Best of the Best Conference
The most prestigious gathering of workplace culture and gender inclusion in the Gulf region. Leaders from different industry sectors under one roof to discuss the future of Inclusion in the Gulf Region at the 2nd edition of BoB G.
15 September, 2025 | 3 PM – 9 PM
Venue : Millennium Plaza, Dubai
Why Experience?(Recognizing & Showcasing Culture Excellence)
Industry-Wide Recognition
Gain visibility through our Best of the Best Awards and Workplace Culture Indexes
Networking & Influence
Participate in leadership panels, industry summits, and knowledge-sharing forums
Showcasing Workplace Excellence
Highlight your organization’s culture transformation success stories on influential platforms
Insights-Driven Strategy
Access research-backed workplace culture reports, case studies, and transformation metrics
Join the Best of the Best Conference - Gulf
Rising Together: The Inclusion Advantage
With economic diversification, cultural modernity and digital acceleration, workplaces in the Gulf are at a pivotal moment. At the Avtar & Seramount Best of Best Conference & Awards – Gulf (BOBG) 2025, we go beyond boundaries — of geography, identity, tradition, and leadership — to explore what inclusion looks like when it is rooted in context, shaped by culture, and designed for human possibility. The 2025 Avtar & Seramount BOBG Conference will showcase Next Practices that are best, bold experiments, local relevance, global wisdom, and deeply human design. The Gulf is on the move — and so is Inclusion.
Themed at “Rising Together: The Inclusion Advantage”, the discussions and sessions at the conference will reflect the region’s dynamic transformation and the need for inclusion to evolve with economic shifts, generational aspirations, and cultural depth. It’s about collective progress and shared futures.
Celebration of the 2025 Top 10 Avtar & Seramount Best Companies for Women in Gulf (BCWG)
Best Practices sharing from the Best Companies for Women
Thought leadership sessions with Industry Leaders, Innovative Learning sessions.
Networking opportunities with the leaders from the Best Companies
Opportunity for HR managers to learn about BCWG and prepare to participate in the next edition
Agenda
TIME (GST)
DESCRIPTION
2.30 pm – 3.00 pm
Registration and Networking
3.00 pm – 3.15 pm
Welcome Address
Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder – President, Avtar Group
3.15 pm – 3.30 pm
Opening Address
Subha Barry, President, Seramount
3.30 pm – 4.10 pm
BOB EXCLUSIVES – Case Study: Innovative Best Practices towards Inclusion
The Leaders from the 2025 Best Companies for Women in Gulf will share impactful stories from their transformational journey of DEI in their organizations in the Innovative Best Practices Session.
- Vrinda Ladkat, HR Lead, MENA & Pakistan, Diversey – a Solenis Company
- Niamh Albertyn, Global Head of Pre-sales & Customer Value, Finastra
- Rency Abraham, HR Director, Ingram Micro
Moderator: Lakshmi Vijaykumar, AVP, Events & Conferences, Avtar Group
4.10 pm – 4.50 pm
Panel Discussion
Who Benefits When Women Rise?
Governments in the GCC are setting ambitious goals to close gender gaps, with initiatives like the UAE’s mandate for at least one woman board director in listed companies, which has increased the women’s representation on the Board from 3.5% in 2020 to 14.8% in 2025. Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries are also implementing policies to promote gender equity, though progress varies. This panel discussion will offer insights and collective strategies from building a personal action plan to embodying the leadership one aspires to, answering the crucial question: when women rise, who stands to gain the most?
- Dr Reem Lebhar, CEO of Mena Tech AI
- Dr Christopher Abraham, CEO & Head – Dubai campus and Director – Executive Education
- Vrinda Sood, HR Director, Middle East & Pakistan, Ecolab
- Desislava Stankova-Bogoeva, Director & Senior Legal Counsel, Ingram Micro
Moderator: Umasanker Kandaswamy, Co-founder, Chief of Staff, Avtar Group
4.50 pm – 5.15 pm
Coffee, Tea & Conversations (Networking Break)
5.15 pm – 6.00 pm
CHRO Panel
Human by Design: how can women shine in an AI-dominated world
In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI), what remains undeniably human? Empathy. Intuition. Creativity. Connection.
As AI continues to redefine the way we work, the industries we operate in, the way we make decisions, and most importantly, how we work, there’s a pressing need to reassert the value of human intelligence. Especially the kind that women professionals bring to the table: emotional insights, collaborative thinking, and inclusive innovation. This panel of senior HR leaders will explore how women can not only survive in an AI-driven world but also thrive.
- Veena Krishnamurthy, Head of HR, Al Shirawi Facilities Management LLC
- Caroline Bertrand, Head of HR, Gig Gulf Insurance
- Saidi Walid, Head of People & Culture, Greater Gulf & KSA, MCO, Sanofi
Moderator: Anju G Parvathy, Vice President, Research & Solutions, Avtar Group
6.00 pm – 6.45 pm
CEO/Executive Panel Discussion
Forward from Here: Designing the Inclusive Workplace of the Gulf’s Tomorrow
This session will deliberate on what inclusion can truly look like — and discuss strategies for building it from the inside out. Inclusion isn’t an initiative; it’s an intentional choice that shapes our workplaces to thrive in a rapidly changing world. In the Gulf, where 60% of the population is under 30 and women now make up 25% of the private-sector workforce, businesses face a clear mandate: evolve to embrace a diverse, purpose-driven, and tech-savvy generation. In this discussion, joined by executive leaders, we hope to share real stories on the challenges of designing inclusive workplaces of tomorrow, from addressing non-conscious biases to navigating cultural norms, through an era of tech and AI-induced disruptions.
