Our Board of Trustees

Mr Dileep Nair has more than 30 years of experience in governance and public service in the Singapore Civil Service and the United Nations.

He was with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs serving as the High Commissioner to the Republic of Ghana from 2013 to 2016. Prior to that, he was the Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic from 2011 to 2013 and the Consul-General to the Emirate of Dubai from 2006 to 2010. He was also the Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services at the United Nations from 2000 to 2005.

Mr Dileep is now an Independent Director of Singapore Reinsurance and MS First Capital, as well as a Board Member of the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore. He is also an adjunct lecturer at the Civil Service College of Singapore. He has been awarded the Public Service Medal (Silver) and the 25-year Grand Award for Community Service by the Singapore Government.

Mr Dileep has been in SNM’s Board of Trustees since 2021.

Dr Ahmad Magad boasts an extensive and illustrious career spanning various sectors, showcasing his adept leadership and transformative impact. Currently serving as Principal Consultant at Dynavision Advisory, he specialises in enhancing business and manufacturing excellence for SMEs and entrepreneurs. His tenure as Executive Director at the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) emphasised strategic transformation and business expansion. Notably, Dr Magad’s leadership at the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) spearheaded digital transformation, resulting in a remarkable 25% increase in profits. With a remarkable 30-year stint as Group Managing Director at II-VI Infrared Manufacturing Operations in Asia, Dr Magad played a pivotal role in propelling the company’s growth from USD 10 million to USD 1.45 billion before his retirement in 2018.

In addition to his corporate achievements, Dr Magad has made significant contributions to public service and academia. His extensive parliamentary tenure, spanning three terms as a Member of Parliament, and chairmanship of various government committees underscore his commitment to national development. As President of the Singapore Productivity Association and Chair of the Singapore Productivity Centre, Dr Magad has been instrumental in driving productivity growth in key sectors. Recognised for his outstanding contributions, he has received prestigious awards such as the AIM Triple A award and the Walter L. Hurd Executive Medal.

Dr Magad’s academic prowess is evident through his array of qualifications, including a Doctorate in Business Administration and memberships in esteemed professional bodies, solidifying his status as a distinguished figure in both industry and academia. Dr Magad was co-opted to SNM’s Board of Trustees in 2023.

Dr Asha Karunakaran has been a practicing dentist for over 40 years, previously managed her own dental clinic, and now works in a private group practice.

She has been an active member of the Singapore Dental Association and other professional dental societies. At the Dental Association, she chaired several committees, most notably the Ethics and Practice Management Committee.

For several years, Dr Asha was the President of the Singapore Dental Health Foundation, a voluntary organisation focused on public dental health education.

She has been a member of SNM’s Board of Trustees since August 2021.

Mr Foo Say Thye was an institutional stock dealer who happens to be one of Singapore’s most illustrious volunteers, with a resume of beneficiary organisations that includes Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore), SWAMI Home, Christalite Methodist Home, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, Jamiyah organisation, Serving People with Disabilities, PerWanit and Community Centres/Clubs. He also volunteers at the Community Chest as well as with its registered beneficiaries and individuals.

Mr Foo started the Goodie Bag programme – a tie-up with Sheng Shiong to do food distribution events for financially needy families. He was also the visionary force behind Project 100=50, a tie-up with Sheng Shiong, Community Centres/Clubs and grassroots organisations, piloted by the Heartwarmers volunteer group in 2017. His year-end ‘Back to School with a Smile’ programme encourages children from challenging backgrounds to feel enthusiastic about school.

Mr Foo also started the We Love Learning (WeLL) Centre, a place where children from challenging backgrounds can drop by to read, study, and attend tuition and enrichment classes. Mr Foo was co-opted to SNM’s Board of Trustees in 2023.

Mr Jayadev Unnithan says he was very fortunate to be exposed to Sree Narayana Guru’s teachings from a young age, and the values he learned have guided his life.

Mr Jayadev has served in various capacities in SNM. Having completed his term as President of SNM, he was elected to the Board of Trustees in August 2023. He also chairs the Audit and Risk Management Committee.

He is involved in the community as a grassroots leader, and currently serves as the Treasurer of Chong Pang Citizens’ Consultative Committee and Community Development Welfare Fund Committee.

