Management Awards Judging Committee
Chair: 
Michelle Austin, Financial Director
Keegor, Johannesburg, South Africa
Michelle Austin is a distinguished leader in the manufacturing and entrepreneurial sectors, serving as the Financial Director of the Keegor group of companies. With a career marked by strategic vision and a commitment to empowerment, she has led the group to achieve significant growth and innovation within the industry. Under her leadership, Keegor has secured numerous key acquisitions. These strategic moves have positioned the group as a global leader in providing equipment and consumables essential to refineries and laboratories worldwide.
Michelle is an active member of several professional organizations, including the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), and the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA). Her memberships in these organizations reflect her commitment to maintaining the highest standards of professional excellence and continued professional development. Michelle is a passionate advocate for diversity and the empowerment of women in male-dominated industries. She believes that diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making and higher organizational performance. Her dedication extends to education, training, and development, particularly focusing on empowering women and youth to address unemployment challenges in South Africa. As an Infinite Family mentor and the Gauteng Director of the Women’s Business Club, Michelle actively supports the educational and career success of South African teens and women in business. She was also a mentor for the 2023 South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) mentorship program.
Michelle's commitment to leadership and innovation is further highlighted by her role as host of the "Lead with Impact" podcast. This platform explores various topics such as entrepreneurship, leadership, and strategic thinking, featuring insights from industry leaders to inspire and educate listeners. Michelle’s contributions have earned her numerous accolades, highlighting her significant impact and leadership. In 2023, Michelle was bestowed with the illustrious "Woman of the Year" title at The Stevie International Business Awards. She was recognized by the 2023 Forty Under Forty Africa Awards in the Manufacturing category, which celebrates the continent's most influential and accomplished business leaders under the age of forty. She was also honored with the TITAN Business Awards, winning both the 2023 Platinum Award for Woman Leadership of the Year and the 2023 Gold Award for Manufacturing Entrepreneur. In 2022, Michelle received the SEIFSA Business Woman of the Year Award, underscoring her exceptional leadership and commitment to excellence. Her achievements showcase her dedication to fostering innovation, nurturing growth, and championing gender diversity and empowerment. Michelle also brings her wealth of experience to judging prestigious international award competitions. She served as a judge at the 2023 US Customer Experience Awards (USCXA), the 2023 International Customer Experience Awards (ICXA), and the 2023 Forty Under 40 South Africa Awards. Through these roles, she aims to recognize outstanding achievements in business and leadership, inspire excellence, and drive industry standards forward.
Her story is one of relentless pursuit of excellence and unwavering commitment to empowering others, making her a beacon of hope and inspiration for aspiring women in business.
Committee:
Professor Mohamed Abdalla, Technical Advisor
Ministry of Interior-Kingdom of Bahrain, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Professor Abdalla is a Technical Advisor for the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the Head of Excellence Team at Human Resources Directorates (MOI). He is a Professor and Lecturer at Engineering College at the University of Bahrain, Kingdom University, and the Royal Police Academy and has presented many technical papers at numerous international conferences.
Carol Adetona, Adviser Oil Spills Compensation
Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited, Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Carol Adetona works with Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited. She is a certified Mediator and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators. Carol holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Studies and a Diploma in Public Relations from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, UK.
Nawal Yousif Alhanaee, Director of Future Energy Department
Mini’stry of Energy and Infrastructure Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dr. Eng. Nawal is currently working as Director of Future Energy department in the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure - Dubai. She is the head of the happiness and wellbeing team and member innovation team in the ministry. She has been involved in Municipality affairs and projects, and was the Head of the building.
Pragya Batra, Business Consulting Manager
EY, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Pragya is a Strategy and Transformation Manager in EY with over 8 years of consulting experience managing the delivery of large-scale implementations for leading global companies. She has significant experience in business and digital transformations, customer strategy, and finance. Pragya has led complex programs for several Fortune 500 companies.
