24 Mar 2008

Harvard Business School Appoints Anjali Raina Executive Director Of India Research Center In Mumbai

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Executive Director Anjali Raina

BOSTON — BOSTON, March 24, 2008-Harvard Business School (HBS) announced today that it has appointed Anjali Raina as Executive Director of its India Research Center (IRC) in Mumbai. She will officially assume her duties in late March.

HBS faculty members have long been interested in the economy and the broad array of enterprises in India and the rest of South Asia for their research and course development agenda. The India Research Center was established by Harvard Business School in 2006 to provide formal support for their efforts. The facility is part of a global network of centers located in regions that play a vital role in the world economy, including Asia-Pacific, Europe, Japan, Latin America, and California's Silicon Valley. Through these centers, HBS faculty work with leaders of industry, government, and academia worldwide and learn from business challenges and innovations around the globe.

"We are delighted to have Anjali Raina take on this important leadership role at our India Research Center," said Krishna Palepu, the Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration and Senior Associate Dean for International Development at Harvard Business School. "She will focus on building and maintaining relationships with senior business leaders in the region to facilitate the expanding work of the Center in research, educational programs, and alumni endeavors."

Raina has spent the past 15 years at Citigroup (India), most recently as Country Training Director. In that role, she was responsible for training, development, and change management for the consumer bank as well as for Citigroup's associates and affiliate companies in India. She was also on the bank's management committee and provided training resources throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Her unit ran more than 1,500 programs in 26 locations for more than 67,000 participants yearly. Among her many accomplishments was the creation of a corporate university with seven interlinked functional and business-specific training academies.

Prior to Citigroup (India), Raina worked for more than a decade at ANZ Grindlays Bank PLC. Holding positions in a variety of areas, including marketing, branch banking, and human resources, she rose to the rank of Senior Manager.

She earned a master's degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, in 1981, and a bachelor's degree (Eng Hons) from Loreto College in the University of Calcutta in 1979.

The India Research Center supports HBS faculty research on the trends that are transforming and shaping the region into a major force in the world economy. Research to date has focused on a number of topics, including information technology, biotechnology, healthcare, agribusiness, and corporate governance.

As part of its efforts in India, Harvard Business School recently launched two new Executive Education programs to complement and strengthen the work of the India Research Center. Building Global Enterprises in India took place in Hyderabad from February 10-15. The South Asia Real Estate Seminar will be offered in Hyderabad from June 17-20.

Reflecting the high level of interest in India and South Asia among Harvard MBA students, in January a large group of them traveled to India to meet with corporate executives, government officials, and others as part of the School's portfolio of worldwide Immersion Experiences.

Harvard Business School's global research centers are all part of the School's Global Initiative. Established in 1996, the Global Initiative builds on the School's legacy of global engagement by supporting the work of HBS faculty, students, and alumni and encouraging a global perspective in research, study, and practice. The Global Initiative facilitates faculty research and course development with resources abroad, strengthens alumni and institutional relationships, and contributes to new thinking through research and educational programs.

About Harvard Business School

Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 250 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and PhD degrees, as well as more than 175 Executive Education programs, and Harvard Business School Online, the School’s digital learning platform. For more than a century, faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching, to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. The School and its curriculum attract the boldest thinkers and the most collaborative learners who will go on to shape the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe.