MICA appoints Tech CXO Jaya Deshmukh as new Director; Dr Shailendra Raj Mehta relinquishes charge

Add Review

SK Aggarwal
SK Aggarwal
Editor, MBAUniverse.com
Updated on May 1, 2024
MICA Ahmedabad has appointed alumna from its first batch Ms. Jaya Deshmukh as the new Director. She has worked in senior positions at Google, Microsoft, Colt, Cognizant and AT&T. Dr Shailendra Raj Mehta has relinquished charge at the head of MICA. He is expected to join OP Jindal University in Delhi NCR.
MICA appoints Jaya Deshmukh as new Director

MICA Ahmedabad has announced the appointment of Ms. Jaya Deshmukh as the Director of the institute for a period of five years. She is the alumna from the first batch of MICA and has over 25 years of extensive global experience in Business Strategy and Digital Transformation working at technology giants such as Google, Microsoft, Colt, Cognizant and AT&T across the world.

In a social media post, Ms. Deshmukh wrote, “I am going home. After 3 wonderful years at Colt Technology Services, it is time to go back to my Alma Mater. I am thrilled… Can’t wait!!”

In a parallel development, Dr Shailendra Raj Mehta has relinquished charge at the head of MICA. In a media statement, Dr Mehta said, “I look forward to warmly welcoming the new Director and to a smooth transition.” Dr Mehta is expected to join OP Jindal University in Delhi NCR as a ‘University Professor’.

Making the announcement of new Director, Professor Tridip Suhrud, President of the MICA Governing Council, said, “Mrs. Tina Anil Ambani, the chairperson of MICA Foundation based on a unanimous recommendation of the Search Committee has appointed Ms. Jaya Deshmukh as the next Director of MICA, Ahmedabad.”

Jaya Deshmukh to join MICA as new Director in July 2024

The appointment of Ms. Jaya Deshmukh is significant on may counts. First, she is a rare business professional to be appointment as the Director of a premier business school in India. From the information available in public domain, it appears that she has not held a full time Academic Role earlier. Another significant fact is that with her appointment, almost the entire leadership team of MICA comprises of women. Chairperson of MICA Foundation is Mrs. Tina Anil Ambani, the Dean is Professor Githa Heggde, and the Registrar is Professor Shubhra Gaur.

Ms. Jaya Deshmukh is the alumna from the first batch of MICA and has worked in senior positions at Google, Microsoft, Colt, Cognizant and AT&T in India, Asia Pacific, USA, and Europe. In addition to her professional achievements, Jaya is an inventor with a patent to her name and an author, contributing to various academic journals and handbooks.

Expressing her enthusiasm about joining MICA at a critical time of transformation across the globe, Ms. Jaya Deshmukh shared, “I am delighted to be joining MICA at this pivotal time where AI, Robotics, Quantum Computing, and Synthetic Biology are transforming the world as we know it.”

Jaya Deshmukh will be joining as Director of MICA from July 2024.

Dr Shailendra Raj Mehta relinquishes charge; Set to join OP Jindal University

In a parallel development, Dr. Shailendra Raj Mehta has relinquished the charge as the Head of MICA where he was designated as the President. Delhi NCR based Jindal Global University (JGU) has appointed Dr Mehta as the O.P. Jindal Distinguished University Professor. Making this announcement, GJU said, “This is the first time in the history of JGU that it has made the appointment of a University Professor recognising the extraordinary contributions of a world-renowned scholar, researcher, teacher, and institution builder.”

Dr Mehta will take up his appointment at JGU in the Fall of 2024 and will provide leadership and mentorship on teaching, research and institution building at JGU. Dr Mehta will be teaching several interdisciplinary courses, including one course specifically for the Jindal Global Business School.

Dr Mehta is a BA and MA from Delhi University (St. Stephen’s College and Delhi School of Economics, respectively), and completed his M.Phil. from Balliol College, University of Oxford, and his Ph.D. from the Economics Department at Harvard University. He returned to India in 2006/7 to head the collaboration between Duke CE (Duke University’s Corporate Education Arm) and IIM-Ahmedabad. Before that, he was at Purdue University for 16 years, where he taught Economics and Strategic Management. He has also co-founded two hi-tech start-ups while being a full-time professor and academic leader.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on MICA Ahmedabad