About us

People MattersContent Advisory
Council

The People Matters Content Advisory Council is an elite assembly of trailblazing HR leaders, business executives, and industry pioneers, meticulously selected to serve as the strategic anchor for our ecosystem. The Council provides high-level governance, forward-looking insights, and rigorous oversight to shape People Matters’ editorial direction, research initiatives, and experiential offerings.

Council of Advisors 2026–27

Anand Shankar

Chief Transformation Officer, Deloitte South Asia

Anand Shankar brings 37 years of global experience in consulting and professional services across six countries. Currently the Sr. Partner & Chief Transformation Officer at Deloitte South Asia, he formerly served as Global CCO at Aon and SVP HR for Tata Sons. A Marshall Goldsmith-certified coach and visiting faculty at INSEAD and ISB, he specialises in aligning leadership and talent strategy with organisational purpose.

Anita Ramachandran

Chief Strategy Officer, Deloitte South Asia

Anita Ramachandran is a pioneering management consultant and entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience. She founded Cerebrus Consultants, a leading rewards and talent management firm that served 1,000+ companies across South Asia before merging with Mercer in 2025. A mentor to many women professionals, she has also been an Independent Director for 28 years and currently serves on the boards of six listed and three public companies.

Aakash Choubey

Founder & CEO, Becoming Quotient

Aakash is a former Senior Partner and member of the Management Team at Khaitan & Co with 22 years advising on M&A and Private Equity transactions. He has founded Becoming Quotient (BQ), a career intelligence infrastructure platform that gives individuals a longitudinal, science-backed record of their professional growth. Aakash holds an Executive MBA (PLD) from Harvard Business School, and was named to the Economic Times 40 Under Forty (2016).

Jason Averbook

Co-founder, Now to Next

Jason Averbook is a renowned authority on the intersection of AI and digital HR strategy. As the Co-founder of Now to Next, he explores the evolving landscape of leadership and technology. Previously a Senior Partner at Mercer and the co-founder of Leapgen, Jason has steered over 1,000 global HR transformations and has authored two seminal works on HR technology.

Naveen Narayanan

CHRO, Biocon Limited

Naveen Narayanan serves as the CHRO for Biocon, where he oversees the global people strategy and ESG mandate. A seasoned leader with 25+ years of cross-industry experience, he focuses on HR transformation and talent strategy. He previously held leadership positions at organizations including Accenture, HCL, Standard Chartered, and Publicis Sapient.

Pankaj Bansal

Founder & Managing Partner, Caret Capital

Pankaj Bansal is an entrepreneur dedicated to creating 10 million job opportunities in India. Ex-founder of PeopleStrong (acquired by Goldman Sachs) and Wheebox (acquired by ETS), he currently leads Caret Capital, an early-stage sustainability VC fund, and co-leads Taggd, a premier recruitment platform. A board member of the Prime Ministers Karmayogi Bharat initiative and recipient of an honorary PhD for his entrepreneurial contributions, Pankaj operates at the intersection of enterprise, employment, and nation-building.

People Matters Council Leadership

Council Steward

Pushkaraj Bidwai

CEO,

People Matters

Council Lead

Cheshta Dora

Head, Research & Content Strategy,

People Matters

Council Manager

Varun Jain

Sr. Editor, Editorial & Conferences

Content, People Matters

Pritish Gandhi

Director, Leadership & Rewards,

Khaitan & Co.

People Matters Consultant,

Strategic Initiatives

Vision of the Council

Through this council People Matters upholds the highest standards in shaping industry narratives and delivering top-notch community experiences to become the biggest ecosystem in people and work community

Purpose of the Council

This council guides People Matters in building a strategic direction, feedback, and oversight on the knowledge creation, curation, and distribution by People Matters. This initiative aims to ensure that our content ecosystem remains: