initiative enables me to take this commitment to the next level
Diya is Global Head of Growth at Tratvus, leading cross-functional growth initiatives to drive the expansion and profitability of Travtus. Responsible for Marketing, Business Development, Strategic Planning and GTM.
Diya is Global Head of Growth at Tratvus, leading cross-functional growth initiatives to drive the expansion and profitability of Travtus. Responsible for Marketing, Business Development, Strategic Planning and GTM.
Jane Lewes
Advisor, Mentoring Training
“Having experienced at first hand, over many years, the positive impact that effective mentoring can have on the career aspirations, expectations and achievements of diverse individuals, I am delighted to be invited to share this experience with others. My hope is that we will all benefit from access to a workforce which is genuinely diverse and inclusive
A dynamic development professional with a proven track record in motivating individuals and groups to identify and achieve their learning goals in her roles of consultant, facilitator, coach and mentor. Working in “work-based” learning environments, Jane uses participative methods to encourage, enthuse and empower people from diverse backgrounds to work through the barriers, identify solutions and take responsibility for their own personal and professional development. A powerful communicator and natural innovator, she has designed and delivered an impressive range of learning programmes and materials to promote individual and group development. Her personal philosophy about the education process is “learning is more effective when it’s fun”.
Jane has also recently been nominated for the 2020 EMCC Global Coaching Award.
A dynamic development professional with a proven track record in motivating individuals and groups to identify and achieve their learning goals in her roles of consultant, facilitator, coach and mentor. Working in “work-based” learning environments, Jane uses participative methods to encourage, enthuse and empower people from diverse backgrounds to work through the barriers, identify solutions and take responsibility for their own personal and professional development. A powerful communicator and natural innovator, she has designed and delivered an impressive range of learning programmes and materials to promote individual and group development. Her personal philosophy about the education process is “learning is more effective when it’s fun”.
Jane has also recently been nominated for the 2020 EMCC Global Coaching Award.
Previous Contributors
Pratima Aiyagari
MBA’09J
Mentoring Co-Lead
“I have been fortunate to have had a number of mentors, both women and men, guide me in my career. Mentorship is a strong tool to effect the changes we need to have better balanced businesses and improve the number of women in senior leadership positions
Pratima is responsible for investments and acquisitions in the EMEA region at Cisco, with a specific focus on ML/AI, Enterprise Collaboration and Silicon. In this role, she serves as Cisco’s board observer on several portfolio companies. Prior to this, she has over a decade of experience in multiple roles as a Cisco software engineer in the US (in network management, access routing and advanced services), sell-side equity research in Europe covering the TMT sector (Société Générale) and corporate development at RiskFirst (acquired by Moodys). Pratima is a co-author of a US patent in the area of network device clusters and high availability. Pratima received her MBA from INSEAD in France and an MS in computer science from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US.
Pratima is responsible for investments and acquisitions in the EMEA region at Cisco, with a specific focus on ML/AI, Enterprise Collaboration and Silicon. In this role, she serves as Cisco’s board observer on several portfolio companies. Prior to this, she has over a decade of experience in multiple roles as a Cisco software engineer in the US (in network management, access routing and advanced services), sell-side equity research in Europe covering the TMT sector (Société Générale) and corporate development at RiskFirst (acquired by Moodys). Pratima is a co-author of a US patent in the area of network device clusters and high availability. Pratima received her MBA from INSEAD in France and an MS in computer science from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US.
Aparajita ‘Aps’ Ajit
CCC'07, EMC'13
Event Lead
“Delighted to be on the committee and also lead the Launch Event. This is indeed an exciting journey, for I reckon that life turns on little things. The momentous events in history can leave us untouched, while small events like this may shape our destinies…
Over 20 years of international experience in market making, jumpstarting new strategic initiatives for business growth, key account breakthrough and talent management. Currently at Genpact, a global transformation company as Vice President and Client Partner, Banking and Financial Services and their Diversity Champion. She has developed strong understanding of international markets having lived and /or worked in Asia (India, Singapore), Europe (London, Paris) and US. Aps speaks and moderates extensively at several global forums focused on themes that promote gender balance, women in business and digital transformation.
