The Core Team
Nikhil Treebhoohun, Chairman.
Nikhil Treebhoohun has experience both in the public and private sector as well as in international cooperation: he was an Economist at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development and the Ministry of Industry before joining the Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) as its first Divisional Manager in charge of projects and programmes; he became the first Director of the Export Processing Zones Development Authority (EPZDA), set up in 1992 to act as a catalyst and facilitator to improve efficiency and productivity in the export sector; he was also the first Executive Director of National Productivity & Competitiveness Council (NPCC) a tripartite organisation to drive the productivity movement in Mauritius. He was Head of the Trade Section of the Special Advisory Services Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat from 2005 to 2011. In 2011 he became the CEO of Global Institutional Investors Forum, a Trust set up to promote the interests of the financial services sector, which he transformed into a company limited by guarantee called Global Finance Mauritius.
Nikhil Treebhoohun has a wide experience in Economic Development, Small Island States, National and Sectoral Policy making, the development of institutional structures, Trade Policy, Competitiveness, Public-Private Dialogue, National Innovation Systems, and leading organizational and national change initiatives. He is a regular speaker and resource persons for various international agencies, namely ILO, World Bank, UNDP, EU.
Nikhil holds a BSc. (Hons) Econ. (Industry and Trade) from the London School of Economics. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Planning Techniques from the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague and a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management from the University of New England, Australia. He was a Senior Fulbright Research Scholar at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. He is also a Fellow of the Mauritius Institute of Directors and the World Academy of Productivity Science.
Percy S. Mistry, Principal.
Chairman, Oxford International Group
Percy Mistry is Chairman of the Oxford International (OI) Group comprising companies engaged in investment banking, asset management, private equity investment and corporate finance services in emerging markets, and advisory services to governments and transnational companies.
He is also a Director of the JP Morgan Emerging Markets Investment Trust. He was a Director and Senior Financial Advisor at the World Bank, an institution he was associated with between 1971 and 1986.
In 1998-99 he was also Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Synergy Power Corporation (Hong Kong), with operations in Asia, the USA and Africa. In 1993-97, he was a Director on the Board of the Industrial Credit & Investment Corporation of India (ICICI), the country's premier investment bank and now its second largest universal bank, and of other manufacturing and financial services companies in India. In 1989-98 he was on the Advisory Board of the Forum on Debt & Development, (Fondad) a public policy institute in The Hague.
He was previously CEO of Synergy Power Corporation, a director of ICICI and non-executive chairman of D.C. Gardner. He was also an advisory member of the Forum on Debt and Development and has held several senior positions with the World Bank, the University of Oxford, and in the private sector. He was Chairman, D.C. Gardner & Co. (1992-93); Sr. Fellow, International Finance at Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford University (1987-92), Director & Senior Financial Advisor, World Bank (1981-87); Managing Director, SGV-SHK Capital Markets, Hong Kong (1979-81); Principal, SGV Group (1978-79) now a part of Arthur Andersen (Asia); Special Assistant to the CEO of IFC (1977-78); Senior Operations Officer, World Bank (1971-77); Financial Analyst, Ford Motor Company of Canada (1970-71).
In 2005 he was appointed by the Government of India as Chairman of a High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) set up to devise a strategy for making Mumbai an international financial centre which he outlined in a report published in April 2007. In addition Mr. Mistry is also a Senior Advisor to Europa Partners Ltd. (a London-based corporate finance firm) and Honorary Visiting Professor (Economics & International Relations) at the Administrative Staff College of India in Hyderabad. In 2008, he was Chairman of a High Level Government Committee on making Mumbai an international financial centre.
Mr Mistry is also an Advisor to the Executive Secretary of the UN-ECA and has consulted for a number of international organizations (the UN, various multilateral development banks and the Commonwealth Secretariat) on work in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.
