A Population First (PF) Board of Trustees meeting after the recent demise of advertising doyen and PF Founder Mr Bobby Sista, saw all the attendees condole his passage, speaking glowingly of his immense contribution to both the world of advertising and the development sector. At the behest of all the Board of Trustees, Sista’s protégé fellow adman and PF Board of Trustees member K V Sridhar was convinced to accept being the Board’s Executive Trustee. The meeting also saw the ex-director and current consultant Advisor Dr A L Sharada – who had headed PF from its founding years for over two decades – being appointed as a Trustee.
PF Board of Trustees chairperson, Urvi Piramal – who oversees a professionally managed conglomerate with business interests in real estate, textiles, engineering and renewable energy welcomed both appointees warmly. She said, “Given K V Sridhar’s similar background and his awareness of Sista’s vision he is best suited to step into his shoes taking PF ahead,” and added, “Dr Sharada has worked very closely with Sista since PF’s formative years jointly shaping the contours and nuances of the organisation’s journey. In that sense, she is a rightful legatee to Sista’s trajectory in the development sector. Having her on the Board will help steer us in the right direction so that Population First continues to challenge gendered mindsets that undermine the value of girls and women, promote discrimination against them and justify gender-based violence even while touching lives and making a difference.”
K V Sridhar also said, “I accept this only because I know that Dr Sharada will also join us as a Trustee."