Over 20 years of international experience in market making, jumpstarting new strategic initiatives for business growth, key account breakthrough and talent management. Currently at Genpact, a global transformation company as Vice President and Client Partner, Banking and Financial Services and their Diversity Champion. She has developed strong understanding of international markets having lived and /or worked in Asia (India, Singapore), Europe (London, Paris) and US. Aps speaks and moderates extensively at several global forums focused on themes that promote gender balance, women in business and digital transformation.
Oksana Denysenko
MBA'00D
Executive Team – Impact Mentoring
“Gender balance is about everyone being able to realise their full potential, regardless of gender. In today’s business world, women still face substantially more hurdles then men and I believe that Impact Mentoring is a great tool to level that playing field
Oksana is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of business experience, active in both the online and offline worlds, with ventures ranging from a real estate portal in Ukraine to using innovative fabrics in everyday textiles. Prior to that she was a banker at Credit Suisse, HSBC, and the Ukrainian Central Bank. She holds an MSc in Physics, an MA in Innovation Management, and an MBA from INSEAD.
Oksana is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of business experience, active in both the online and offline worlds, with ventures ranging from a real estate portal in Ukraine to using innovative fabrics in everyday textiles. Prior to that she was a banker at Credit Suisse, HSBC, and the Ukrainian Central Bank. She holds an MSc in Physics, an MA in Innovation Management, and an MBA from INSEAD.
Maria Charash Koundina
MBA'03J
Mentoring Co-Lead
“I was inspired by the vision of Florence and the Leadership team for a more balanced workplace and jumped on the opportunity to help them build and develop the mentorship programme for INSEAD women
Maria is a finance professional with over 20 years’ experience gained in multinational blue-chip companies, mainly in the energy industry. Her most recent role was Head of Commercial Finance and Treasury at a leading LPG trader Petredec. Prior to that, she led M&A for EMEA at World Fuel Services (NYSE-listed, Fortune 100 company). Earlier in her career, she spent 13 years at Royal Dutch Shell in various finance and M&A roles, including being responsible for the merger integration of Shell and BG. Since 2020, Maria has been working as independent advisor. She is currently involved in the INSEAD Community Impact Challenge, aimed at making the INSEAD community carbon neutral. Maria is married with three school-aged children.
Maria is a finance professional with over 20 years’ experience gained in multinational blue-chip companies, mainly in the energy industry. Her most recent role was Head of Commercial Finance and Treasury at a leading LPG trader Petredec. Prior to that, she led M&A for EMEA at World Fuel Services (NYSE-listed, Fortune 100 company). Earlier in her career, she spent 13 years at Royal Dutch Shell in various finance and M&A roles, including being responsible for the merger integration of Shell and BG. Since 2020, Maria has been working as independent advisor. She is currently involved in the INSEAD Community Impact Challenge, aimed at making the INSEAD community carbon neutral. Maria is married with three school-aged children.
Lata Gullapalli
MBA
Mentoring Executive Team
“Helping and mentoring people around me was always part of my life and when was asked to sign up as a mentor to the programme, I was totally bought in. I was honoured when Florence asked me to join the executive committee, I do hope I can bring some positive touches to the initiative
Lata Gullapalli, an investment banker by profession, specialising in mergers and acquisitions. She has worked in investment banking for 20 years in south Asia, Russia and the UK. Lata is an author with published works. Lata has and education in corporate law, financaial strategey, taxation and economics among others.She has and MBA from INSEAD and she is also Chartered Secretary and a Chartered Financial Analyst with a Diploma in Basic Finance. Lata works with NGOs in the UK and in India that are primarily focused on child protection, education for girls and orphaned children.
Lata Gullapalli, an investment banker by profession, specialising in mergers and acquisitions. She has worked in investment banking for 20 years in south Asia, Russia and the UK. Lata is an author with published works. Lata has and education in corporate law, financaial strategey, taxation and economics among others.She has and MBA from INSEAD and she is also Chartered Secretary and a Chartered Financial Analyst with a Diploma in Basic Finance. Lata works with NGOs in the UK and in India that are primarily focused on child protection, education for girls and orphaned children.
Celine Infeld
MBA’12D
Contributor, Marketing
“I am a passionate supporter of inclusive cultures and the value it creates, and delighted to be part of this initiative as we look to support alumni, and business leaders more broadly, in achieving strategically balanced teams
Specialties: Business Transformation, Growth, Strategy, Building High-Performing Teams, Culture & Change Management, Digital Business Models, Subscriptions (SaaS), Research, Consultancy, M&A, Business Integration, Due Diligence
Specialties: Business Transformation, Growth, Strategy, Building High-Performing Teams, Culture & Change Management, Digital Business Models, Subscriptions (SaaS), Research, Consultancy, M&A, Business Integration, Due Diligence
Liqian Lim
MBA'17D
Mentoring Executive Team
“Having successfully transitioned careers with the guidance of mentors, I want others to benefit from this, too. Senior management and industries like the tech sector need more diversity, to help businesses flourish and I believe that mentorship will grease the wheels
A lawyer by training, Liqian honed her deal-making skills across 22 jurisdictions and built a legal department from scratch, as Head Legal Officer for a global hospitality brand. Having advised C-Suites on strategic deals over the years and dabbled in start-ups, Liqian came to love strategic growth and improving efficiencies. Post-MBA, Liqian transitioned out of law and developed an A.I. concept with a renowned U.K. incubator/accelerator, engineered new market strategies for a pioneering public service technology, and then drove business and recognition for an international, FT-ranked legal A.I.
A lawyer by training, Liqian honed her deal-making skills across 22 jurisdictions and built a legal department from scratch, as Head Legal Officer for a global hospitality brand. Having advised C-Suites on strategic deals over the years and dabbled in start-ups, Liqian came to love strategic growth and improving efficiencies. Post-MBA, Liqian transitioned out of law and developed an A.I. concept with a renowned U.K. incubator/accelerator, engineered new market strategies for a pioneering public service technology, and then drove business and recognition for an international, FT-ranked legal A.I.
Bob Meadows
MBA '02 J
Board Member
Elise Nobileau-Forget
MBA, ACC, BCC
Mentoring Co-Lead
Sesilia Plavina
MBA'17
Executive Team
“To accelerate achieving gender balance in the workplace, I believe we need both women and men collaborating together to “push-and-pull”. This is why I am excited to be part of the Balance in Business initiative which can be a platform for this collaboration
Sesilia is a management consultant with an engineering background and over 10 years of experience in the energy sector. Her current work focuses on sustainability, particularly advising executives on how to address energy transition in their organisations and integrate sustainability into their strategy. Having worked in an industry that is typically male-dominated, Sesilia is passionate in advocating for women in the workplace and has been involved in launching a women’s network at her work to create a space for women to support each other in their career journey.
Sesilia is a management consultant with an engineering background and over 10 years of experience in the energy sector. Her current work focuses on sustainability, particularly advising executives on how to address energy transition in their organisations and integrate sustainability into their strategy. Having worked in an industry that is typically male-dominated, Sesilia is passionate in advocating for women in the workplace and has been involved in launching a women’s network at her work to create a space for women to support each other in their career journey.
Teresa White
MBA'88D
Advisor
“What captivated me from the start was the chance to help launch a unique initiative targeting two critically important issues; accelerating the change to a better balance in business and making quality mentoring more widely available to future leaders
Teresa works with retailers, brands, charities and social enterprises to define and deliver business growth strategies in an increasingly disruptive retail environment.
She works collaboratively with leaders and their teams to explore, evaluate, imagine, identify and validate – always with a focus on improving performance, defining new opportunities and establishing future direction.
Teresa also combines analytical rigour with creative thinking, and strategic vision with hands-on practical implementation to bring a different perspective, add value and facilitate change.
Teresa works with retailers, brands, charities and social enterprises to define and deliver business growth strategies in an increasingly disruptive retail environment.
She works collaboratively with leaders and their teams to explore, evaluate, imagine, identify and validate – always with a focus on improving performance, defining new opportunities and establishing future direction.
Teresa also combines analytical rigour with creative thinking, and strategic vision with hands-on practical implementation to bring a different perspective, add value and facilitate change.
Anja Spice
Executive Team – Marketing and Communications
“I have lived in three different countries and have travelled extensively which is why I’m very keen on diversity in any aspect of live (personal or work related). Thus I’m very pleased to help and spread the message of Balance in Business!
