Bangalore, India – 15 January 2020: Pollinate Group, which equips women to lead their communities out of poverty, is delighted to announce the appointment of Sujatha Ramani as its new CEO.
Sujatha joins Pollinate Group with 28 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience across sales, marketing, global program management and engineering. More recently she gained social enterprise experience as a Director in the Wadhwani Foundation’s National Entrepreneur Network, helping startups scale and provide more employment for India’s youth.
Announcing the new CEO, Board Chair Scott Watkins said, “The appointment of Sujatha, our first leader from outside of the Co-Founders, is a really important step for Pollinate Group. Sujatha brings considerable and diverse experience across both global technology companies and for-good enterprises. Her passion for creating opportunities, particularly for women and people living in disadvantaged communities is clear. I’m excited to see us continue to evolve as an organization, by the insight, drive and vision that Sujatha will bring.”
For Sujatha, the unique combination of a role that serves neglected communities, sells sustainable products and empowers women entrepreneurs was a wonderful opportunity.
“With the excellent team we have, the scope to spread our empowerment model is enormous. I’m looking forward to leading Pollinate Group to become a top social enterprise, addressing the interconnected problems of poverty, gender inequality and energy access.”
“More than ever the world needs innovative solutions focused on end users and local communities with access to opportunities that drive long-term positive change. This is why I’m excited to amplify Pollinate Group’s existing impact and focus on building a sustainable business model for growth.”
Sujatha steps into the role vacated late last year by Alexie Seller, a Co-Founder of Pollinate Group, who shares, “This is a pivotal moment for Pollinate Group and our sector, and I’m thrilled we have found such an impressive leader in Sujatha. I know she is committed and passionate about empowering women and communities scaling the Pollinate Group model, and I have the utmost confidence that she will do this and more.”
Born in Chennai, Sujatha grew up in Chennai and Trichy, and has since called Bangalore home for 30 years. When she isn’t leading Pollinate Group, Sujatha enjoys gardening, music, exploring eateries, watching sports and meeting new people. In Bangalore Sujatha lives with her husband and her wonderful 20 year old daughter.
The appointment signals a new era for Pollinate Group as the organization focuses on scaling and expanding the reach of their proven, women-led distribution network to include more than 300 active entrepreneurs across India and Nepal by the end of 2020.
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Meet other leaders from Pollinate Group on our team.