NEW YORK, April 25, 2023 / — IIRR is delighted to announce the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors: Bhavya Kapoor, Managing Director for Avanade, South East Asia, and Aurélie Pujo Senior Advisor at Amethis, Edmond de Rothschild (EdR), a private equity platform dedicated to Africa.
“On behalf of the Board, I warmly welcome Bhavya and Aurélie to IIRR,” says Emily Cheng, IIRR interim board chair. “We look forward to working with them, as they bring extensive knowledge and experience to our shared vision!”
Bhavya Kapoor has two decades of established experience in business management, technology, and the consulting industry and is based in Singapore. Prior to Avanade, Bhavya served in various leadership positions at Wipro Limited for over a decade and a half, including serving as Managing Director for Wipro’s business in Asia. He has also worked with Reliance Communications in India. Bhavya is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communications. Bhavya is a passionate champion of diversity and inclusion and firmly believes that technology can help build an equitable society. For years, he has worked with for-profit firms, non-profits, industry associations, academia, and governments on a wide range of topics including business growth, sustainability, economic development, diversity & inclusion, and education.
On his appointment, Bhavya commented: “I am deeply honored and humbled to serve on the board of IIRR. I am inspired by the organization's mission to empower rural people to build resilient communities and attain socioeconomic equity through creative and community-led action, which are essential components for building a better world. I am passionate about sustainability and believe that equal access to education and technology is critical in driving lasting change in the communities we serve. I look forward to working alongside the dedicated board and purpose-driven staff and to continuing its legacy of making a positive impact on the lives of people in need around the world. The strong foundations that Dr. Y.C. James Yen laid around the importance of equal education and the opportunity to correct injustice are more relevant and necessary than ever.”
Aurélie Pujo is a Private Equity Specialist and Investor. She currently serves as Senior Advisor to Amethis, Edmond de Rothschild (EdR), a private equity platform dedicated to Africa. She previously served as a Senior Partner at Amethis. Over the past 15 years, she has been based in Africa in Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire, and now Morocco where she lives with her family.
She is a board member of Amethis management company for the Amethis funds and of several companies with operations in Africa including:
- Novamed: the largest regional operator in the healthcare sector, regrouping a network of 6 private hospitals, 1 dental clinic, and 1 diagnostic center in the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union
- Enko: the largest International school network in Africa, operating K-12 schools across countries
- Nouvelle Minoterie Africaine: a leading manufacturer of wheat-derived products in Senegal
Prior to joining Amethis in 2013, Ms. Pujo was Principal Counsel at Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), a Pan-African PE fund based in Tunis, where she was in charge of providing support to investment activities in the MENA region and Africa. Previously, she was a lawyer at White & Case in Paris on Energy, Infrastructure, and Project Finance Practice at Herbert Smith in Paris and Shanghai.
Aurélie is excited to be part of IIRR. “I am truly honored and humbled to be invited to join the Board of Directors of IIRR and to contribute to a vision in which I strongly believe. I look forward to supporting the organization’s expansion, in francophone Africa in particular”, she says.
Ms. Pujo has been admitted to the Paris bar since 2005, has an Executive MBA from HEC Business School (Paris), and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
She is a French citizen and is fluent in English.
“I am excited to welcome Bhavya and Aurélie to our board of directors. Both have a lot to offer IIRR, especially at this time of scaling our impact”, says Peter Williams, IIRR President. “We are excited to channel Bhavya and Aureli’s knowledge, talent, expertise, and energy into furthering our mission as we continue to address the challenges and opportunities in the sustainable development of rural communities”.
Aurélie and Bhavya were both officially elected to the board on March 29, 2023.