Anja has over ten years’ experience in media and communications and has worked extensively on numerous assignments for the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and one for the tourism minister of Tanzania. She was also the Account Manager for the US luxury tour operator Tauck while working for Tarsh Consulting. Anja has ran media operations for several high-level Summit meetings and other global events. She has also managed media partner relationships with global brands including BBC, CNBC, FT and USA Today.
At WTTC, Anja has managed the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, known as the gold standard of recognition in sustainable tourism. Anja is very passionate and knowledgeable in sustainability. She has a MSc from the University of Surrey in Environmental Science/Sustainable Tourism and has recently received a diploma in ‘Managing sustainable marine environments.’
Anja has over ten years’ experience in media and communications and has worked extensively on numerous assignments for the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and one for the tourism minister of Tanzania. She was also the Account Manager for the US luxury tour operator Tauck while working for Tarsh Consulting. Anja has ran media operations for several high-level Summit meetings and other global events. She has also managed media partner relationships with global brands including BBC, CNBC, FT and USA Today.
At WTTC, Anja has managed the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, known as the gold standard of recognition in sustainable tourism. Anja is very passionate and knowledgeable in sustainability. She has a MSc from the University of Surrey in Environmental Science/Sustainable Tourism and has recently received a diploma in ‘Managing sustainable marine environments.’
Veena Giridhar Gopal
MBA'07D
Executive Team – Strategy
“I’ve always been passionate about diversity and inclusion in businesses. And diversity, to me, has always been about gender diversity, neuro diversity and cultural diversity. Put them all together and you have Balance in Business. Looking back, my teams were (and are) always gender balanced and I have experienced the power of diverse thinking and the resulting benefits. I’m super excited by Florence’s vision about balance in business and look forward to any positive changes I can help make!
Veena is a qualified accountant and started her career in Botswana, where her clients included retail chains like Woolworths group and FMCG distributors in the region. After business school at INSEAD, she worked for several years within the FMCG industry for companies like PepsiCo and Diageo in roles that spanned finance, strategy, corporate development & sales. She is now co-founder & CEO of Salesbeat, a venture backed start-up. She is also on the Board of Trustees of Alquity Transforming Lives Foundation and is passionate about access to education, job creation in emerging markets and about diversity, equality & equity in businesses.
Veena is a qualified accountant and started her career in Botswana, where her clients included retail chains like Woolworths group and FMCG distributors in the region. After business school at INSEAD, she worked for several years within the FMCG industry for companies like PepsiCo and Diageo in roles that spanned finance, strategy, corporate development & sales. She is now co-founder & CEO of Salesbeat, a venture backed start-up. She is also on the Board of Trustees of Alquity Transforming Lives Foundation and is passionate about access to education, job creation in emerging markets and about diversity, equality & equity in businesses.
Shalini Koshal
MBA'08D
Executive Team – Strategic Partnerships
“I feel a deep affinity with the initiative as equality is one of my core values. I believe that the diversity of gender balanced businesses can be both economically and socially value enhancing
Shalini is a commercial strategy & business development specialist with 15+ years international work experience in UK, India & France with world class Media, CPG & Travel brands. She has led large cross functional teams to deliver commercially successful global projects including Advertising, Brand Marketing, Content initiatives (Partnerships, Production & Distribution) & Streaming media (OTT). She has been both on the client and supplier side having structured and negotiated mutually beneficial multimillion £ strategic partnerships with brands, media & tech companies.
Shalini is a commercial strategy & business development specialist with 15+ years international work experience in UK, India & France with world class Media, CPG & Travel brands. She has led large cross functional teams to deliver commercially successful global projects including Advertising, Brand Marketing, Content initiatives (Partnerships, Production & Distribution) & Streaming media (OTT). She has been both on the client and supplier side having structured and negotiated mutually beneficial multimillion £ strategic partnerships with brands, media & tech companies.
- Unites and aligns with INSEAD’s dual mission of being ‘the Business School for the World’ and ‘A Force for Good’
- Is a key pillar at the intersection of business, society and impact (the Hoffman Global Institute)
- Is a recognized global leadership challenge (UN SDG)
Founding Partners
Platinum
Founding Partner
