SBM Group

Mr. Raoul is a seasoned professional, having spent nearly 3 decades in the banking and financial sector.

He started his career as a strategic consultant, restructuring and corporate advisory at PwC in France, East Europe and Africa. He has been exposed to several studies with the World Bank and European Bank Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) on financial institutions in both developed and transitional economies.

Before joining SBM Group, he was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of a renowned bank in Mauritius (The Mauritius Commercial Bank Ltd), as well as a Director on several of its entities across Africa and the Indian Ocean. He has led the transformations of most of its business lines, bringing them to international best standards and aligning them with the new digital, regulatory and compliance international trends. He has also been instrumental in developing a strong knowledge of corporate and investment banking and thus succeeded in growing this franchise on the African continent. He has done his Masters in Economics (specialisation in Finance) and Postgraduate Diploma in International Finance from the University of Paris, France. He is also a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), conferred by the Institute of Internal Auditors, USA and has also undergone Advanced Management Programme from INSEAD, France.

Mr. Umesh Jain has more than 25 years of experience in Banking Technology and over 10 years as a CIO / CTO role in BFSI including heading technology at Yes Bank as well as National Stock Exchange of India Limited. He also held leadership positions at Citibank and Barclays. He has proven expertise in leveraging technology to transform businesses through technology. Core capability in working with business to align technology strategy, and hands-on execution by building technology teams, tools and processes. He possesses an in depth understanding of banking especially operations, products, risk, & finance and is also passionate about leveraging technology to drive change through community engagement.

Mr. Abizer Diwanji is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over three decades of rich experience in the Financial Services industry. Before joining SBM Group, He has been the Head of Financial Services across KPMG and EY for 20 years. Mr. Diwanji Joined EY as head of financial services and later started the Restructuring business. Prior to EY, he was trained with Arthur Andersen & Co and was one of the initial team members of KPMG in India. During his Professional journey, he was the COO of the Bhendi Bazar Redevelopment project with a focus on tenant management, operations and government approvals. He has attended training courses at Harvard Business School, INSEAD and London Business School on specific programs. He has been part of various committees of RBI and Ministry of Corporate Affairs. On the academic front, he teaches the Investment Banking Course at SP Jain Management Institute, and he is the Course Director for the PGIP course conducted by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Manesar. He is also a visiting faculty at IIM Ahmedabad and SIMSREE.

Pallavi Kanchan started her banking career in 1993 with ANZ Grindlays Bank, transitioning from retail to corporate and investment banking. With over two decades of experience, she has held key positions at Standard Chartered Bank as Head of Commercial Real Estate, and at The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd. as Director of Global Banking. She later leveraged her management expertise in the media industry, serving as CEO of The Indian and Eastern Engineers Co. Pvt Ltd, the publisher of Verve and IQ magazines.

She champions workplace diversity and women’s empowerment, and currently works in the social sector to revive Indian folk arts and crafts, generate sustainable livelihoods for artisans, support higher education for the underprivileged, and uplift local communities.

Ms Kanchan is an independent director on various boards: Mahindra Holdings Limited (2016 – 2021) , Axis Finance Limited (2023 - present), Purearth Infrastructure Limited (2023 - present) , Trustee board Canara Robeco Mutual Fund (2024 - present) and Karta Initiative India Foundation (2022 – present).

Pallavi Kanchan graduated in Economics Honours from St Stephen’s College, Delhi University, and completed her post-graduation in Business Administration from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University.

Mr. A Dhananjaya has over 35 years of rich experience in BFSI sector, spanning Risk and Portfolio Management, Compliance, Credit, Internal Audit, Operations etc. Mr. Dhananjaya, in his career, has managed various control functions across multinational & domestic financial institution and has extensive experience in managing regulatory relationships for large organisation. Previously, Mr. Dhananjaya had been associated with some of the prominent institutions like Aditya Birla Group, Bank of America, and ABN Amro Bank. Mr. Dhananjaya has completed his B. Tech degree from Karnataka Regional Engineering College, Surathkal and PGDM from Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

Mr. Sanjeev Lall is an Entrepreneurial strategic leader and proven organization builder with a successful track record of more than 30 years in SME / Mid-market Banking and Corporate Banking.

He has successfully managed large bank balance sheets and ensured its rotation through successful structured transactions with various Commercial Banks and Development Financial Institutions. His area of expertise includes Commercial Banking, Business Leadership and Strategic Planning.

He has worked in various positions in DBS Bank, Mumbai, including Managing Director & Head Institutional Banking Group and Branches – India. During his tenure of more than 12 years at DBS Bank, he was involved in setting up of the Mid-market and SME businesses as well as structuring the Corporate Bank and its processes, which resulted in significant increased presence of DBS Bank in India. Prior to DBS Bank, he held the position of Vice President & Regional Manager West, Corporate Bank & Country Head Liabilities – India at Credit Lyonnais, and also held various positions in G.E. Capital Services India in Corporate coverage and Credit Risk functions.

He is currently also on the Boards of Mirae Asset Financial Services (India) Private Limited, Zuari Agrochemicals Ltd. and Zuari Finserv Ltd.

Mr. Sanjeev Lall holds a PGDBM (MBA) degree from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Mr Kalachand is a distinguished business and finance expert with over 15 years of extensive experience across diverse sectors, including financial services, risk management, investment, operational and strategic management and corporate governance. Currently, he holds the esteemed position of Executive Director at J Kalachand & Co. Ltd, where he contributes significantly to the management team, overseeing the company’s operations with strategic insight.

Mr Kalachand had served as an independent director on the Board of SBM Holdings Ltd (SBMH) and SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd (SBMBM) from 2014 to 2015. In his capacity as the former Chairman of the Risk Management Committee of SBMH and SBMBM, he was instrumental in fortifying their risk management framework and ensuring adherence to regulatory standards, notably the Basel III regulations.

His professional journey also encompasses roles at EPIC Private Equity LLP in London, where he functioned as an Investment Executive, and Deloitte LLP, where he served as a Senior Consultant. His expertise lies in audit, risk advisory, and regulatory compliance, having worked with prominent financial sector groups such as Morgan Stanley, Barclays Capital and BNP Paribas.

Mr. Ashish Vijayakar is a veteran banker with nearly three decades of rich experience in the banking and financial services sector. He has an extensive background and an impressive track record in building and expanding global businesses while donning leadership roles across various geographies.

As a career banker, Mr. Vijayakar has immense expertise in the domains of business transformation, risk management, innovation, and managing changing business environment processes, among other areas of operations. He places great focus on fostering collaboration, talent development, and upholding the highest standards of integrity and compliance.

Prior to joining the Bank, as Co-Head & MD, Corporate & Institutional Banking at Standard Chartered Bank, India, he demonstrated his ability to navigate complex market dynamics and deliver sustainable results.

Mr. Ashish Vijayakar is a Bachelor of Commerce from Bombay University, CA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and an LLB (General) from Bombay University.

Amit Jagdhari is a qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) with over 27 years of extensive experience, primarily in the banking sector. He is a strategic leader with a growth mindset, adept at implementing effective frameworks and driving operational improvements. Amit's expertise has been instrumental in enhancing value across various business functions, working closely with stakeholders. He is passionate about fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and strict adherence to regulations for sustainable growth.

Prior to joining SBM Bank, Amit was Head of Business Finance at HDFC Bank. He has also held significant roles at IDFC First Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and Genpact.