Vaidehi Rege’s professional journey has been anything but conventional. Beginning her career as an entrepreneur in India, she went on to lead recruitment and branding for a large technology organization before joining a digital startup. Each chapter—from building teams to driving growth and shaping employer brands—strengthened her understanding of how people and purpose come together to create lasting impact.
Her move to Germany marked a new phase of transformation—from student to professional to entrepreneur once again. Combining her background in Psychology, an MBA from Nuremberg, Germany, and more than 15 years of diverse industry experience, she founded Stier Beratung GmbH, a consulting firm based in Nuremberg that bridges talent, strategy, technology, and culture between India and Germany.
A consistent source of inspiration throughout her career has been Dr. Ganesh Natarajan and Dr. Uma Ganesh, whose mentorship has guided her through many phases of growth. Dr. Natarajan first recognized a spark in her in 2015 while at Zensar Technologies, opening doors to opportunities that helped shape her path. Today, both continue to be part of her journey at Stier Beratung, bringing shared purpose and an enduring belief in empowering people and ideas.
Reflecting on their influence, Vaidehi shares that Dr. Ganesh Natarajan and Dr. Uma Ganesh have played an irreplaceable role in her journey—as mentors, guides, and close friends. Dr. Natarajan saw a spark in her at a time when she was still defining her path, and that belief has stayed with her ever since.
What inspires her most about both leaders is their ability to blend wisdom with warmth—to lead with intellect, empathy, conviction, and heart. They have taught her that true leadership lies in inspiring others to find their own strength, stay grounded through change, and continue learning no matter where life takes you.
Lata Venkataraman is a global Corporate Training/Education specialist and Executive Coach who develops and delivers impactful Employee development and enhancement programs. Her personal mission of “Transforming Lives” fuels her passion for driving change and development.
Her professional journey started at Aptech where she garnered multi-functional and multi-cultural exposure and was closely involved in taking the Aptech Brand overseas and pioneered Aptech’s foray in the E learning market.
She has effectively rolled out Training and eLearning initiatives at HDFC, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Chase, Nomura, Chevron, Lufthansa, ONGC, UTI, L&T, Zensar, FSS, ENBD, Al Futtaim, Essar, and Expo 2020 to mention a few.
“The word Mentor brings to mind 2 personalities who have been a Transformational influence in my personal and career growth. “We Change Lives” was a tag line in Aptech and they did make this happen to me, my colleagues and millions of students we trained globally in Aptech in the retail, government and corporate segments.
Their Leadership style was clearly motivation and empowering individuals with clear vision, goals and instilling values of commitment, focus, ethical professionalism and genuine interest in the development of each member of the team.
As mentors they succeeded in influencing qualities which helped me evolve as a human being and thus influenced how I touched lives in the corporate space and in every other role I played in life. The life-changing lessons gained by observing them and being mentored by them are carried forward by me in Corporate Training. And Board Rooms I work in today and serve as live examples of how every one of us with our actions and thoughts can Influence and Change lives of individuals. Their journey is inspirational and lucky are those whose paths cross with theirs.”
Sagar Kabra is a development sector leader with over 12 years of experience in CSR strategy, community empowerment, and education-led social impact. As Director at GTT Foundation (Natarajan Education Society), he drives large-scale initiatives focused on skill development, sustainable livelihoods, and inclusive innovation for women, youth, artisans, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Originally trained in biotechnology, Sagar transitioned into the social impact space driven by a deep sense of purpose, contributing early in his career as a Science Educator on the nationally acclaimed Science Express—an initiative of the Government of India and the Max Planck Society.
His work is strongly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESG frameworks, and he continues to champion tech-enabled, community-centred development.
Outside of work, Sagar is passionate about classical music, environmental conservation, and wildlife photography, bringing a holistic lens to his engagement with communities and social change.
“Reflecting on my journey under Dr. Ganesh Natarajan and Dr. Uma Ganesh’s guidance, I am reminded of the timeless Guru-shishya parampara, where a mentor’s wisdom, vision and values illuminate the path of the mentee, not merely through instruction but through example, inspiration and unwavering trust. Their mentorship has endowed me with lessons that extend far beyond professional competence.
I have learned to negotiate and deal with clarity and confidence, navigate challenges with composure and lead teams with empathy and inspiration. I have learned to balance immediate execution with long-term strategic thinking, to foster accountability while nurturing creativity and to measure success not merely in outcomes, but in enduring impact.”
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