Overview
In a world shaped by rapid technological advancement and digital disruption, leadership today must balance innovation with responsibility, performance with purpose, and growth with governance.
This year’s Leadership Summit was held on 21 & 22 February at SDA Bocconi Asia Center. The theme, “Leadership in the Age of Intelligent Transformation: Driving Sustainability, Ethics and Digitalization,” convened 70+ industry leaders, policymakers, and thought leaders to examine how organizations can leverage emerging technologies while ensuring ethical decision-making and sustainable impact. Across two days, the Summit brought together
• 70+ industry leaders
• 3 keynotes
• 2 fireside chats
• 12 panel discussions
• Moderated by SDA Bocconi alumni
Keynotes
Sumit Neogi, Managing Director Human Resources- MEISA region, FedEx: sustainability as a long-term strategic imperative in global logistics
Neeraj Sharma, Managing Director at Accenture: disruption cycles and where value migrates in the age of intelligent transformation
Vasudev Puranik, Managing Director & CIO at Accenture: “Human in the Lead”: keeping human intelligence at the centre of AI adoption
Fireside Chat
Mahesh Aras, Managing Director and Head of Risk and Compliance at JPMorganChase (India): leadership, risk management, and the ethics of AI in financial institutions
Nishant Shekhar, MD & Partner, BCG: the consulting mindset: ambiguity, ownership, listening, and the limits of frameworks
Panel Discussions
- Leading with Algorithm — accountability, bias, and ethics of AI (Netcore Cloud, BCG, Kyndryl, Alvarez & Marsal)
- Green Finance or Greenwashing? — the truth about ESG investing (Barclays, Fidelity International, RSA Security)
- Circular Economy — responsible business models (Amara Raj, Hitachi, Indian Oil-Adani Ventures)
- Stability vs Speed — sustainable tech growth (Microsoft, Visa, Decentro, JioAds)
- Craft, Consciousness & Carbon — responsible luxury (Mercedes-Benz, L’Oréal Luxe, Sephora, Condé Nast)
In Closing
From logistics to curation to moderation, every element of Leadership Summit 2026 was driven by the student cohort, making it as much a demonstration of leadership as a conversation about it. The summit’s central message was clear: sustainable, ethical, and purpose-driven leadership is no longer aspirational. It is the expectation.