Board of
Directors

Mr. Saurabh Agrawal is the Group Chief Financial Officer of Tata Sons, the holding company and promoter of over 100 Tata companies. Saurabh joined Tata Sons in June 2017 from the Aditya Birla Group where he was the Head of Strategy.

In a career spanning over two decades, Saurabh has been the Head of Investment Banking in India for Bank of America Merrill Lynch and also Head of Corporate Finance business in India and South Asia for Standard Chartered bank.

Mr. Saurabh has wide-ranging experience in strategy and capital markets where he had a ringside view of the evolution of the Indian economy since the mid-90s. He advised clients on transactions valued more than US$16 billion. In addition, Saurabh has helped various large Indian and Global corporates raise over US$10 billion from the capital markets. In his advisory capacity, Saurabh has advised several business groups like Tatas, AV Birla, GMR, ICICI, Bharti, DLF, etc.

In his role as Group CFO, Saurabh will be focused on driving the financial performance of the group through rigor and synergy in capital allocation, investment management decisions, and portfolio optimization.

Mr. Saurabh completed his undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT Roorkee and has a post-graduate management degree from IIM Kolkata. He lives in Mumbai with his wife Shelly and two children. He is an avid reader, outdoors enthusiast & movie buff. He enjoys playing badminton and squash.

Naveen is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Tata Digital Pvt. Ltd. Naveen brings with him rich experience of over two decades in financial services - Insurance, Banking & Asset management. He was the Managing Director &CEO at Tata AIA in two stints – 2015 to 2018 and 2020 to 2023. During his stint at Tata AIA, Naveen led the organisation’s transformation and helped Tata AIA grow from a No. 17 position [based on IWNBP] to No. 3 and to #1in protection (measured by Retail Sum Assured). Naveen has also served at AIA as CEO - Group Partnership Distribution, and at Axis Bank as Group Executive in charge of Banking Operations and Transformation.

Prior to joining Tata AIA in 2015, Naveen was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, based in Mumbai and led the Financial Services practice in India and South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines , Vietnam). At McKinsey he worked with some of the largest public, private and foreign financial services institutions.

Naveen holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a Bachelor of Technology from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Naveen is passionate about running, and loves watching science and science fiction.

Mr. Garth Jones is the AIA Group Chief Financial Officer responsible for leading the Group in all aspects of capital and financial management, as well as managing relationships with key external stakeholders, including independent auditors and actuaries, rating agencies and international accounting and regulatory bodies. He is a director of various companies within the Group, including AIA Co. and AIA International. He joined the Group in April 2011.

Prior to joining the Group, Mr. Jones was the Executive Vice President of China Pacific Life Insurance Co., Ltd., the life insurance arm of China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co., Ltd. He also held a number of senior management positions during 12 years with Prudential Corporation Asia Limited, including Chief Financial Officer of the Asian life insurance operations. Prior to joining Prudential, Mr. Jones led the development of Swiss Re’s Asia life business.

Mr. Jones is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the United Kingdom. On 1 June 2016, he was appointed a member of the industry advisory committee on long term business, which advises the Independent Insurance Authority in Hong Kong. Mr. Jones is also a member of the IFRS Advisory Council of the International Accounting Standards Board.

Mr. Leo Grepin is the Regional Chief Executive and Group Chief Strategy Officer responsible for the Group’s businesses operating in Australia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines as well as leading the Group’s Strategy and Corporate Development functions. Mr. Grepin joined the AIA Group in January 2022.

Prior to joining the AIA Group, Mr. Grepin was President of Sun Life, Asia. Before joining Sun Life, he was at Bridgewater Associates, a global hedge fund, where he led the team managing portfolio construction and trade generation. He also spent 15 years at McKinsey & Company and led the global client service teams serving several multinational insurers and asset managers as Senior Partner. Mr. Grepin has a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering (Hons) from McGill University.

Ms. Vaidyan is the first lady officer to assume the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director of General Insurance Corporation Of India and the first lady chairman-cum-managing director in the Indian General Insurance Industry. She has over 36 years of experience and is considered among the foremost insurance experts not only in the Indian insurance and reinsurance industry, but also across the globe.

