Mumbai | November 6, 2025: Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (WeSchool) hosted Hiroaki Kuwajima, Managing Director, K&Associates, and Haas Executive Fellow, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, and Eisenhower Fellow (2014), for an insightful session titled “Navigating Leadership in a Fragmented World: From Tokyo to Silicon Valley to the Middle East.” The event, held at WeSchool’s Mumbai campus, brought together students, faculty, and business leaders for a deeply reflective dialogue on what leadership means in an era of disruption, division, and rapid change.
Along with Mr. Kuwajima, WeSchool also welcomed two distinguished leaders, Dr. Raman Madhok, Managing Director, Kahani Designworks Pvt. Ltd., Former Managing Director & CEO, JSW Ltd., and Eisenhower Fellow (2004), and Dr. Sangeetha Madhu, Director, Global Leadership, Eisenhower Fellow (2017). Together, the speakers brought an extraordinary mix of perspectives from global business strategy and behavioral leadership to cross-cultural understanding offering WeSchool students an immersive learning experience that bridged continents and disciplines.
Drawing from his experience across Japan, the United States, and the Middle East, Hiroaki Kuwajima spoke on how fragmentation across societies, industries, and technologies has made leadership more challenging yet more essential than ever before. He shared, “We live in a time where fragmentation, geopolitical, technological, and cultural, seems to define the global landscape. But within this fragmentation lies an extraordinary opportunity for leadership. The most impactful leaders of tomorrow will not be those who command, but those who connect; not those who dictate, but those who understand.
True leadership begins with self-awareness, the ability to see one’s place in a larger global narrative. It then extends to cultural literacy, the courage to listen, and the imagination to create shared meaning across differences.”
Key highlights
- Mr. Kuwajima traced leadership lessons from Tokyo, Silicon Valley and the Middle East, stressing that self-knowledge and cultural memory anchor effective global leadership.
- He discussed the rising scale and ambition of infrastructure and investment across the Middle East, noting the magnitude of opportunity for students seeking global careers.
- The talk connected themes of AI, ethics, and human-centred leadership, arguing that technology will commoditise many capabilities, while the ability to bridge cultures will create lasting value.
Dr. Raman Madhok shared valuable lessons from his extensive corporate journey, underscoring how purpose-driven leadership, values, and adaptability can shape meaningful organizations. He emphasized that business leaders today must navigate complexity with a balance of commercial acumen and compassion, saying that “real success lies not in chasing scale but in sustaining impact through ethical leadership.”
Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, WeSchool, welcomed the distinguished speakers and reaffirmed WeSchool’s commitment to shaping future-ready global citizens. He said, “At WeSchool, our constant endeavor is to shape global citizens who can lead with both intellect and empathy. The world our students are stepping into is no longer defined by borders but by shared challenges, whether it is technology, sustainability, or cultural understanding. Leadership today demands a new kind of intelligence, one that goes beyond strategy and systems to embrace humanity, emotional depth, and global connectedness.
We are deeply grateful to Mr. Hiroaki Kuwajima, Dr. Raman Madhok, and Dr. Sangeetha Madhu for engaging with our students in such a meaningful dialogue. Sessions like this reaffirm our belief that exposure to global perspectives is critical in preparing young leaders who are capable of navigating complexity with imagination and purpose”
The session concluded with a vibrant Q&A, where students explored themes such as AI and the future of leadership, ethical decision-making, and leading across borders. The discussion underscored the belief that leadership is not about hierarchy, but about humanity, a principle that lies at the heart of WeSchool’s educational philosophy.
Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (WeSchool) is among India’s leading business schools, known for its innovative, industry-integrated programs and emphasis on design thinking, global exposure, and leadership with purpose. Through initiatives such as the Global Civil Leadership programme, WeSchool continues to equip its students with the skills, values, and global perspective required to lead in a rapidly evolving world.
