Venkatesh Mahadevan

Transformative CIO powering digital futures with human-centered leadership

Venkatesh is a visionary CIO and technology leader with over three decades of international experience across India, South Asia, the Middle East and North America. He has held senior leadership roles with Fortune 100 companies including Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Motorola and most recently as Chief Information Officer at Dubai Investments PJSC, where he led group-wide digital transformation and technology strategy. A Fellow of the British Computer Society and a recipient of multiple CIO and CXO leadership awards, he is widely regarded as a transformative executive who bridges business strategy and technology execution.​

Today, Venkatesh serves as a strategic advisor for technology and digital transformation, working with marquee clients in India and the UAE to design and deliver next-generation digital programs. His expertise spans enterprise architecture, shared services, information security, risk management and large-scale change, with a track record of keeping organizations at the forefront of innovation. In parallel, he is an active board member, startup and CXO mentor, and angel entrepreneur, helping emerging leaders and founders scale with robust technology and operating models.​

Passionate about human potential, Venkatesh is also an acclaimed ENERGY and peak performance speaker, podcaster and talk show host, best known as the creator of “ZENPod.” An MBA and research scholar, internationally qualified counsellor and premier skills coach, he regularly teaches at leading management institutes and mentors engineering and management students. Whether in the boardroom, classroom or on stage, he focuses on enabling leaders to navigate disruption with clarity, resilience and purpose.

Professor Llewellyn Thomas

Shaping Digital Entrepreneurship

Llewellyn D. W. Thomas is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Business School and a Visiting Professor at Imperial College Business School. He was previously at IESE Business School and Imperial College Business School. His career spans academia and industry, including leadership positions at Hummingbird and Valid Information Systems, alongside entrepreneurial ventures. With a PhD from Imperial College London, an MBA from Bayes (previously Cass) Business School, and an LLB (Hons) and BA (Hons) from the University of Sydney, Llewellyn excels in strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship.​

Llewellyn has pioneered research on ecosystems, platforms, and framing. His scholarship explores ecosystem legitimacy, distributed innovation, and business model disruption, influencing fields such as responsible computing, data markets, and the circular economy. Recognized globally, his publications appear in top journals such as the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Academy of Management Review, and Journal of Management.​ His teaching focuses on digital transformation and corporate strategy.

Beyond academia, Llewellyn has contributed as a trustee for PayPal Giving Fund and board member for AIIM International, blending scholarly rigor with practical governance. His multifaceted expertise positions him at the forefront of transforming how organizations navigate complex, ecosystem-driven markets.

Rashik Parmar MBE

Pioneering Responsible Tech Leadership

Rashik is a distinguished digital leader and technology visionary with over 42 years of experience shaping responsible and impactful IT solutions across global enterprises. As a former IBM Fellow and Vice President, he drove IBM’s European technical strategy, guiding clients toward cloud, AI, and IoT transformations while pioneering concepts like responsible computing through influential Harvard Business Review articles such as “New Patterns for Innovation” and “What is Responsible Computing?”. His tenure as Group CEO of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, elevated the organization’s role as a trusted authority on computing’s future, fostering strategic modernization and growth.​

In advisory capacities, Rashik serves as Senior Independent Member and NERC Council Member at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Council Member at The Open University, and Chair of the Industry Advisory Board at Digit Lab, while also guiding research at Leeds University Business School. A Fellow of both IBM and BCS (FBCS), he held key roles including President of IBM’s Academy of Technology, impacting over $11 billion in revenues, and chaired the Employment and Skills Panel for the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership. His contributions earned him an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services to business and innovation, alongside the Freedom of the City of London.​

Beyond corporate leadership, Rashik is a founding Executive Director of Rangoli Radio, a Leeds-based community station serving the global Indian diaspora, and author of the acclaimed “Sunday Sprinkles” happiness blog, ranked among the world’s top 50. An Adjunct Professor at Imperial College London’s Business School and Visiting Professor in its Electrical & Electronic Engineering Department, he remains a sought-after speaker on digitization and inspiration. Rashik’s blend of technical expertise, strategic vision, and community commitment positions him as a pivotal figure in the CIO community.