- Jena Ladhani, Chief Executive Officer, CBRE Saudi Arabia
- Maria Rantamaa, Managing Director, Kone, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait
- Charalampos Sarafopoulos, Executive Director, Al Shirawi Facilities Management LLC
Moderator: Karthik Ekambaram, Co-founder, Head of Solutions, Avtar Group
6.45 pm – 7.00 pm
2025 Best Companies for Women in Gulf (BCWG) study – Key Highlights
This session will present the key highlights of the 2025 BCWG study and how the study canvas has evolved over the last two years.
Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder – President, Avtar Group
7.00 pm – 7.20 pm
Awards Ceremony
2025 Avtar & Seramount Best Companies for Women in Gulf
7.20 pm – 7.30 pm
Vote of Thanks
Umasanker Kandaswamy, Co-founder & Chief of Staff, Avtar Group
7.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Networking Dinner
42+
Companies
5000+
Participants
500+
Speakers
Leaders, Pioneers, and Change
Makers Meet Our Esteemed Speakers
Dr. Saundarya Rajesh
Avtar Group
Subha V Barry
Jena Ladhani
Dr Reem Lebhar
Shobha Swaroop
Leaders, Pioneers, and Change
Makers
Meet Our Esteemed Speakers
Dr. Saundarya Rajesh
Founder-President, Avtar Group
Subha V Barry
President - Seramount
Jena Ladhani
Chief Executive Officer, CBRE Saudi Arabia
Dr Reem Lebhar
CEO of Mena Tech AI
Niamh Albertyn
Global Head of Pre-sales & Customer, Finastra
Maria Rantamaa
Managing Director for Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait, KONE
Charalampos Sarafopoulos
Executive Director, Al Shirawi Facilities Management LLC
Veena Krishnamurthy
Head of HR, Al Shirawi Facilities Management LLC
Caroline Bertrand
Head of HR, Gig Gulf Insurance
Rency Abraham
HR Director, Ingram Micro
DR. CHRISTOPHER ABRAHAM
CEO & Head - Dubai campus and Director – Executive Education
Desislava Stankova-Bogoeva
Director & Senior Legal Counsel, Ingram Micro
Umasanker Kandaswamy
Co Founder & Chief of Staff
Karthik Ekambaram
Co-Founder & Head of Solutions
Anju G Parvathy
Vice President – Research & Solutions
Lakshmi Vijaykumar
Assistant Vice President, Events & conferences
Our Valued Sponsors and Partners
Thank you to our partners who have supported us in our mission to promote
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace.
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
Supporting Sponsor
Our Valued Sponsors and Partners
Thank you to our partners who have supported us in our mission to promote
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace.
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
Supporting Sponsor
Research Partner
Technology Partner
Anantha Radhakrishnan
CEO and MD,
Infosys BPM
Winner
Winner
Anantha Radhakrishnan (Radha)
CEO and MD - Infosys BPM
Radha has been a quiet strength and patient ally of DEI at Infosys BPM. Apart from strengthening quantifiable metrics on gender diversity, he also has added impetus to softer aspects such as bringing in transparency across selection criteria, giving a fair chance for diversity in leadership-hiring and personally mentoring women within the leadership council of Infosys BPM. Today, the leadership council of Infosys BPM has a third of women leaders from across global DCs who actively lead and execute key strategic initiatives globally. While this change is structural, the transparency of selection criteria based firmly on performance and meritocracy, has ensured there is no corridor talk on ‘tokenism’ or any flippant references to ‘diversity candidates’. There have been several instances over the years where Radha has, during discussions on awards, recognitions, and executive/ leadership program nominations, subtly brought up the glaring lack of diversity, which may have been inadvertently overlooked. This consistent nudge has, over the last few years, ensured that the equity in ensuring diverse representation is an activity that is done before it reaches Radha’s office. He maintains that ‘awareness is key’ and ‘no one deliberately tries to exclude, but we need to make a conscious and deliberate attempt to include’. Under his guidance and leadership, there are also specific DEI assessment programs (both for new joiners and existing employees) that have been rolled out where employees can test their DEI quotient. Programs on unconscious bias in hiring and performance evaluation were launched across job levels over the last couple of years. Through systematic awareness-creation that Radha spearheads, several unconscious gender biases have been weeded out and appreciation for inclusive thinking has become part of the DNA of Infosys BPM. Following in his footsteps, several of the male leaders are now staunch allies, doing ‘equity’ checks before nominating a candidate for an award or recognition, actively mentoring women leaders, counselling on career progression and sponsoring leadership development programs.
Glimpses from past sessions
Register for the
Once again thank you very much for all the support, and we look forward to a long term relationship with both of you.
I truly appreciate your efforts and look forward to continuous support and a long-lasting association with Avtar.
The quick turn around from your team helped us in closing positions with women candidates who wished to return to work after a significant break.
We at MiQ are committed to Inclusion and Diversity and your partnership has definitely helped us achieve that.
Keep working hard and best of luck to your future assignment team!
