Subhanu Saxena becomes new chairman of The Bhavan London

Subhanu Saxena has taken over as the new chairman of The Bhavan London. He succeeded Joginder Sanger who stepped down from the position to make way for his successor. Sanger joined The Bhavan London in the late 1970s and became a part of its executive committee after a decade.

Saxena's name for the prestigious post was proposed by Shantoo Ruparell and it was unanimously approved at the executive committee meeting on September 21. Saxena thanked Ruparell and other members and sought their support. It may be mentioned here that Saxena has been associated with The Bhavan for four decades, starting as a student. He later became a teacher of Sanskrit and Veda in the organisation and then a member of the executive committee.

(L-R) Shantoo Ruparell and Joginder Sanger (Picture: The Bhavan)

The man and his entire family have made significant contributions to The Bhavan. Saxena is an authority on the Vedas and Upanishads and loves Urdu poetry. He is also known for his business acumen. He has worked as a global executive in senior posts internationally and is expected to bring his vast experience to The Bhavan as its chairman.

Saxena has been the managing partner at New Rhein Healthcare LLC Private Equity, and president of the New Rhein Foundation. He is a governing council member of Imperial College and holds various board positions. He has been a director at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; a senior advisor to Bain Capital; and a member of the Health Policy Advisory Board for Gilead. He also has previously held various board and advisory roles, such as supervisory board member of Kiadis Pharma.

Saxena's experience has spanned markets in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia and industries, including pharmaceuticals, fast-moving consumer goods, consulting and banking. He was with Cipla, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company with a presence in over 170 countries, as its managing director and global chief executive officer. He has also been a member of Novartis Pharmaceutical Executive Committee and held previous roles with Citigroup, Boston Consulting Group, and Pepsi Co Inc.

Saxena graduated with an MBA from INSEAD France, Fontainebleau, and holds a Master's degree in Engineering Science from Oxford University. He plays classical guitar and teaches Sanskrit and ancient Indian literature and is an executive committee member of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, the largest centre for Indian classical arts in the UK.

Saxena speaks in six languages including, Russian, French, German, and Sanskrit, besides English and Hindi.

The Bhavan thanked Sanger for his leading contribution and he also thanked the executive committee for its continuous support.