She joined The New India Assurance Company aa a direct recruit office and rose to the level of Deputy General Manager in 2008. She then moved to GIC to become General Manager in 2012 and CMD in January 2016.

During her tenure at the helm of GIC Re , the company became the 10th largest reinsurer globally and was recognised by Forbes as among the 250 best regarded global companies, growth champions and best employers. She also led the largest IPO in the financial sector in India during the successful listing of GIC Re in 2017.

She has won several national and international awards. Ms. Vaidyan is the only Indian in Fortune’s Global list (2018) of 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. Freedom (or Freedom Honoris Causa) of the City of London is the greatest honour that is in the power of the City of London to bestow. In April 2019, Mrs Vaidyan was honoured with the Freedom of City of London in recognition of her work to promote insurance ties between India and UK. She won the CEO of The Year award by ET Prime at the Economic Times Prime Women Leadership Awards for 2019. Business Today recognized her as one of the 30 most powerful women in Indian business in 2016, 2017 and 2018. FORTUNE India announced Ms. Alice G Vaidyan, as the 4th most powerful woman in Business in 2018 on "Most Powerful Women in Business”. ASSOCHAM presented Mrs Vaidyan, the Leadership Excellence Award in February 2019.

Ms. Vaidyan was on the Boards of Life Insurance Corporation of India, ECGC Limited, Kenindia Assurance Co. Ltd., Indian Register of Shipping, GIC Housing Finance Ltd., GIC Re South Africa , GIC Re Lloyds Syndicate 1947, Asian Reinsurance Corporation, Bangkok International Insurance Society New York and National Insurance Academy.

Ms. Vaidyan holds a post graduate degree in English Literature and has trained at Harvard Business School. She is a fellow of the Insurance Institute of India. She is an avid reader and plays the piano in her spare time.

Mr. Nilesh Sathe was Member, IRDAI Hyderabad from 2015 to 2019 during which period, he headed Life Insurance Department along with Legal, IT, HR and Admin for all the four years and also headed Non-Life (General Insurance), Intermediaries, Surveyors, Health, Finance and Accounts, Inspection and Enforcement for over a year, during the period when Member (General Insurance), Member (Finance) and Member (Distribution) were not there.

Before joining IRDAI, he was CEO and Director of LIC Nomura Mutual Fund Asset Management Company for a period of three years. Before that he headed the Northern Zone of LIC of India as Zonal Manager, New Delhi as in-charge of Marketing and Administration. He held various positions in UC of India, such as Executive Director of a Marketing Channel, Chief (Pension & Group Schemes Dept.) and Sr. Divisional Manager of two prestigious Divisions of Mumbai.

He worked with Bank of India and Canara Bank for over 5 years before joining UC of India as a Direct Recruit Officer. He brings with him a rich experience of over 4 decades in the Banking, Insurance & Mutual Fund Industry.

He is a rank holder with distinction in M. Com from Nagpur University. He is also a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers.

During his tenure as Member in IRDAI, Mr. Nilesh Sathe was a member of Implementation Committee of International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and represented India in Basel (Switzerland), Morocco, Budapest, Moscow, Singapore etc. He was also Member of Asian Insurance Forum and represented India at Manila, Bangkok, Taipei etc.

He was Advisor (Finance) to NHAI for a year up to 30^th April 2021. He is Independent Director on the Board of Mahindra Manulife Mutual Fund.

He has recently been awarded "Lifetime achievement award in Insurance sector" by Quest, Singapore.

His memoir "Never Give Up" has been recently published. He takes keen interest in literature, sports, and culture.

Prof. Arvind Sahay is Director and Professor of Marketing at MDI, Gurgaon He has a Ph.D.  from the University of Texas at Austin and has taught for 8 years at London Business School, UK and 19 years at IIM, Ahmedabad. He is an alumnus of IIM, Ahmedabad and IIT, Kanpur.
 

His primary areas of interest include marketing strategy, pricing, neuroscience and consumer behavior and brand management. He started his career in banking and has engaged extensively with the financial services industry as a trainer, consultant and board member. He has consulted and done corporate training for more than 50 clients in India and abroad. He has lead executive education programs on Pricing, Neuroscience in Marketing, Enhancing Salesforce Performance, Fintech: Strategy and Tactics and Applications of Behavioral Science for CXOs. As Founding Chairperson of the NSE Center for Behavioral Science, he was instrumental in establishing the first of its kind center for research in a management school in India.
 