Hari Prasad Bhupathi, Engineering Manager
Stellantis, Troy, Michigan, United States
Hari Prasad Bhupathi is a highly accomplished professional with more than 23 years of experience in Embedded Software with a strong background in developing cutting-edge automotive software solutions. Currently serving as Supervisor Core Application Platform SWx since 2022, Hari is known for leading high-performance teams, driving innovation, and delivering impactful projects.
Caner Çakır, Service Manager
Akbank T.A.S., Istanbul, Turkey
Caner brings extensive experience to the software and banking industries. His expertise extends across multiple domains, including software development, software architecture, digital innovation, service reliability, banking operations, and team leadership. Recognized with multiple innovation projects and awards, his passion lies in transforming challenges into opportunities, implementing cutting-edge solutions, and enhancing operational efficiency.
Abhiram Cuduvalli Bhaskar, Partner
Dream Acres Homestay, Somwarpet, Coorg Karnataka, India
DREAM ACRES is a place to learn things that cannot be taught. It is an immersive habitat designed to infinitely elevate your social, cultural, environmental, and moral awareness and values. It is a place for outbound activities, adventure, and fun events for corporate teams, executives, students, and social groups.
Madhavi Godbole, Senior Vice President
Apolisrises Inc, Vista, California, United States
Madhavi is a senior Information Technology Executive adept at building and leading enterprise technology portfolios to accomplish strategic business objectives. She has in-depth functional expertise in enterprise business areas of finance, Supply chain management, accounting, taxation, reconciliation, enterprise structure, and chart of accounts design. She is skilled in building strong, trust-based relationships.
Tammy Godby, Global Director, Organizational Development
Percepta, Dearborn, Michigan, United States
Tammy builds strong cross-functional relationships, leads diverse delivery team initiatives/projects, and champions thought leadership. She holds a BA degree in Organizational Management and Public Administration, an MS degree in Executive Leadership and Organizational Change, and certifications in Leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and is a National Mental Health First Aid Instructor.
Dedeepya Sai (Datta) Gondi, CTO/Director
Simplyturn Technologies, Princeton, Texas, United States
Dedeepya Sai Gondi is a seasoned Lead AI/ML expert with 10 years of experience and CTO of Simplyturn Technologies. As a healthcare researcher and senior IEEE and AAAI member, Dedeepya has authored two books. He is focused on building new solutions and creating young entrepreneurs.
Rahul Gupta, Senior Manager, Marketing Finance
ServiceNow, Santa Clara, California, United States
Rahul is a Senior Manager at ServiceNow focusing on managing the budgeting and forecasting process for the marketing team and the development and implementation of reporting standards and metrics to measure the effectiveness of marketing activities. Previously, he was an Investment Banking Associate at Morgan Stanley focused on Technology M&A and IPOs.
Alison Holdcroft, Director of Finance
National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Alison Holdcroft is a CIMA qualified Finance Director with more than 20 years of experience with international, multi-million dollar corporations. Her previous organizations have included a rich mix of public companies, private equity, public sector and non-profit organizations.
Rohit Kamath, Senior Finance Director
Traeger Pellet Grills, San Francisco, California, United States
Rohit Kamath is currently the Head of Finance Planning and Analysis (FP&A) at Traeger Grills. He has 16+ years of finance, strategy and leadership experiences at companies like Nike, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Atos Origin. He holds a MBA from Willamette University, Oregon and Bachelors in Electronics Engineering.
Nitish Mahajan, Director
PwC Pricewaterhousecoopers, Irving, Texas, United States
Nitish is a Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC's) Advisory - Cloud and Digital Platform specializing in Oracle Cloud-enabled finance transformation engagements focused on financial services clients. He leads the delivery of Finance Transformation and Enterprise Performance Management solutions and has significant experience helping CFOs improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Finance and Accounting functions.
Michele Allen, Principal
Crux Creative Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
With over 30 years of expertise in design and marketing, Michele Allen founded Crux, a 360° Creative and Marketing Agency, in 2005. She excels in creating experiential spaces, brand development, and digital marketing, consistently delivering exceptional results and fostering deep connections between brands and their audiences.
