<p>Ken Saji is a Senior Editorial Director at MTV Networks, where he serves as a creative director and head writer for their Creative Services department. He is responsible for setting the creative vision and developing brand strategies for MTV Networks' corporate projects, which encompass integrated solutions across digital, on-air, video, print, radio and merchandise for business-to-business, consumer and internal communications. His award-winning work spans everything from integrated campaigns and large-scale pro-social causes to new business initiatives and brand development. </p> <p>Ken Saji graduated from Cornell University cum laude with a degree in English, and from Columbia University's Graduate Writing Program.</p>
<p>Deepak Aswani worked for seven years in research on clean diesel technology and hybrid electric vehicles at Ford Motor Company before coming to the Johnson School for the accelerated MBA program in 2008. After graduating in 2009, Deepak joined the American Governor Company as their Business Operations Manager. He has directly been involved in a number of existing hydro power projects in North America and new projects in other parts of the world</p>
<p>Rishad Olpadwala graduated from the Johnson School in 2008 having focused on clean technology and entrepreneurship during his two years there. Rishad joined the Acciona energy team in Chicago immediately after graduating and has worked on a number of aspects of renewable energy projects. He is currently working on the financing side of these projects.</p>
Saro Cutri is co-founder of HomeKeepr. Cutri was most recently a Managing Director and Co-Head of UBS\'s Structured Products proprietary trading group, overseeing a $50+ billion dollar portfolio of distressed legacy positions focused primarily in non-agency residential and commercial mortgage backed securities. Prior to that, he ran UBS\'s residential credit trading effort for their broker/dealer operation focused primarily on Prime and Alt-A residential mortgage collateral types. Saro Cutri earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University\'s College of Engineering.
Rajiv Gupta is Chairman, President and CEO of Rohm and Haas, which specializes in making cutting-edge specialty chemicals that are used in products as diverse as paint and computers. During this lecture, he shares thoughts on the importance of engineering to industry and the world.
Rajiv Gupta received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and received his Masters in Operations Research & Industrial Engineering from Cornell University.
Ratan Tata is the chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, India's largest and most successful business conglomerate. Under Tata's leadership, total revenues of the Tata Group have increased more than sixfold, to over $22 billion this year(2006).
The Tata Group now has over 90 operating companies, employing about 220,000 people in seven business sectors. It operates in more than 40 countries and exports to 140. Some of its biggest holdings are Tata Steel, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, India's pre-eminent hotel chain, and Tata Motors, an automobile manufacturer whose products include the first car designed in India. The family business began as a textile mill, launched under British colonial rule in 1860 by Tata's great-grandfather. Tata joined the Tata steel division in 1962 and became chairman of the conglomerate in 1991.
Tata earned a bachelor of architecture degree at Cornell University in 1962 and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1974-75.
Sumit Mittal is Founder, CEO and CMO of SkillsBazaar. SkillsBazaar provides a platform for students where they can commercialize their skills. They can sell their skills to startup/small/mid-size/big companies or to other students/faculty members.
Mittal has over seven years of experience in the telecom billing industry. He has extensive international experience of working in more than 10 countries across the globe.
Sumit Mittal has an undergraduate in Computer Science and Engineering and he is currently pursuing his MBA from Cornell University.
Dr. Ashfaq Ishaq founded the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) in 1997 and serves as its executive director. Today, ICAF is recognized internationally as a leading cultural and educational organization preparing the next generation for a creative and cooperative future through the arts.
Dr. Ishaq has a diverse professional background as entrepreneur, economist, educator and civil society leader. He opened his first business at the age of thirteen, and years later established an international project development company in Washington, DC. He started his career as an economist at the World Bank, investigating entrepreneurship and small business development.
He received a Ph.D. in Economics from the George Washington University, a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Punjab, and a BA in economics and statistics from Government College, Lahore, Pakistan.
<p>Ted Teng was appointed president and chief executive officer of The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd., in September 2008. In his position, Mr. Teng oversees and directs all aspects of business strategy, operations, and performance growth for the premier luxury hospitality organization. The company, which represents over 450 predominantly independent hotels, provides global sales, marketing and distribution services through an expansive network of worldwide sales and reservations offices. Based at the company's headquarters in New York, Mr. Teng also holds a seat on the board of directors.</p> <p>Since joining The Leading Hotels of the World, Mr. Teng has developed and begun executing a detailed five-year business plan which focuses on strengthening the brand and driving increased revenue to member hotels. Within the plan, he has also asserted the crucial importance of dedication and adherence to quality, in the firm belief that by elevating the overall level among the collection, all hotels will benefit. Taking as his motto "Preserve, Enhance, and Invent," he seeks to honor and uphold the more than eight-decade-old traditions of the organization, while innovating to achieve greater strength and success in the future.</p> <p>Immediately before joining the organization, Mr. Teng was the principal and chief executive officer of Prime Opus Partners, LP, a hotel investment and operations firm he founded in 2006. In 2005/2006, he served as executive-in-residence and was actively involved through various volunteer leadership roles at the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University.</p> <p>Throughout his 30-year career in the hospitality industry, Mr. Teng has been responsible for the growth of some of the most prominent brands in the world. For five years he was president, chief operating officer of Wyndham International, Inc., where he oversaw the core branded hotel products, as well as the company's third-party management operations, comprised of over 200 properties generating USD 2.5 billion in annual revenue.</p> <p>He also served as president, Asia-Pacific, for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., immediately following the merger of Starwood Lodging, Westin, and Sheraton. He oversaw the integration of that company's branded hotel operations in the region, and was responsible for the operating and financial performance of over 70 hotels and resorts in 17 countries. New projects executed during Mr. Teng's tenure included the St. Regis in Shanghai, the first international W in Sydney, the highest quality Four Points Hotel in Sydney, the Sheraton in Sapporo, and the Westin Kyoto.</p> <p>Prior to the Starwood merger, Mr. Teng was the president of Asia-Pacific for Westin Hotels, where he was credited with having achieved significant growth in the number of hotels, including the launch of notable new flagships in Sydney, Melbourne, Guam, Kuala Lumpur, Awaji Island, Taipei, and Shanghai. Before coming to Westin, he was with ITT Sheraton, where he served for 14 years in a variety of senior and strategic capacities in operations, finance and development in North America, Hawaii and Asia. Most notably, Mr. Teng successfully negotiated the first ITT Sheraton equity investment in China in a multi-use project that included today's St. Regis Beijing.</p> <p>Ted Teng is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. He has an MBA from the University of Hawaii. Born in Shanghai, China, he grew up in Hong Kong and emigrated to the U.S. at age 13. He became an U.S. citizen at age 18. </p>