/ -- In these unprecedented times, the world is battling a disease of a scale no one imagined. Amid this pandemic, SpeakIn brings to the audience the top voices across all domains who are a guiding light to navigate through this darkness. Deepshikha Kumar, Managing Partner at SpeakIn, comments on the release of this issue, "Managing change is all about adapting to the new normal. With the changes in both individual and organizational behaviour because of the pandemic, SpeakIn is constantly striving to connect you to the most relevant thought leaders to help you embrace this change."
Aditya Ghosh - Adapting to the Downturn in Economy
Dr Anil Lamba - Financial Management during Crisis
Dr Anil Lamba is a chartered accountant, bestselling author, financial literacy activist and international corporate trainer, and the founder-director of Lamcon School of Management. A well-renowned writer with several books and numerous articles to his credit, his training programs are held internationally with a client spreading across India, the US, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. For investors, he advises in an interview, "Since no one knows when normalcy will return, we should be prepared for the worst and so sit on liquid cash that can last you for a fairly long time."
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One of India's finest journalists and TV anchors, Barkha Dutt has been constantly reporting from ground zero about the state of affairs in India during the lockdown. She was the first to interview the expert epidemiologist, Dr Laxminarayan at the onset of coronavirus. Through her tough reporting skills, she has bagged many honours in her name including the youngest journalist to receive the Padma Shri. In a recent op-ed, she comments, "India's poor will need the government's urgent focus. The security guard at AIIMS, who has to walk two hours to the hospital; the municipal sweeper and rag pickers who will not get one day off; the migrant workers with no roof over their heads; and the small shopkeepers who are keeping supply lines going - they will all need significant economic assistance."
Lisa Belanger - Mental Health and Wellness
Dr Lisa Blanger is an expert researcher and the CEO of ConsciousWorks, a consulting firm that educates people on how small habit adjustments can have a positive effect on one's well-being, productivity, and happiness especially during times of duress. She holds a PhD in behavioural medicine, is a certified exercise physiologist and a published author of the book 'Inspire Me Well: Finding Motivation to Take Control of Your Health'. Explaining the concept of 'Gratitude from Solitude', she says, "Investing your time and energy becomes even more important when we're in solitude and by finding things we are thankful for and recognizing those helps during uncertainty."
Chairman and Managing Director of Medanta, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri Dr Naresh Trehan is an eminent cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeon. With more than 50000 surgeries performed by him and over 41 years of professional experience, he is the most sought-after medical professional for advice. In a recent interview he explains, "While SARS was recognised early and hence could be controlled, COVID-19 was recognised late and the rapidity and magnitude of this virus is unprecedented. Every effort must be made now to curb the spread of the virus and urged people to act responsibly."
Chairman of Max Institute of Minimal Access, Padma Shri Dr Pradeep Chowbey is one of the pioneer laparoscopic surgeons in India. He established the Minimal Access and Bariatric Surgery Centre which is also recognized as a Global Centre of Excellence in the field of endo-surgery. In a session with SpeakIn on COVID-19, he explains, "We are equipped at the moment for a reasonable number of patients. If the patients are staggered over a few months, the country would be geared with a large number of medical personnel, PPE and medications. If the curve gets flattened, we can fight this disease and win over it."
Saurabh Srivastava is the Chairman Emeritus of TIE Delhi, is Co-Founder and Director of the Indian Angel Network and Chaired Infinity Ventures, India's first early-stage Venture Fund. He laid the foundation for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India and is revered as the architects of the Indian IT Industry. To entrepreneurs, he advises, "Priority should be to conserve cash and cut down on non-essentials, then you need to focus on your product so that you are in a better position when this end."
Shiv Shivakumar - Strategy in the Time of Coronavirus:
Shiv Shivakumar is the Group Executive president at Aditya Birla group for Strategy and Business Development. He is known to be among the youngest CEOs in India and has been constant at this position for half his career. He has worked with over 50 brands such as PepsiCo, Nokia and HUL and witnessed numerous business transformations. On the COVID-19 crisis, he comments, "This should teach us that we are interdependent and we need each other to do our best, we are not islands in our homes."
Zenobia Rustomfram is the Consultant Counselor at ISB and Founder Director of Greenfields Centre for Outdoor and Development Programs. With counselling and training are her forte, she has been an advisor to many educational institutions where she set up their Counseling Services and framed School policies. She was awarded the Rotary Award for Excellence in Counselling. For a webinar with SpeakIn, she remarks, "This is a toll bell for everyone to slow down. Be calm, be reassuring, be caring and try to look out for things that bring joy and togetherness to you."
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