He has helped the Commonwealth Secretariat establish the first Commonwealth Equity Fund; directed a study on Privatisation in Commonwealth countries; assisted with its work on international finance; and evaluated the Secretariat’s assistance to member countries with various international negotiations
Mr Mistry has been educated in India, England, and Canada. His postgraduate work in Business Administration, Finance and International Economics was done at the University of Toronto after graduating in Industrial Engineering & Management from Loughborough University in the UK.
Ram Jutliah, Director.
Ram Jutliah worked as Economist at the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) from 2001 to 2006 and was the Manager of the Entrepreneurship Development Programme of the UNDP/National Empowerment Foundation (NEF) from 2006 to 2011. Ram is an MQA approved trainer in Business Development and Quality Management, He is well versed with the principles of Training Centre Management as per the MQA framework and quality standards. He has assisted in the setting up and management of a Training Centre.
Ram is fully conversant with the development of quantitative and qualitative productivity measures, indicators, and benchmarks. He is also a specialist in entrepreneurship policy and development, and mentoring with a specific focus on business and value chain development for vulnerable groups.
He holds a first degree in Economics from University of Mauritius, a Masters in Sustainable Development from University of Reunion, an MBA from Robert Kennedy College of Switzerland. He is also a registered Lead Auditor to Quality Management Standards (ISO 9001:2008).
Jaya Patten, Associate: Financial Markets, Products and Services Expert
Jaya Patten specialises in Financial markets, products and services. He spent almost three decades in investment banking in Europe and Asia. During that period he held the “approved person” status with the UK Regulator. He held senior leadership and transactor roles in Structuring and Sales within Fixed Income Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley, Credit Agricole and Bank of Scotland / Lloyds Bank. He has dealt in a broad range of asset classes (fixed income, currencies, commodities, inflation, credit indices, equity indices and hybrids), structuring asset and liability management solutions for corporates, asset managers, wealth managers and institutional investors.
Approach and Ethos - Jaya set up his own financial consultancy boutique in 2011 focusing on change, implementation and deliverables. His forte is his practitioner’s experience, market savvy, markets, products, process knowledge and proven delivery track-record. Over the past fifteen years – roughly half as a senior executive and the latter half as an advisor, he has advised on and led complex and game-changing strategic initiatives and projects.
Jaya focuses on three pillars to foster integrity and instil ethical behaviour.
· Steering and influencing leaders to instil and nurture a culture of trust;
· Evangelising about best practices and culture, and shaping the implementation of governance frameworks;
· Empowering executives and guiding leaders by motivating them to improve risk management and nurture a risk culture.
His Advisory and Consultancy activities include:
· Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC): Training, Upskilling, Mentoring and Coaching;
· Technical Assistance and capacity building support in new product and business development for financial institutions;
· Fin & Reg Tech;
· Structured Funding including Trade Finance and Direct lending;
· Regulatory competition investigation, Financial litigation and Dispute resolution.
· Independent Consultant for Gerson Lehrman Group (USA) and Zico Asean Advisory (Singapore);
· Founding Member of the International RegTech Association (IRTA, Switzerland);
· MQA Approved Trainer.
Special Project: Rebuilding Trust in Financial services - Jaya was invited as a market expert to a multi-disciplinary, year-long working group of academics, led by Economics Professor, David Vines (Balliol College, Oxford). This culminated in the publication of “Capital Failure, Rebuilding Trust in Financial Services” (Morris & Vines, 2014, OUP).
GRC Assignments relate to Regulatory investigation, Financial Litigation and New product development for a number of clients, including SwapsClear (Clearing House), JPMorgan Chase, Natixis (Banks), Allen & Overy, Quinn Emanuel, Stephenson Harwood (Lawyers), and Berkeley Research Group.
Training and Technical Assistance Assignments in developing markets include clients such as SBM (Mauritius), CDG Capital (Morocco). Jaya has a long experience of working with public and state entities. During his career, he has partnered with a number of public bodies (Central banks, Regulators, Debt office, Finance ministry, Treasury and Pensions) in Asia, Africa, Middle East and Europe on a broad range of topics including foreign Reserves management, Debt management and Pensions management.
