Board Stewardship Huddle Returns to Dubai, Spotlighting the Evolving Role of Boards
The second edition of the Board Stewardship Huddle concluded successfully in Dubai on January 23, 2026, at the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, bringing together an influential gathering of board members, governance experts, and senior corporate leaders. Anchored around the theme ‘Stewardship in Boardroom,’ the Huddle served as a platform for thoughtful dialogue on board effectiveness, accountability, and leadership in an increasingly complex and interconnected global environment.
Opening the evening, Vikesh Wallia, Managing Director and Editor, Board Stewardship, welcomed participants and set the context for the discussions that followed. This was followed by the Inaugural Address on “Stewardship in Boardroom” by Nasser Munjee, Former Chairman, DCB Bank and Independent Director on several boards, who underscored the critical role of Boards in guiding organisations with integrity, foresight, and long-term responsibility.
Reflecting on the event, Vikesh Wallia said, “The Dubai edition of the Board Stewardship Huddle reaffirmed that effective boards today must move beyond oversight to true stewardship. The depth of dialogue across inclusion, audit leadership, sustainability, digital readiness, and technology governance reflected a shared recognition that boards play a decisive role in shaping resilient, responsible, and future-ready organisations. The engagement and perspectives shared in Dubai reinforce our commitment to building boardrooms that are thoughtful, accountable, and globally relevant.”
Beyond Representation – Building Inclusive, Culturally Intelligent & Effective Boards
The first plenary session, moderated by Dr. Ish Anand, Founder & CEO, Relia Smart Global Advisory (FZE), UAE, featured Priya Sarma, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Head, Unilever B&W GCC, Turkey, Pakistan & Bangladesh; Banali Luthra Malhotra, Marketing Visionary, Board Member and Angel Investor; and Ines Cases, Partnership & Collaboration Specialist, GCC Liaison Office, UN Women. The discussion explored how boards can move beyond symbolic diversity to embed inclusion and cultural intelligence into their decision-making processes, enabling stronger collaboration and more effective governance outcomes.
Inès Cases said, “The Board Stewardship Huddle offered a valuable space to reflect on how inclusive governance strengthens board effectiveness. From UN Women’s perspective in the GCC, established in 2016 under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, initiatives such as the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and the Unstereotype Alliance UAE Chapter, demonstrate how evidence-based inclusion strengthens long-term organisational performance and that it is not only the right thing to do, but also a smart business strategy that enhances decision-making, resilience, and long-term value creation.”
Banali Luthra Malhotra said, “Hi Board Stewardship Team, Huge thanks for having me on the panel at the Dubai Huddle—what a super event! Special shoutout to Dr. Ish Anand and Vikesh Walia for making it all happen. Loved the energy, discussions, and connections. Honored to be part of it and excited for more.”
Role of Audit Committee Chair – The Governance Guardian
Another key plenary session focused on the evolving responsibilities of the Audit Committee Chair, featuring Himanish Chaudhuri, Senior Advisor, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, India LLP; Manu Chadha, Independent Director on Multiple Boards; Nasser Munjee; and Ram Ramanathan, Group Director & Group CFO, IFFCO Group. The discussion highlighted the Audit Committee Chair’s role as a governance guardian, responsible for safeguarding financial integrity, strengthening risk oversight, ensuring regulatory compliance, and maintaining stakeholder trust.
Energy, Climate & Sustainability – A Solutions Approach
The session on energy transition and sustainability featured Gauri Jauhar, Executive Director, Strategic Energy & Climate Initiatives, S&P Global; Nick Lowes, Vice President, Strategic Energy & Climate Initiatives, S&P Global; and Amit Wankhede, CEO, Petromin (National Fuel Company), AI Dabbagh Group. The conversation focused on solution-driven approaches to climate and energy challenges, and the role boards play in guiding sustainable strategies while balancing growth, resilience, and accountability.
Gauri Jauhar said, “The conversation was timely and elevated the energy conversation for boards to frame it in its fullest context of security and sustainability. It brought out key aspects of how energy dependent and energy intensive industries are impacted by the elements around cost and supply chains that impact security and emission reduction expectations that guide sustainability choices and outcomes. It further underscored that a lack of full appreciation of energy variables and linkages can impact the financing of energy flows, which again can lead to disruptions in achieving the requirements of energy security and sustainability.”
Nick Lowes said, “I thoroughly enjoyed participating in a panel on ‘Energy, Climate and Sustainability: A Solutions Approach’ at the Board Stewardship Huddle in Dubai on 23rd January 2026. The panel discussed how energy and sustainability have become key issues for Boards over recent years, the factors driving this, and where Boards will need to increase their levels of understanding in these areas to develop effective strategies, manage risk, and meet increasing reporting requirements.”
“The Digital Board Member” – Deininger Report
This plenary session, featuring Angela Thomas, Partner, Consumer & Retail, India & Middle East, Deininger; Manish Varghese, MD, India & Middle East, Deininger; Tom Griffin, Managing Partner, Middle East & Africa, Control Risk; and Vikesh Wallia, examined the growing importance of digital fluency at the board level and its implications for governance, risk, and organisational resilience.
Angela Thomas said, “The Board Stewardship Huddle in Dubai on 23rd January was an exceptional evening marked by thoughtful and engaging dialogue. Discussions covered timely topics such as the evolving role of boards, the importance of audit committees as conscience keepers, the growing corporate focus on energy, and the digital landscape and the need for board-level digital fluency. Thank you to Vikesh and the Board Stewardship team for curating such a well-planned and impactful forum.”
From Curiosity to Custodianship – Governing AI, Technology & Cyber Risk by Board
The concluding plenary featured Dr. Tamil Selvan Ramadoss, Group Finance, Risk & Business Transformation Officer, RMB Group; Rishikesh Trivedi, President, Supply Chain & Logistic Group (SCLG) and Founder, Market Mate; and Satish Kumar, Founder & CEO, Simsy.AI. The discussion focused on how boards can move from curiosity to custodianship by actively governing AI, technology adoption, and cyber risks as core strategic and fiduciary responsibilities.
Powered by BoardPAC, TRC Pamco, Deininger, S&P Global, and Merlin Real Estate as Knowledge Partners, with Relia Smart Global Advisory (FZE) as Corporate Partner, the Board Stewardship Huddle reinforced its position as a critical forum for advancing stewardship, foresight, and collaborative governance—bringing leaders together at the confluence of “Connect. Collaborate. Celebrate.”
