Maxell Foundation

Advisory Board

FOUNDER & MANAGING TRUSTEE

Nitin Potdar

Corporate M&A Lawyer
Founder Trustee

Senior Corporate Lawyer & Partner, Head M&A Practice at J. Sagar Associates, Mumbai Nitin Potdar brings with him a wealth of expertise in niche corporate areas across verticals and businesses in the arena of Mergers & Acquisitions, Foreign Direct Investments, Joint Ventures & Foreign Collaborations. He's a renowned analyst of the evolution of laws governing Corporate Takeovers in India as also a key catalyst in providing the right impetus and momentum to rationalise such laws in national interest. He has successfully represented his clients including several Multinational Companies and Indian Corporate Houses in several high profile takeover battles, having defended some of the most hostile bids in the history of corporate India.

A widely acclaimed foreign investment expert, he's advised the best of Indian corporate houses and MNCs on intricate matters like mergers & acquisitions as also sourcing and managing capital through private equity and stock markets across verticals of entertainment, Pharma, IT, FMCG, Engineering, Automobiles and Cement. He's been recognized by the coveted Asia Pacific Legal 500 as a Private equity expert of international repute. He has won accolades from the Chambers & Partner, London for his pioneering consulting work in M & A, FDI, private equity and partnership contracts. He was member of International Bar Council's "India Advisory Group' as also the working Group on Indian Merger Control rules of the International Bar Association. Since the last five years, he has been a revered member of The Chamber of Tax Consultants Corporate Committee.

Nitin Potdar has a vast experience with transactions related to Foreign Direct Investments & Exchange Controls Regulations. He has advised several multinational companies on financial & technical collaborations and consolidations across industries in India. He also has extensive experience in Private Equity transactions including leveraged buyout transactions & exits.

He is one of the very few corporate lawyers blessed with a vivid professional collage. From a boutique firm like V A Phadke and co. to a vintage entity like Crawford Bayley, from a family owned set up like Amarchand & Mangaldas to a professionally structured organization like J. Sagar Associates, his diverse exposure to all kinds of law firms has gone a long way in shaping and refining his rich insights over the years.

A revered speaker at several thought leadership conferences and seminars organized by leading industry institutions and chambers, he is also a self-motivated social author-activist who regularly steers public attention to the larger cause of nation building across academic, social and cultural forums.

ADVISORY BOARD

Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar

Premier Indian Scientist of
Worldwide Acclaim

Dr. R.A. Mashelkar is the President of Global Research Alliance, a network over 60,000 scientists spanning Asia-Pacific, Europe and USA. Dr. Mashelkar has been conferred with the JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award, the first scientist to have won the esteemed recognition.
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He's only the third Indian engineering scientist elected as Fellow of Royal Society (FRS), London in the twentieth century and the only Indian scientist elected to the Foreign Associate of National Academy of Science (USA). One of the foremost pioneers of the innovation movement in India, he has many more firsts to his credit. In August 1997, Business India included him in the coveted list of 50 path-breakers of the post- Independence era.

In November 2005, he became the first Asian scientist to win the Business Week (USA) award of 'Stars of Asia' at the hands of George Bush (Sr.), former President of USA. Dr. Mashelkar has served more than a decade as the Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a mammoth organization having thirty-eight laboratories and about 20,000 employees. He was also the President of Indian National Science Academy and holds honorary doctorates from as many as thirty universities including London, Salford, Pretoria, Wisconsin and Delhi. Above all, he is the recipient of Padmashri (1991) and Padmabhushan (2000), two of the highest civilian honors in recognition of his invaluable contribution to nation building.

Padmashri Kumar Ketkar

Senior Journalist & Editor

Kumar Ketkar, Senior Journalist & Editor, he has served as Chief Editor of Divya Marathi-Dainik Bhaskar Group, Chief Editor Loksatta, The leading Marathi Daily of Indian Express Group.

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Senior Editor of Indian Express Newspapers (Mumbai) Ltd, Editor-In-Chief, Lokmat and also Maharashtra Times & Special Correspondent, The Economic Times, The Times of India Group. Resident Editor, Daily Observer of the Ambani Group, Reliance(1990-93).

