Board of Directors, Management & Advisory Council

Mr. Vivek Sharma has been appointed as the Executive Chairman of Suven, effective September 20, 2024, and will oversee the company’s overall business operations, driving growth and strategic direction. With over 25 years of experience in life sciences and the financial industry, Vivek brings a unique blend of expertise in pharmaceutical services, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). His leadership philosophy focuses on aligning the interests of investors, customers, and employees to create significant business value.

Vivek’s extensive knowledge of the CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) sector is reflected in his prior leadership roles, including serving as CEO of Piramal Pharma Solutions from 2014 to 2019, where he led global growth initiatives, and as Chairman and CEO of Adare Pharma Solutions, a technology-driven CDMO, from 2020 to 2022. He also served as CEO of Decision Resources Group, a leader in healthcare analytics, from 2019 to 2020, and most recently as CEO of Saama, an AI-driven clinical analytics company, from 2022 to 2024. In recognition of his significant contributions to the pharmaceutical industry, Vivek was honoured as ‘Global CEO of the Year’ by the CPhI Pharma Awards in 2015.

Vivek holds an Executive MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and is a Chartered and Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Beyond his professional accomplishments, Vivek is passionate about philanthropy, actively supporting causes focused on women’s empowerment, social and educational advocacy, and environmental sustainability. Since 2019, he has been a board member of CEM and continues to serve on the boards of several biotech and technology startups.

Dr. V. Prasada Raju is the Company’s Managing Director, appointed on 29th September 2023. Dr Prasada Raju is also CEO and MD of Cohance Lifesciences Ltd.

Dr Prasada Raju served as an Executive Director at Granules India Ltd., where he played a key role in driving growth strategy, managing the product portfolio, overseeing scientific and regulatory affairs, handling intellectual property matters, and leading new business initiatives. Moreover, he was instrumental in establishing R&D and Greenfield projects within the company. As part of his responsibilities, he served on the Boards of Granules Omnichem Pvt Ltd (Vizag, India), Granules Pharmaceuticals Inc. (DC, USA), and USpharma Ltd (FL, USA).

Dr Prasada Raju’s impressive academic background includes a PhD in chemistry, a PG Dip in patent law, and specialised training in material sciences at IIT, Chicago, USA. He is also an alumnus of the Senior Management Program at IIMC (Indian Institute of Management). With over 30 years of techno-commercial experience in the pharmaceutical industry, spanning various aspects of the value chain, he has held leadership roles at Granules India Limited and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories. During his tenure at Dr. Reddy’s, from 1994 to 2012, he provided technical, strategic, and operational leadership in uniquely challenging positions within the pharma sector.

Overall, Dr V. Prasada Raju’s extensive experience and expertise make him a highly respected and accomplished figure in the pharmaceutical industry, where he continues to make significant contributions in his current roles.

Mr Pankaj Patwari is a Non-Executive Director of the Company, effect from 29th September 2023. He is a Chartered Accountant by training and holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (Lucknow).

As Managing Director – of Advent India PE Advisors Private Limited, he has managed Advent’s investments in Manjushree Technopack Limited and Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited (BSV). He has also been a Director at Manjushree Technopack Limited and Gokaldas Intimatewear Private Limited.

Having worked with Bain Capital before Advent for six years, Pankaj worked on several pharmaceutical and industrial transactions. Before his stint at Bain, Pankaj spent four years with McKinsey & Co., focusing primarily on financial services.

Mr. K G Ananthakrishnan is an Independent Director of the Company with effect from 29th September 2023. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr Ananthakrishnan has held influential positions, including Director General of the Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) and Co-Chair of the Pharma Committee at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), where he played a pivotal role in shaping vital policy initiatives.

Educationally, Mr Ananthakrishnan holds a Master’s in Marketing Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, and a Bachelor’s in Science from Osmania University, Hyderabad. To further enhance his knowledge and skills, he has completed Executive Development Programs at the Wharton Business School, USA, and the Finance for Non-Finance Program at INSEAD, France.

With over 40 years of progressive leadership experience in the pharmaceutical market, Mr. Ananthakrishnan’s career began in 1976 with Novartis India Limited. He then held key positions at Pharmacia India, Pfizer India Ltd., and Fulford (India) Ltd. Notably, during his tenure as Vice President and Managing Director of the South Asia Region at MSD, he successfully transformed the company into a rapid-growth pharmaceutical powerhouse.

Ms Matangi Gowrishankar is an Independent Director of the Company with effect from 29th September 2023. She is a distinguished expert, serving as a Strategic Advisor, Certified Coach, and Catalyst for change. Prior to her current role, Ms Gowrishankar held the esteemed position of BP’s Global Head of Capability Development, where she played a crucial role in enhancing the organisation’s talent capabilities and driving leadership excellence.

With over 40 years of experience working with senior leadership teams, Ms Matangi Gowrishankar brings knowledge and insights to support organisations’ growth and transformation endeavours. Her extensive Business and Human Resources professional background has provided her invaluable global exposure and a deep understanding of various leadership aspects.

Having closely collaborated with Senior Leadership teams, Ms Gowrishankar possesses valuable expertise in emerging skills such as Contemporary Leadership, Leading in a digitally enabled world, and leadership transformation. She collaborates closely with organisations to develop leadership capabilities that align with the demands of a rapidly evolving business landscape, ensuring sustainable success and growth. As an Independent Director, she contributes her wealth of experience and strategic guidance to the Company, playing a significant role in its development and progress.

Mr. Jai Shankar Krishnan has since September 2019, been spearheading strong growth for Danaher Corporation from High Growth Markets. The High Growth Market geographies include India, Japan, Korea, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2017, Mr. Krishnan expanded his leadership role at Danaher Corporation to include Southeast Asia. He joined Danaher Corporation as President and CEO for India in 2008. Before joining Danaher, Mr. Krishnan has worked with PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences as President – India; Novartis Healthcare Pvt Ltd. as Head Global Services – India, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd. as Business Unit Head. He started his career with Hindustan Unilever.

Mr. Krishnan is a Harvard Business School Alumni; Associate Certified Coach from International Coaching Federation; Global Lean Manufacturing certification and Six Sigma Master Blackbelts; META Leadership Program from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health & Harvard Kennedy School of Govt. He is also MBA from Birla Institute of Technology.