Jaya has extensive practice of interacting with Board level executives, Public Officials and Senior Governance forum. He brings a unique ability to lead specialists from diverse backgrounds and different stakeholders' interest in a collegial and influential manner to ensure closing and timely delivery. Jaya holds an MBA International Finance (ESSEC), an MPhil in Monetary Econometrics, Paris Nanterre and a MSc in Econometrics (Aix Marseille).
N. Balakrishnan, Senior Adviser.
Mr. Balakrishnan has extensive experience in the finance industry. He worked as the Research Manager at Bankers Trust Brokerage based in Singapore from 1986 to 1989 and is currently the Independent Non Executive Director of Hong Kong listed company “CY Foundation Group” (stock code 1182) www.cyfoundation.com. Mr. Balakrishnan works as an advisor to a Hong Kong based foundation dedicated to promoting cultural and academic relations between China and India called China India Fortune Foundation, www.chinaindiafortune.org.
Mr. Balakrishnan obtained his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Amherst College, Massachusetts, the United States of America in 1978 and obtained his master’s degree, M.Sc., in Journalism from the Graduate School of Journalism of Columbia University in New York City in 1980. Mr. Balakrishnan has been a Director of The Cool Investor Limited, a company specializing in outsourcing editorial services from scientific, medical and technical journals and books since 1996. The Indian branch of the company is called “Exceledit Services Ltd”, www.exceledit.com
Mr. Balakrishnan worked as the “Specialist Writer” on finance at the “Far Eastern Economic Review,” a publication of Dow Jones from 1989 to 1994. He has also worked in the fund management industry, as Manager at The Value Partners Fund Management, a listed fund management company in Hong Kong, from 1994 to 1996. Mr. Balakrishnan worked as the Federal Reserve Board Correspondent at CNS News Services in New York from 1980 to 1982 and as an Assistant Editor in Singapore Press Holdings from 1982 to 1986. Mr. Balakrishnan is also a partner in a Mandarin training institute based in Chennai in South India. www.chennaichinese.com
Nikhil Treebhoohun, Chairman.
Nikhil Treebhoohun has experience both in the public and private sector as well as in international cooperation: he was an Economist at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development and the Ministry of Industry before joining the Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) as its first Divisional Manager in charge of projects and programmes; he became the first Director of the Export Processing Zones Development Authority (EPZDA), set up in 1992 to act as a catalyst and facilitator to improve efficiency and productivity in the export sector; he was also the first Executive Director of National Productivity & Competitiveness Council (NPCC) a tripartite organisation to drive the productivity movement in Mauritius. He was Head of the Trade Section of the Special Advisory Services Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat from 2005 to 2011. In 2011 he became the CEO of Global Institutional Investors Forum, a Trust set up to promote the interests of the financial services sector, which he transformed into a company limited by guarantee called Global Finance Mauritius.
Nikhil Treebhoohun has a wide experience in Economic Development, Small Island States, National and Sectoral Policy making, the development of institutional structures, Trade Policy, Competitiveness, Public-Private Dialogue, National Innovation Systems, and leading organizational and national change initiatives. He is a regular speaker and resource persons for various international agencies, namely ILO, World Bank, UNDP, EU.
Nikhil holds a BSc. (Hons) Econ. (Industry and Trade) from the London School of Economics. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Planning Techniques from the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague and a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management from the University of New England, Australia. He was a Senior Fulbright Research Scholar at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. He is also a Fellow of the Mauritius Institute of Directors and the World Academy of Productivity Science.
Percy S. Mistry, Principal.
Chairman, Oxford International Group
Percy Mistry is Chairman of the Oxford International (OI) Group comprising companies engaged in investment banking, asset management, private equity investment and corporate finance services in emerging markets, and advisory services to governments and transnational companies.
He is also a Director of the JP Morgan Emerging Markets Investment Trust. He was a Director and Senior Financial Advisor at the World Bank, an institution he was associated with between 1971 and 1986.
