Board of Directors

Mr. Ashok Chandra (Associate Director)

Mr. Chandra has over 30 years of rich and varied experience in the Banking Industry. During the course of his banking career, he has worked as a Branch Head of rural, urban and metro branches at various locations in India. He has also worked for around 4 years at the representative office of Corporation Bank at Dubai. He was the Zonal Head of Varanasi and Delhi-North zones at Corporation Bank for a period of 3 years. In 2018, he was posted to the Head Office of Corporation Bank at Mangalore as the General Manager and was heading the Recovery, Legal and Stressed Asset Management (SAM) Vertical of the Bank. In 2020, he was promoted to Chief General Manager, responsible for handling the Recovery, Legal and SAM Vertical at Central Office, Union Bank of India.

During his banking career, Mr. Chandra has received various awards like Star Performer’s Club, Grahak Seva Award, Healthy Branch Award, Chairman’s Club Membership, Best Branch Award, Champion of Champions Award etc.

Mr. K. Madhava Kumar (Independent Director)

Mr. Madhava Kumar was the Executive Director of Educhannel Mumbai, a consultancy firm for overseas education from April 2009 till February 2013.

Prior to this, he was associated with UTI Asset Management Company Limited at its Mumbai Head Office as Chief General Manager in the Department of Sales and Marketing. He joined the services of Unit Trust of India / UTI Asset Management Company Limited in December 1977. Thereafter, through a series of internal promotions, he worked in different departments in various positions at various locations. Last worked as President (Chief General Manager) in the Department of Sales and Marketing.

Mr. Madhava Kumar has over 31 years of rich experience in Mutual Fund Operations.

Mr. A.P. Kurian(Independent Director)

Mr. Kurian is currently a Director on the Board of Muthoot Capital Services Limited, Muthoot Finecorp Limited. He was also a Director on the Board of JP Morgan Asset Management India Private Limited, Geojit Financial Services Limited, Granules India Limited and Geojit Credits Private Limited. He has held several positions in Unit Trust of India and was the Executive Trustee from 1987 till 1993. From 1997 to 2010, Mr. Kurian was the Executive Chairman of Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).

Mr. Kurian has also received two awards - Best Marketing Man of the year in 1987 and Best Professional Manager in 1989.

Mrs. Padmini Gopinath (Independent Director)

Mrs. Padmini Gopinath was associated with Central Administrative Tribunal as a member with the status of a High Court Judge, Ministry of Communication & IT Dept. of Post as Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion) as Member Secretary and Additional Secretary (Tariff Commission), Delhi Jal Board (Government of Delhi NCRT) as Member Finance in the grade of Additional Secretary / CVO. In a civil service career spanning over 42 years, she has handled variety of assignments. She was Joint Secretary in the Union Public Service Commission in charge of Civil Service Entrance Examinations and Interviews.

During 1999-2001, she also worked with the United Nations as Civil Affairs Officer in the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). She has undergone various training programmes both in India and abroad, including the Leadership Programme at the Kennedy School of Government, University of Harvard.

Mr. Ramesh S Singh (Independent Director)

Mr. Ramesh S Singh holds B.A., LLB, CAIIB qualifications. Mr. Ramesh S. Singh was the Executive Director at Dena Bank, Mumbai from January 2016 to January 2019. Prior to that, he worked with Central Bank of India in various capacities including General Manager where he was inter alia responsible for International Business, Investments & Treasury at Head Office, Mumbai and Business Development of Bhopal Zone.

Mr. Yasuhiro Hidaka (Associate Director)

Mr. Yasuhiro Hidaka has held several positions in Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Ltd., Japan since April 2017. Presently, he is on deputation to Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd. He has been engaged in credit risk-related functions for more than 20 years. From April 2012 to March 2017, he was the Senior Assistant Manager / Manager, Risk Management Department at Dai-ichi Frontier Life Insurance Company Ltd., Japan. From July 2009 to March 2012, he was the Senior Assistant Manager, Asset Management Department at Dai-ichi Frontier Life Insurance Company Ltd., Japan.

Mr. Gopal Singh Gusain (Associate Director)

Mr. Gopal Singh Gusain was the Executive Director of Union Bank of India. He is a Science graduate from Garhwal University and is an Associate Member of Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of India and Indian Institute of Bankers. He also holds diploma in Treasury, Investment and Risk Management. As a career banker with the Punjab National Bank, he has exposure of 24 years of working in field as well as administrative offices. He has worked in Credit and Risk Management function extensively. He has held various positions such as Chief Executive of Hong Kong Operations, Group Chief Risk Officer, Group Compliance Officer and General Manger Recovery & General Manager Corporate Credit.

Mr. Anil Bafna (Independent Director)

Mr. Anil Bafna, a practicing Chartered Accountant, is a Senior Partner of A. Bafna & Co., Chartered Accountants. He is associated with Rajasthan State Industrial Development And Investment Corporation Limited (RIICO) as an Independent Director since May 2015 till 2019. He was associated with India Nivesh Ltd. as Chairman from 2007 till 2014. He has discharged duties as a member of the Committee on Financial Markets & Investment Protection of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and even as a National Expert of United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Vienna, Austria.

Mr. Animesh Chauhan (Independent Director)

Mr. Animesh Chauhan, was the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Oriental Bank of Commerce for the period December 2014 to June 2017. He has more than three decades of rich banking experience including handling Overseas operations, Regions and Zonal Offices. He started his career in 1979 as Direct Recruited Officer in Bank of Baroda and was elevated as General Manager in February 2010. He joined Central Bank of India on his elevation as Executive Director on August 2013 and he was overseeing the portfolios such as Retail Banking, Information Technology, Transaction Banking, Priority Sector, MSME and Recovery. He was also serving on the Board of Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Co. Ltd, India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited, Indian Institute of Banking & Finance and member of Indian Bank Association and National Institute of Banking Studies and Corporate Management.

Mr. Animesh Chauhan is presently an a Director on Board of various entities.

Mrs. Alice Vaidyan (Independent Director)

Mrs. Alice Vaidyan was the Chairman and Managing Director of General Insurance Corporation of India for the period January 2016 to July 2019. She has also held other positions such as General Manager, Deputy General Manager in General Insurance Corporation of India from August 2008 to January 2016. Mrs. Vaidyan has featured in Fortune’s Global List (2018) of Most Powerful Women in Business. She has received various awards such as Woman CEO of the Year (2019) by ET Prime, Freedom of the City of London Award (2019) for promoting insurance ties between India and UK, 30 Most Powerful Women in Indian Business (2016, 2017, 2018) by Business Today, Most Powerful Women in Business (2017, 2018, 2019) (ranked 4th in India) by Fortune India and Leadership Excellence Award (2019) by ASSOCHAM.

Mrs. Vaidyan is presently an a Director on Board of various entities.

Mr. Raghu Palat (Independent Director)

Mr. Raghu Palat is the Managing Director of Cortlandt Rand Consultancy Private Limited. He is currently also a director on the Board of Cheque Mate Infotech Private Limited and Pritish Nandy Communcations Limited and a Dean at the Institute of Banking and Business Communication. He was the Chief Financial Officer of Warren Industrial Ltd. For the period 1978 to 1981. He has also held senior positions in American Express Bank and Bank Internasional Indonesia. He was a Trustee in BOI AXA Trustee Services Private Limited for over 10 years. He has developed courses on finance and banking that are offered by Welingkar Institute in Mumbai and by Institute of Banking and Business Communication. He has been writing on Investments and Banking since 1981 in numerous publications and has published over 45 books.