Rishabh Mangal, Senior Project Manager
Holt Construction Corp., New York City, New York, United States
Rishabh Mangal brings over 12 years of experience in the real estate and construction industry, specializing in resource allocation, team leadership, and project management. He excels in procurement, stakeholder integration, risk mitigation, contract negotiation, and delivering comprehensive presentations to clients, ensuring alignment with business strategy and financial stability.
Subhadeep Nandi, Sr Analyst, Logistics
Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, California, United States
Subhadeep has over 17 years of professional experience and currently works with Global Supply Chain team to implement projects and streamline logistics and shipping operations. He has hands-on experience leading solution architecture and systems integrations. He works closely with business stakeholders, PMO’s, and business analysts to define the scope of projects and oversee execution.
Ozioma Onyeibor, Vice President
Iroko Capital, Lagos, Nigeria
Ozioma has been a Vice President at Iroko Capital since 2017. She has more than 18 years of experience in investment banking, principal investments, active portfolio management, start-ups, and securities trading. Ozioma holds an MBA from Imperial College Business School London and is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Securities Trader.
Burcu Özdemir, CEO
TBWA Istanbul Group, Balmumcu, Istanbul, Turkey
Burcu Özdemir started her career at Manajans/J.T. Thomson before moving to Güzel Sanatlar/Saatchi & Saatchi. Burcu then joined TBWA\Istanbul in 2002. Burcu currently serves as President on the Board of Directors of the Advertising Association, and is a member of the board of OMD and the American Chamber of Commerce.
Ravindra Kumar Patro, Business Operations Manager
Zum Services Inc., Carson, California, United States
Ravindra Kumar Patro is an expert in the tech transformation of operations and supply chains and has extensive military and corporate experience. He holds a Juris Doctor from Berhampur University and an MBA from USC. At Zūm Services Inc., he has led innovative projects, realizing operational efficiencies, tech integration, and transformative change.
Sidharth Ramsinghaney, Director Strategy and Operations
TWILIO, McKinney, Texas, United States
Sidharth Ramsinghaney, with over 15 years of experience in industry and management consulting, serves as the Director of Strategy and Operations at Twilio. His background includes leadership roles at McKinsey & Company, where he led programs shaping business strategies and driving transformational change.
Tasnim Salem Al Falasi, Section Manager
Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tasnim Salem Alfalasi is a government employee at Dubai Municipality with an experience of 15 years in the field of Awareness in Environment & Food Security. Tasnim holds a Master’s in Quality and an MBA, and is a graduate of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Secondment Leadership program 2020.
Bronwen Sciortino, CEO & Founder
sheIQ Life Pty Ltd, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Bronwen Sciortino is an International Author and Simplicity Expert who spent almost two decades as an award-winning executive before experiencing a life changing event that forced her to stop and ask the question ‘What if there’s a better way to live?’ Bronwen spends everyday teaching people.
Alan Sienes, Corp.Tech.Executive
San Miguel Corporation, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Alan has vast experience in Brewing Technology Management gained in stints as Brewmaster/Brewing Manager/Consultant of plants in the Philippines, China, Southeast Asia; Mt. Everest Brewery, Nepal. He’s back as Dean, SMC School of Brewing; has MBA from Ateneo de Manila University-GSB with Gold Medal Honors, and ChE from University of San Carlos.
Sheriq Sumar, Director - Equity Research
Evercore ISI, New York City, New York, United States
Sandeep Telu, Senior Principal - Business Consulting
Infosys Consulting, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States
Sandeep Telu is a Digital Business Transformation Professional guiding organizations through successful digital transformations. With a wealth of experience as a trusted consultant and advisor for numerous organizations across diverse industries, he has played a pivotal role in empowering organizations to leverage digital technologies for strategic change and enhanced competitiveness.
Elliot Umole, Deputy JVO
Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, an Affiliate of ExxonMobil, Lagos, Nigeria
Elliot is an innovative operations leader known for driving sustainable transformations and technological advancements for energy sufficiency. With a strong background in leading cross-functional teams, Elliot leverages his strategic thinking to overcome challenges and elevate operational performance. His expertise in executive leadership, operations excellence, and change management has built a solid foundation for success.