Board Stewardship Mumbai Huddle Examines Purpose-Led Growth and Cross-Mentoring for Future Leaders
Discussions featuring senior business leaders explored how Boards can align profitability with purpose and build leadership capabilities beyond functional boundaries.
The role of purpose in driving business performance and the need to develop leaders with a broader organisational perspective emerged as key themes at the Board Stewardship Bumper Huddle in Mumbai on October 5, 2026. Held at Godrej Dance Theatre, NCPA, under the theme Stewardship in Boardrooms, the event brought together Directors and senior executives for discussions on boardroom effectiveness, stakeholder value and leadership development. The Steward Leadership Institute (SLI), Singapore, was the Principal Partner, with Search Value and Crossmentors as Gold Partners and BoardPAC as Knowledge Partner.
The programme opened with a welcome address by Vikesh Wallia, Managing Director & Editor, Board Stewardship, who highlighted the importance of creating a platform for Directors and business leaders to exchange perspectives on evolving boardroom responsibilities. Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman, Advisory Board, Board Stewardship, delivered the inaugural address, emphasising constructive dialogue, diverse viewpoints and long-term value creation.
The first discussion followed the release and reading of Maximum Purpose, Maximum Profit by Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO, SLI. The panel featured Peshawaria, Haribhakti, Sunil Puri, Senior Vice President, Research & Engagement, SLI, and Lakshmi Iyer, Group President-Investments, MD & CEO, Bajaj Alternate Investment Management Limited.
Exploring the relationship between purpose and profitability, Peshawaria said, “Purpose and profit are not a trade-off. When purpose is real, it becomes a company’s strongest competitive advantage.” Puri highlighted the growing responsibility of corporate Boards, observing, “With four of the world’s ten most powerful economic entities now being companies rather than countries, Boards carry an enormous responsibility.” The discussion examined how Boards can look beyond immediate financial outcomes and consider the wider impact of business decisions on stakeholders.
The second panel, Cross Mentoring: Leadership Imperative for the Future, examined how organisations can prepare leaders for responsibilities beyond their functional expertise. The discussion featured Shrijeet Mishra, former Chief Innovation Officer, Aditya Birla Group; former COO – Times of India Group, ED – HUL; PR Somasundaram, former CEO, Laxmi Vilas Bank & CEO, World Gold Council, Independent Director and Advisor; Sangeeta Tanwani, CEO, Textiles (Grasim), Aditya Birla Group; Sudarshan Sampathkumar, Independent Director, Bajaj Electricals & Bajaj Projects, former MD, Bain & Co.; and Giridhar Sanjeevi, former CFO, Taj Group Hotels, Independent Director, Board Chair & Audit Committee Chair, Amagi; Independent Director, SBI Funds Management Limited.
With AI, automation, sustainability and internationalisation reshaping businesses, the panellists discussed how cross-functional exposure can help leaders approach challenges from different perspectives. Mishra highlighted the role of cross-mentoring in broadening leadership capabilities, while Somasundaram stressed its distinction from conventional training.
“Refreshing to see cross-mentoring enter the boardroom vocabulary explicitly as a success mantra for CXOs, clearly distinguished from training,” Somasundaram said. He also described Maximum Purpose, Maximum Profit as “a compass rather than a map” for leaders navigating difficult decisions.
Reflecting on the Huddle, Giridhar Sanjeevi, former CFO, Taj Group Hotels, said, “As a Fellow member – I have been attending the huddles – and it is great to see the growing sophistication of the huddles.” He added that the discussions offered aspiring Directors broader perspectives and takeaways for serving board members that they could implement immediately.
The programme concluded with the felicitation of Board Stewardship members, followed by networking over cocktails and dinner. Mumbai marked the first stop of the three-city Bumper Huddle series, which continued in New Delhi on October 7 and Bengaluru on October 9.