In 1998-99 he was also Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Synergy Power Corporation (Hong Kong), with operations in Asia, the USA and Africa. In 1993-97, he was a Director on the Board of the Industrial Credit & Investment Corporation of India (ICICI), the country's premier investment bank and now its second largest universal bank, and of other manufacturing and financial services companies in India. In 1989-98 he was on the Advisory Board of the Forum on Debt & Development, (Fondad) a public policy institute in The Hague.
He was previously CEO of Synergy Power Corporation, a director of ICICI and non-executive chairman of D.C. Gardner. He was also an advisory member of the Forum on Debt and Development and has held several senior positions with the World Bank, the University of Oxford, and in the private sector. He was Chairman, D.C. Gardner & Co. (1992-93); Sr. Fellow, International Finance at Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford University (1987-92), Director & Senior Financial Advisor, World Bank (1981-87); Managing Director, SGV-SHK Capital Markets, Hong Kong (1979-81); Principal, SGV Group (1978-79) now a part of Arthur Andersen (Asia); Special Assistant to the CEO of IFC (1977-78); Senior Operations Officer, World Bank (1971-77); Financial Analyst, Ford Motor Company of Canada (1970-71).
In 2005 he was appointed by the Government of India as Chairman of a High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) set up to devise a strategy for making Mumbai an international financial centre which he outlined in a report published in April 2007. In addition Mr. Mistry is also a Senior Advisor to Europa Partners Ltd. (a London-based corporate finance firm) and Honorary Visiting Professor (Economics & International Relations) at the Administrative Staff College of India in Hyderabad. In 2008, he was Chairman of a High Level Government Committee on making Mumbai an international financial centre.
Mr Mistry is also an Advisor to the Executive Secretary of the UN-ECA and has consulted for a number of international organizations (the UN, various multilateral development banks and the Commonwealth Secretariat) on work in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.
He has helped the Commonwealth Secretariat establish the first Commonwealth Equity Fund; directed a study on Privatisation in Commonwealth countries; assisted with its work on international finance; and evaluated the Secretariat’s assistance to member countries with various international negotiations
Mr Mistry has been educated in India, England, and Canada. His postgraduate work in Business Administration, Finance and International Economics was done at the University of Toronto after graduating in Industrial Engineering & Management from Loughborough University in the UK.
Ram Jutliah, Director.
Ram Jutliah worked as Economist at the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) from 2001 to 2006 and was the Manager of the Entrepreneurship Development Programme of the UNDP/National Empowerment Foundation (NEF) from 2006 to 2011. Ram is an MQA approved trainer in Business Development and Quality Management, He is well versed with the principles of Training Centre Management as per the MQA framework and quality standards. He has assisted in the setting up and management of a Training Centre.
Ram is fully conversant with the development of quantitative and qualitative productivity measures, indicators, and benchmarks. He is also a specialist in entrepreneurship policy and development, and mentoring with a specific focus on business and value chain development for vulnerable groups.
He holds a first degree in Economics from University of Mauritius, a Masters in Sustainable Development from University of Reunion, an MBA from Robert Kennedy College of Switzerland. He is also a registered Lead Auditor to Quality Management Standards (ISO 9001:2008).
Jaya Patten, Associate: Financial Markets, Products and Services Expert
Jaya Patten specialises in Financial markets, products and services. He spent almost three decades in investment banking in Europe and Asia. During that period he held the “approved person” status with the UK Regulator. He held senior leadership and transactor roles in Structuring and Sales within Fixed Income Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley, Credit Agricole and Bank of Scotland / Lloyds Bank. He has dealt in a broad range of asset classes (fixed income, currencies, commodities, inflation, credit indices, equity indices and hybrids), structuring asset and liability management solutions for corporates, asset managers, wealth managers and institutional investors.
Approach and Ethos - Jaya set up his own financial consultancy boutique in 2011 focusing on change, implementation and deliverables. His forte is his practitioner’s experience, market savvy, markets, products, process knowledge and proven delivery track-record. Over the past fifteen years – roughly half as a senior executive and the latter half as an advisor, he has advised on and led complex and game-changing strategic initiatives and projects.
