Board Stewardship Huddle Returns To Dubai For Stewardship In Boardrooms !
The Board Stewardship Huddle is launching second edition in Dubai on January 23rd, 2026, at the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, convening an influential gathering Board members, governance experts, and corporate leaders. With the theme “Stewardship in Boardroom,” the Huddle promises an evening of meaningful dialogue, practical insights, and future-focused perspectives on board effectiveness, accountability, and leadership in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
The Huddle will open with a Welcome Address by Vikesh Wallia, Managing Director and Editor, Board Stewardship, followed by the Inaugural Address: Stewardship in Boardroom, by Nasser Munjee, Former Chairman DCB Bank, Independent Director on Several Boards.
Plenary Session: Beyond Representation – Building Inclusive, Culturally Intelligent & Effective Boards
The programme starts with a plenary session moderated by Dr. Ish Anand, Founder & CEO, Relia Smart Global Advisory (FZE), UAE; Priya Sharma, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Head, Unilever B&W GCC, Turkey, Pakistan & Bangladesh; Banali Luthra Malhotra, Marketing Visionary, Board Member, Angel Investor; and Ines Cases, Partnership & Collaboration Specialist, GCC Liaison Office, UN Women. The session will explore how Boards can move beyond symbolic diversity to embed inclusion and cultural intelligence into boardroom decision-making, enabling stronger collaboration and more effective governance outcomes.
Plenary Session: Role of Audit Committee Chair – The Governance Guardian
The session will feature 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. This discussion will focus on the Audit Committee Chair’s responsibility as a governance sentinel, overseeing financial integrity, risk management, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder trust.
Plenary Session: Energy, Climate & Sustainability – A Solutions Approach
The session on the much-discussed topic will feature 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. It will focus on solution-driven approaches to energy transition and climate challenges, highlighting how Boards can guide sustainable strategies while balancing growth, resilience, and accountability.
Plenary Session: “The Digital Board Member” – Deininger Report
This session will be spotlighted by 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.
Plenary Session: From Curiosity to Custodianship – Governing AI, Technology & Cyber Risk by Board
The session will feature Dr. Tamil Selvan Ramadoss, Group Finance, Risk & Business Transformation Officer, RMB Group- UAE, Africa, North America, Asia & Far East; Rishikesh Trivedi, President Supply Chain & Logistic Group (SCLG), Founder & Market Acceleration Specialist, Market Mate; and Satish Kumar, Founder & CEO, Simsy.AI. This will discuss 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, and Relia Smart Global Advisory (FZE) as Corporate Partner, the Huddle is more than a gathering—it is a statement on the importance of stewardship, foresight, and collaborative governance. Join us in Dubai at the confluence of “Connect. Collaborate. Celebrate.”