He has authored 34 international peer reviewed articles, 65 cases and more than 50 articles for business magazines and newspapers. His second book - “Brands and the Brain” – was published in 2022 and is now a national best seller. Professor Sahay is the recipient of the University Wide Outstanding Dissertation Award from the University of Texas at Austin, the Innovation in Teaching Award at London Business School and the UTV Bloomberg Best Marketing Professor in India. Professor Sahay has a cumulative boardroom experience of more than 35 years and is currently serving on the boards of several listed and unlisted firms.
 

His leadership experience includes stints as Dean (AER), Chairperson NSE-CBS, Chairperson, India Gold Policy Center, Chairperson Marketing Area, Chairperson PGPX and Chairperson Executive Education at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Professor Sahay enjoys reading, walking and running, trekking and golf.

Venkatachalam Iyer, also known as Venky to his colleagues, joined Tata AIA Life in 2016 as Chief Partnership Distribution and rose to the position of President & Chief Distribution Officer, Marketing & Corporate Communications. Venky brings to the table his vast experience in the financial services industry spanning Life Insurance, Asset Management Business and Custodial Services. His 25 year long career encompasses Sales and Distribution, Channel Management, and key Strategy roles.

Prior to joining Tata AIA Life, Venky was the Executive Vice President for Bancassurance, Assets and International business at ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, instrumental in setting up their Bancassurance business. During his enriching career, Venky has played key roles in Stock Holding Corporation of India and Kothari Pioneer Mutual Fund. Venky holds a Masters in Financial Management from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.

Venkatachalam Iyer, also known as Venky to his colleagues, joined Tata AIA Life in 2016 as Chief Partnership Distribution and rose to the position of President & Chief Distribution Officer, Marketing & Corporate Communications. Venky brings to the table his vast experience in the financial services industry spanning Life Insurance, Asset Management Business and Custodial Services. His 25 year long career encompasses Sales and Distribution, Channel Management, and key Strategy roles.

Prior to joining Tata AIA Life, Venky was the Executive Vice President for Bancassurance, Assets and International business at ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, instrumental in setting up their Bancassurance business. During his enriching career, Venky has played key roles in Stock Holding Corporation of India and Kothari Pioneer Mutual Fund. Venky holds a Masters in Financial Management from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.

Ms. Kristyl Pais Bhesania is the President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Tata AIA Life Insurance. In her current role, she oversees the entire HR vertical of the company. Kristyl has joined Tata AIA Life Insurance in December 2011.

Kristyl started her career with Johnson & Johnson and thereafter headed HR for Tata NYK, where she set up the HR department. She has also had a stint with Euro RSCG as Head of HR.

Prior to Tata AIA Life, she was with Taj Group of Hotels, where she worked as Director Human Resources. She worked with the iconic hospitality brand for 12 years, having handled more than 40 of the group's international as well as the Premium hotels. She was part of the team that launched Vivanta by Taj brand in 2010. As a strategic business partner at Vivanta by Taj, HR focused on working on solutions to develop and train associates on the "Vivanta way of life".

Kristyl am certified in MBTI Assessments. She is a certified external assessor for the Tata Business Excellence Model and a certified IRIS trainer and assessor.

She is a graduate in Economics from Mumbai University and also done her MMS from Mumbai. Kristyl loves travelling and reading.

Srinivasan Parthasarathy is the President and CFO, Chief of Staff, Strategy, New Business Alliances, Real Estate and Infrastructure of Tata AIA Life. He joined the company in September 2024 from Digit Life Insurance where he was the MD & CEO.
 

With nearly three decades experience, Srini has been a leader in the insurance industry with experience across Life, Health and Pensions in both India and the UK.
 

Prior to Digit Life, Srini was the Chief & Appointed Actuary and Head of Products at HDFC life where he launched several first-to-market products and was part of the IPO team that took the company to list on the stock exchanges. 
 

Srini is a qualified actuary from both UK and India institutes. He enjoys traveling and badminton.