Jaya focuses on three pillars to foster integrity and instil ethical behaviour.
· Steering and influencing leaders to instil and nurture a culture of trust;
· Evangelising about best practices and culture, and shaping the implementation of governance frameworks;
· Empowering executives and guiding leaders by motivating them to improve risk management and nurture a risk culture.
His Advisory and Consultancy activities include:
· Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC): Training, Upskilling, Mentoring and Coaching;
· Technical Assistance and capacity building support in new product and business development for financial institutions;
· Fin & Reg Tech;
· Structured Funding including Trade Finance and Direct lending;
· Regulatory competition investigation, Financial litigation and Dispute resolution.
· Independent Consultant for Gerson Lehrman Group (USA) and Zico Asean Advisory (Singapore);
· Founding Member of the International RegTech Association (IRTA, Switzerland);
· MQA Approved Trainer.
Special Project: Rebuilding Trust in Financial services - Jaya was invited as a market expert to a multi-disciplinary, year-long working group of academics, led by Economics Professor, David Vines (Balliol College, Oxford). This culminated in the publication of “Capital Failure, Rebuilding Trust in Financial Services” (Morris & Vines, 2014, OUP).
GRC Assignments relate to Regulatory investigation, Financial Litigation and New product development for a number of clients, including SwapsClear (Clearing House), JPMorgan Chase, Natixis (Banks), Allen & Overy, Quinn Emanuel, Stephenson Harwood (Lawyers), and Berkeley Research Group.
Training and Technical Assistance Assignments in developing markets include clients such as SBM (Mauritius), CDG Capital (Morocco). Jaya has a long experience of working with public and state entities. During his career, he has partnered with a number of public bodies (Central banks, Regulators, Debt office, Finance ministry, Treasury and Pensions) in Asia, Africa, Middle East and Europe on a broad range of topics including foreign Reserves management, Debt management and Pensions management.
Jaya has extensive practice of interacting with Board level executives, Public Officials and Senior Governance forum. He brings a unique ability to lead specialists from diverse backgrounds and different stakeholders' interest in a collegial and influential manner to ensure closing and timely delivery. Jaya holds an MBA International Finance (ESSEC), an MPhil in Monetary Econometrics, Paris Nanterre and a MSc in Econometrics (Aix Marseille).
N. Balakrishnan, Senior Adviser.
Mr. Balakrishnan has extensive experience in the finance industry. He worked as the Research Manager at Bankers Trust Brokerage based in Singapore from 1986 to 1989 and is currently the Independent Non Executive Director of Hong Kong listed company “CY Foundation Group” (stock code 1182) www.cyfoundation.com. Mr. Balakrishnan works as an advisor to a Hong Kong based foundation dedicated to promoting cultural and academic relations between China and India called China India Fortune Foundation, www.chinaindiafortune.org.
Mr. Balakrishnan obtained his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Amherst College, Massachusetts, the United States of America in 1978 and obtained his master’s degree, M.Sc., in Journalism from the Graduate School of Journalism of Columbia University in New York City in 1980. Mr. Balakrishnan has been a Director of The Cool Investor Limited, a company specializing in outsourcing editorial services from scientific, medical and technical journals and books since 1996. The Indian branch of the company is called “Exceledit Services Ltd”, www.exceledit.com
Mr. Balakrishnan worked as the “Specialist Writer” on finance at the “Far Eastern Economic Review,” a publication of Dow Jones from 1989 to 1994. He has also worked in the fund management industry, as Manager at The Value Partners Fund Management, a listed fund management company in Hong Kong, from 1994 to 1996. Mr. Balakrishnan worked as the Federal Reserve Board Correspondent at CNS News Services in New York from 1980 to 1982 and as an Assistant Editor in Singapore Press Holdings from 1982 to 1986. Mr. Balakrishnan is also a partner in a Mandarin training institute based in Chennai in South India. www.chennaichinese.com
