Washington, D.C.–The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) announced the addition of a third Vice Chairman, two new board members and one board advisor.
Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe Systems and President of the Adobe Foundation, has been a member of the USISPF board and has recently been selected to lead as a Vice Chairman of the Board. Mr. Narayen has worked closely on the global strategy for Adobe and expanding the company’s business into India.
Of the recent appointment, Mr. Narayen said, “Strong strategic ties between the U.S. and India have never been more important than they are today. USISPF has emerged as a powerful force in the U.S.-India strategic partnership and it is a privilege to be asked to serve as Vice Chairman. I look forward to working with business and government leaders in both countries to promote our shared goals of improved economic growth, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”
New business leaders recently inducted into the Washington-based advocacy group’s board include Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of Spice Jet Limited along with John Kern, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Operations at Cisco Ltd.
With the addition of the two new members, the number of the board members has increased to 31. USISPF continues to attract high caliber board members, who serve as both prominent business leaders and global influencers with an ability to impact international relations and corporate affairs worldwide.
Mr. Singh brings a wealth of experience to his position on the Board. He acquired low cost airline SpiceJet in 2004 and helped revive the company after financial losses in 2015, later becoming Chairman and Managing Director. Mr. Singh said, “India is at a pivotal time in this relationship, with the United States recognizing India as “a leading power” in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. I’m thrilled to join the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum at such a relevant time in this relationship, and I look forward to promoting this powerful partnership through my work with the forum.”
Mr. Kern joined Cisco in 2003 and has worked in various supply chain positions before becoming Vice President of Supply Chain Operations. He possesses great experience in global operations and spoke about the country’s potential, saying, “India is an incredible country for Cisco, representing an emerging economy with a great growth opportunity, world-class talent, and an integral part of our global supply chain. I look forward to building the U.S.-India relationship through my work at Cisco and in my work at USISPF.”
In addition to the new vice chairman and new board members, USISPF is adding General David Petraeus (U.S. Army, Ret.) as an Advisor to the Board. General Petraeus is the Chairman of the KKR Global Institute. He was previously the Director of the CIA and commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), as well as Commander of U.S. Central Command and Commander of the Multinational Force in Iraq during the surge developments. He will assist the forum with its assessment of geopolitical developments and counter-terrorism efforts. Regarding his new leadership role in the forum, General Petraeus said, “I am a strong supporter of the relationship between the U.S. and India, and look forward to being part of the important work of USISPF.”
While promoting trade is an important part of the organization’s work, it focuses on promoting job creation, inclusion, start-ups, innovation, and education. USISPF works to create the most powerful strategic relationship between U.S. and India, and believes this can be achieved by business and government coming together to create meaningful opportunities that have the power to change the lives of citizens.
“We are excited to welcome these three important leaders to our board,” said, Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President of USISPF. “They will add great value to the work that the USISPF board and staff is already doing with regards to trade, supply chain management, and defense work.”
As champions of the U.S.-India commercial and strategic partnership, we believe there is an unprecedented opportunity for business communities in both countries to play a larger role in the next chapter of this important bilateral-partnership. USISPF is uniquely suited to work together with leaders in the U.S. and India to achieve our shared goals.
Headquartered in Washington D.C., USISPF has offices in New York, Silicon Valley, Mumbai and New Delhi.