Mr Jayadev is the Vice-Chairman of Northbrooks Secondary School’s Advisory Committee. He also chairs the Malayalam Language Education Society which promotes the Malayalam Language and also serves as a member of the SINDA Community Engagement Sub-Committee.

Mr Jayadev is a Director of Suriya Trading Enterprise(S) Pte Ltd, the manufacturer of House Brand Food Products. An accountant by training, he is glad to be associated with a profession that is defined by integrity and truth.

Mr Manu Bhaskaran is a partner at the Centennial Group, a strategic advisory firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., and he is the founding CEO of its Singapore subsidiary, Centennial Asia Advisors. He is also an adjunct senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies in Singapore and serves on various advisory and corporate boards, including the Advisory Board of the International Monetary Fund in Asia.

As a director of companies, including Japfa Limited, which is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Mr Manu has also served on board committees such as the audit committee and the investment committee. He has also served as a trustee of international institutions in the past, such as The Asia Foundation (TAF) and the CFA Institute Research Foundation. He was elected to SNM’s Board of Trustees in 2021.

Mr Rajesh Sreenivasan is a partner and the head of the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Law Practice at Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, as well as the coordinating partner for the firm’s multidisciplinary and cross-practice Data and Digital Economy (DDE) Legal Services. He is a director and co-founder of two legal tech entities: Rajah & Tann Technologies and Rajah & Tann Cybersecurity. With over 20 years in practice, he has been universally recognised as the leading technology, media, and telecoms lawyer in Singapore.

Mr Rajesh plays a significant role in leading legal sector transformation and innovation initiatives at the national level, culminating in his work on the EXCO of Lupi, the world’s first open platform for legal management and collaboration. Lupi powers the Legal Technology Platform (LTP), a key initiative in the Ministry of Law’s Technology and Innovation roadmap for the legal sector.

Mr Rajesh sits on several international boards, including SNM’s Board of Trustees, to which he was elected in 2021.

Mrs Sunu Sivadasan was an Education Officer (LEAD Teacher) with the Ministry of Education (MOE). She was a professional and pedagogical leader who guided teachers (School, Cluster and Zone) in quality teaching and learning. She was also a mentor coach at MOE HQ, where she trained MOE teacher-mentors in instructional mentoring and coaching for effective teaching and learning. Since retiring in 2021, Mrs Sunu continues to serve as a flexi adjunct education officer.

Mrs Sunu currently serves as Vice-President of the Singapore Malayalee Association (SMA) and is one of the directors of SMA Care Limited. She was elected to SNM’s Board of Trustees in 2021.

Dr Thara Ravindran is currently a research fellow at the Information and Management Centre, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University. She has also been part of a National Research Foundation (NRF) funded project on entrepreneurship and innovation and she co-authored a book titled “Identifying Business Opportunities Through Innovation”.

Dr Thara was also involved in a successful grant application of The City Pulse Project for the Ministry of National Development, which is the highest grant secured by Nanyang Business School. Her domains of research include usability of delivery robots and sustainability. She was elected to SNM’s Board of Trustees in 2021.

Mr Viswa Sadasivan is the Founder and Managing Consultant of Strategic Moves – a corporate strategy and leadership communication consultancy. Over the past 40 years, he has held various public sector leadership positions that require a deep appreciation for governance.

Mr Viswa served on several public sector boards including Media Development Board, and SPRING Singapore where he was Co-Chairman of the Audit Committee. He served on the Executive Committee of SINDA as Vice-President for a decade, and subsequently on its Board of Trustees. At the age of 32, Mr. Viswa was elected as the president of the then-Singapore Kerala Association (now Singapore Malayalee Association) for one term. He is also a long-serving member of the National Youth Achievement Award Council and also served on the Economic Review Committee and the Singapore 21 Committee.

Mr Viswa also served five years on the board of the Singapore International Mediation Centre, where he was actively involved in promoting mediation in Asia, especially in India. He also has been a principal mediator with the centre and has been on its panel since its inception in 1997.

Trained as an elite Guardsman, Mr Viswa served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for 40 years as a National Serviceman. He rose to the rank of Colonel, and his last position was Deputy Director, Joint Operations, SAF. He served with distinction as a Nominated Member of Parliament from 2009 to 2011. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the then-Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Mr Viswa has been in SNM’s Board of Trustees since 2021.