30 Women in Power

Naina Lal Kidwai is chairman, Max Financial Services and a non-executive director of Nestlé SA, CIPLA and Larsen and Toubro. At the time of compiling this book, she was executive director on the board of HSBC Asia-Pacific and chairman of HSBC India posts she retired from in December 2015. She was the first woman president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), India’s leading and oldest industry association and has served on several government committees including the Prime Minister's Trade and Industries Council, the National Manufacturing Council and the National Trade Council and on the working group on 'Banking, Financial Sector, Legislative Reforms Commission and the National Institute of Bank Management'. She is also a global advisor for Harvard Business School and chairs its India advisory board. An MBA from Harvard Business School, Naina has made a regular appearance over the years on listings by 'Fortune, The Wall Street Journal and Time' as one of the most powerful women in business in the world. She believes in empowering women through livelihoods. Her interests in the environment and water are evident through her engagements as chair of 'FICCI’s Water Mission', chair of the India Sanitation Coalition, vice chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water and board member of 'The Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, The Energy and Resources Institute and The International Advisory Council of UNEP’s Inquiry for Sustainable Financing'. Naina has edited the book 'Contemporary Banking' in India and is the recipient of many awards and honours, including the Padma Shri in 2007, for her contribution to trade and industry.