Dinesh Keskar

Senior vice president, Asia Pacific & India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes

In a momentous career spanning more than three decades, this visionary intrapreneur has notched up several exemplary feats across strategic functions like Engineering, R & D, Marketing and Sales. No wonder, his rise within the company has been meteoric. From International director to President of Boeing India to senior vice president for commercial sales for Asia Pacific and India, his big leap is enthralling and inspiring in the same breath.
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In his current position, he is responsible for Boeing's business relationships and sales of commercial airplanes to airline customers in India and throughout the Asia Pacific region. . Today, he serves on several boards and organizations, including the national board of directors of the American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin and remains an active member of Indian community organizations in the United States.. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society; and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Shailesh Haribhakti

Senior Chartered Accountant
Group Chairman of Baker Tilly & Managing Partner of Haribhakti & Co. LLP.

Mr. Haribhakti brings a wealth of experience in financial services with special expertise in new business models. His career spanning more than 4 decades glitters with many firsts and distinctions that include successfully introducing innovative services.
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He is currently focused on SME Ecosystem Transformation and Mentor Capital provision. He also plays a key role in framing regulations and standards for leading forums and regulatory bodies. These include ASSOCHAM, CII and the Indian Merchants' Chamber.

He is currently Chairman of National Pension Scheme trust and Member of Pension Advisory Committee (PAC) of Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA). He also serves as director on the board of ten large Indian companies. He has also been visiting faculty at IIM-Ahmedabad and is frequently invited to speak at seminars, conferences and training programs.

Sunil Deshmukh (US)

Globally renowned
Commodity Trading Expert

Led a successful career in commodities trading at investment banking firms including Goldman Sachs, Dreyfus, and Citibank. At Dreyfus Energy, Sunil headed the oil trading desk. Prior to working at investment banks, Mr. Deshmukh worked at Exxon and BP in the operations group at their Baton Rouge and Cleveland locations. He is the founding member of Sierra Club's Climate Recovery Campaign in the US.
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Prior to working at investment banks, Mr. Deshmukh worked at Exxon and BP in the operations group at their Baton Rouge and Cleveland locations. He is the founding member of Sierra Club's Climate Recovery Campaign in the US.

Moreover, he has personally been involved in setting up a $100,000 annual Environmental Award for Sierra Club. Mr. Deshmukh served as the President of Maharashtra Foundation in NY for several years and helped raise $12 mm for progressive social causes in India.

Sunil holds a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, a Master of Science degree in Business Administration, and Juris Doctor degree. He is admitted as a member of the Bar in Illinois and Ohio.

PAST ADVISORY BOARD (2012-2015)

Y. M. Deosthalee

Chairman and MD, L & T Finance Holdings Ltd.

Chairman and Managing Director, L & T Finance Holdings and Director, L & T Infotech, Y.M. Deosthalee is the key architect of the growth journey of L & T's Financial Services Group. During his tenure as CFO with L&T, he was responsible for the Finance & Accounts function, enterprise-wide Risk Management and Shared Services.
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A qualified Chartered Accountant with a degree in law, Mr. Deosthalee has represented several committees formed by various governmental and regulatory bodies like Ministry of Finance and SEBI to proactively participate in the formulation of public policy. He was appointed Member of the Advisory Committee for Liquidity Management set by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, 2008. He was also a Member of the Takeover Regulations Advisory Committee constituted by SEBI in 2009. Co-Chairman of FICCI's Corporate Finance Committee, he's also a Member of CII's National Council on Mutual Funds, National Council on Corporate Governance and National Council on Banking. Well known for his passion for music and literature, Mr. Deosthalee is a visionary thought leader and cherished icon of Maharashtra.

Arvind Savant (Retd Judge)

Former Chief Justice
of Kerala high Court

Justice Arvind Savant retired as the Chief Justice, High Court of Kerala in September 2000. He started practice in 1960 and was appointed Public Prosecutor and Assistant Government Pleader, Bombay High Court in 1974.
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During the early part of his professional career, he also took keen interest in imparting education as part-time Professor of Law in Various colleges, and paper-setter and examiner of LLB and LLM in Universities in Maharashtra.

During the period prior to assuming the appointment as Chief Justice, he held various distinguished and challenging posts, a few of them being the Advocate General, State of Maharashtra; and Judge, Bombay High Court.