A Gender-balanced NEC for EEMA; Women in the Leadership Opine

by EVENTFAQS Bureau Industry Watch | September 18, 2017 | News

EEMA has just announced the list of names who will make up the new National Executive Committee. Sabbas Joseph will continue as President of the NEC to ensure a smooth transition in the leadership.

Commenting on the new committee, Sabbas Joseph remarked, “While forming the new National Leadership Team, we’ve looked at new faces, new energies and new leaders from across the organisation as much as possible. We’ve broad-based ourselves to bring in fresh leaders knowing fully well that the old guard will support the new team as their own.”

Members include Mandeep Singh as Executive Vice President; Anjali Pasricha as General Secretary; Ankur Kalra as Treasurer; Vijay Nair as Senior Vice President; Meenu Varma as VP – North; Oum Pradutt, VP – South; Tabassum Modi, VP – West; Vijay Bokadia, VP – East; Poonam Lal, VP – Gender Equality, Brand & Communication; Avik Menezes, VP – Youth Empowerment; Sushma Gaikwad, VP – Education and Talent Development; Sid Ganeriwalla, VP – Health and Safety; Harjinder Singh, VP – Regional Association engagement; Rakhi Kankaria, VP – FICCI/ CII Engagement; Vijay Arora, VP – Ecosystem Engagement; and Gautam Jain, Mentor, East.

Sabbas Joseph who is seriously driving the message of women equality and empowerment has ensured a gender-balanced NEC. This comes in the guise of an opportunity to add new blood and leadership to the NEC of EEMA.

EVENTFAQS speaks exclusively with the women leadership of the EEMA NEC on their opinion of the gender-balance and opportunity therein:

Anjali Pascricha- Director, CS Direkt

This new gender-balanced NEC leadership team shows a progressive approach of EEMA and our President and I am honored to be be a part of it . But a balanced cabinet is not only about demographics though , its also about the abilities and capabilities , which has been balanced immaculately.

Now, more than ever, we need to work together, to deliver on the agenda set for our industry and to build a committee that works for everyone. It is a relay , and I still need to understand the baton and its goal . We will set that goal soon and reveal it ,as time unfolds , however you can definitely expect some fresh energy and new ideas from our side.

Manika Garg- Director, E-Factor Entertainment

Incorporating women power in the NEC shall make it a more comprehensive and well-balanced team. The intrinsic attributes that women bring to the organisation are unique to them and make the association more radiant, intuitively empathetic and thoughtful for each member attached to it.

Only the Yin and Yang energies combined make for a perfect whole and I’m glad that we are mindfully moving towards that end.Women are creators and nurturers and that instinct makes for lasting relationships , such that our entire events industry shall benefit from this new synergy.

Sushma Gaikwad- Founder, ICE Global

It is exciting to see an increase in the representation of women in the NEC. It is a wonderful step to demonstrate gender equality and drive equal participation. I am certain that the industry will benefit from the various perspectives and enthusiasm of the newly instituted NEC.

I am excited at the prospect of adding value to the education and skill development portfolio. The intention is to intensify knowledge and skill sharing by employing various platforms such as online learning and in-depth technical workshops. Tie-ups with human resource bodies will provide the industry with access to global knowledge forums. The emphasis is on fostering existing talent and creating avenues to attract the right set of potential talent into the industry.

Gitikka Ganju Dhar, Emcee

This was expected. Atleast, I expected this game-changer. I see it as a natural progression of EEMA's initiative, We Care. This move will result in fresh new ideas on the table and a freah approach too. It will also send out an important message to the industry in general. This means we have begun to walk the talk. A boost in the arm for our public image too! The women appointed have a clear track record of being driven to achieve excellence. As the President says, We Are EEMA, We Are The Change!

Poonam Lal, Director, Marketing Solutions

It is great to see deserving women get key roles in the newly constituted NEC. And honestly, why are we even surprised! What else can one expect from a President who called for a gender equal and safe work place for women in the industry, and has always recognized women as great co workers, and acknowledged their contribution to the events industry. Anything less would have surprised me. Now the NEC looks more balanced and more powerful. There's a lot of new names, which means new energies and new ideas! Safe to say then, that we can look forward to some exciting work ahead as an association!

Niyati Vora, VP Brand Activation, Wizcraft International

Times have changed..women and men work side by side to create spectacular results.

Women bring perspective...diverse and unique points of view and as an equal rights enthusiast I am glad we have a robust number of women in our teams.

The committee on Youth Empowerment has just been formed hence we are in the process of charting the strategy. To give you an Idea, We are developing a platform for the youth to empower them with an access to credible information and provide the right direction to join the experiential industry.

While EEMA has brought in a lot of new blood into the organisation, it also retains a number of key members to ensure continuity.

“The new team has young leaders and we have several of our women leaders taking pole position. And both of these aspects make me especially proud. I am particularly delighted to welcome Anjali Pasricha, Meenu Varma and Avik Menezes as first-time members of the NEC. There are multiple new faces in the National Working Committee and I’m delighted that we have so many wonderful people as leaders of EEMA companies,” added Joseph.

This new development comes with its fair share of farewells, even as Rajeev Jain has requested to be relieved of his responsibilities at the AGM. Joseph said, “Rajeev has served in various positions across the NEC over the last 10 years. In the last three years, he has worked tirelessly alongside me on some of the most important initiatives and has also guarded our finances like he would do his own. Thanks Rajeev. May your tribe increase.”

There are separate National Councils being constituted for Youth Empowerment, Women Empowerment, Health & Safety, Education & Talent Development and the first-ever CFOs Council.

Sabbas Joseph will continue as President of the NEC to ensure a smooth transition in the leadership.