David Aaker serves as Vice Chairman at Prophet, a global growth consultancy, and is widely regarded as a foundational figure in modern branding. Over decades, he has shaped the discipline through influential frameworks such as the Aaker Brand Vision Model and has received numerous recognitions, including induction into the American Marketing Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement. Aaker has authored hundreds of articles and 18 books, including Aaker on Branding (2nd Edition), The Future of Purpose-Driven Branding, and Building Strong Brands, with his work translated into 18 languages and selling over 1.4 million copies worldwide. He is also Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, and remains an active consultant, speaker, and thought leader, sharing insights globally and through his platform davidaaker.com.

Sanjiv Mehta serves as Executive Chairman, India at L Catterton, where he is part of the firm’s India-focused investment vehicle and contributes across its Asia and global fund platforms. Backed by LVMH and the Arnault office, L Catterton is the world’s largest consumer-focused investment firm, and Mehta is focused on building a values-driven platform for entrepreneurs and founders in the consumer space. Prior to this, he built his career over decades at Unilever, where he held senior leadership roles including Executive Chairman and CEO, leading businesses across South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and serving on the Unilever Leadership Executive. As Chairman and CEO of Hindustan Unilever, he led the company through a phase of strong growth and transformation. He also served as President of FICCI, contributing to the ‘India @100’ vision, and currently holds board positions at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Danone, Air India, and Unilever Indonesia, while actively advocating for purpose-driven and values-led business.

Paddy Padmanabhan is the Unilever Chaired Professor of Marketing at INSEAD. He has been with the institution for over two decades, previously serving as the John H. Loudon Professor of International Management. Before joining INSEAD, he was the John K. and Ellen A. Wallace Distinguished Professor of Marketing at Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis, and an Associate Professor of Marketing and Fletcher Jones Faculty Fellow at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has also held visiting roles at Georgetown University, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and INSEAD Fontainebleau. His research focuses on business disruption, renewal, and transformation, with earlier work covering economic crises, emerging markets, distribution channels, supply chain management, services marketing, and pricing. His work has been widely recognized, including being featured among the Ten Most Influential Papers in the first fifty years of Management Science. In April 2025, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Prof. Kulwant Singh is Vice Dean at NUS Business School and a leading scholar in strategic management, with a focus on firm adaptation, alliances, and strategy in the Asia-Pacific context. His research has been widely published in top-tier journals including Strategic Management Journal, Academy of Management Journal, and Organization Science, and he currently serves as Associate Editor of the Strategic Management Journal. He has also contributed extensively through books and case writing, with a strong emphasis on Asian business contexts. Prof. Singh’s work explores how firms navigate complexity, competition, and transformation, offering both theoretical depth and practical relevance. An award-winning educator, he has received multiple Teaching Excellence Awards at NUS, along with the Outstanding Educator Award and Research Achievement Award. His teaching philosophy blends rigorous theory with applied insights, delivered through highly interactive, seminar-style classes tailored to student needs. Beyond academia, he has advised global organizations such as GE, Nestlé, Panasonic, and Deutsche Bank. He has also held key leadership roles at NUS, including Interim Dean, Deputy Dean, and Head of Strategy & Policy, contributing significantly to institutional development and global academic collaboration.