Mala Manku
Strategic counsel to Chairs and CEOs at moments of strategic consequence in leadership, transformation, and the human capital on which both depend.
INSTITUTIONAL ADVISORY • FORUM ARCHITECTURE • EXECUTIVE COACHING • BESPOKE SEARCH
WHY NOW
Leadership has never been under closer scrutiny. In a world reshaped by AI, where every decision can be examined, replayed and audited, ethics and accountability are no longer soft virtues but the conditions of trust. The ground beneath institutions is shifting seismically, and business must evolve as fast as the forces around it. The leaders who navigate this will be those with honest counsel, the right people beside them, and rooms designed for truth.
ABOUT
Twenty-five years at the centre of the boardroom conversation.
I advise the Chairs and CEOs of FTSE 100 corporations, global private equity funds, and international institutions on transformation, leadership, and human capital, the people on whom every strategy ultimately depends.
Over more than twenty-five years, I have built one of the most extensive senior leadership networks in global technology, professional services, private equity, and the public sector, including trusted advisory relationships with the successive CEOs of the world's largest technology and professional services firms across multiple leadership transitions.
A pioneer in diversity and inclusion, I helped shape the culture and leadership thinking of major global firms before DE&I had a name. I have sponsored national STEM programmes, developed skills initiatives for a Royal environmental programme, and created a pioneering design thinking partnership with a leading US university.
Today, I work with Chairs and boards to reimagine established institutions for a new era of global relevance, designing high-calibre forums, advisory boards, and provocation boards, and leading institutional transformation at the intersection of technology, energy, defence, and finance.
As a Fellow of the Association for Coaching and a Cambridge-trained executive coach, I also work one-to-one with newly appointed C-suite leaders through the critical early months of their tenure where strategy and human capital meet.
FELLOW, ASSOCIATION FOR COACHING • CAMBRIDGE EXECUTIVE COACH, MØLLER INSTITUTE, CHURCHILL COLLEGE • COP26 GLASGOW • COMMONWEALTH GREEN FINANCE INITIATIVE
listening
FROM THE CONVERSATIONS
“…seeing how institutions and people need to evolve before most have recognised the problem.”
— Dominic Barton
“a rare gift for convening the right people around the right ideas at the right time.”
— Dr Maher Chebbo
“fresh perspectives… then action-oriented in making things happen.”
— Sir Vernon Ellis
Institutional Advisory
I work with Chairs and boards to reimagine the strategic positioning and commercial models of established organisations for a new era of global relevance, leading institutional transformation and advising on leadership and human capital at the highest level. My work sits at the intersection of technology, energy, defence, and finance: the sectors shaping the next decade.
01
Forum Architecture
Rooms are not neutral. Who is in them, what is asked, and how the conversation is framed determine what an institution is able to see. I conceive, design, and curate high-calibre forums, advisory boards, and provocation boards for global businesses bringing cross-sector leaders together at CEO and Chair level around the questions that will define their industries.
02
INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGY • TRANSFORMATION • LEADERSHIP & HUMAN CAPITAL • GOVERNANCE
Executive Coaching
I support newly appointed C-suite leaders through the critical early months of their tenure. As a Fellow of the Association for Coaching, the highest individual recognition awarded by the AC and a graduate of the Cambridge Advanced Executive Coaching Programme at the Møller Institute, Churchill College, I bring rigorous methodology and decades of boardroom experience to leadership transitions.
03
FORUMS • ADVISORY BOARDS • PROVOCATION BOARDS • CURATION
Bespoke Search
Undertaken selectively, and largely by referral: the most sensitive appointments at Chair, board, and C-suite level, drawing on one of the most extensive senior leadership networks in global business. Not a volume practice; a private one.
04
FIRST 100 DAYS • LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS • C-SUITE PRESENCE
BY REFERRAL • CHAIR & BOARD APPOINTMENTS • SUCCESSION • DISCRETION ASSURED
ON ACCESS
I did not take the conventional route, and I have never assumed there is only one. It is why I read both people and institutions differently, and why I tend to see the option no one has thought to look for. The skills programme that placed young people from overlooked communities into apprenticeships and employment, at a 96% rate, came from exactly that instinct.
“The most important strategic conversations happen in rooms that are carefully designed, not accidentally assembled.”
— Mala Manku
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
Expertise built across decades and disciplines.
Institutional Transformation & Forum Architecture
Special advisor to the Chair of a prominent international affairs institution, leading its transformation into a multi-hub global platform
Architect of a European strategic advisory board for a major telecommunications company, spanning AI, energy, defence, and next-generation connectivity
Curator and chair of a closed-door intelligence community for senior women in private markets
Architect of a global women in finance intelligence summit with a leading university partnership
CEO & Chair Advisory
Trusted advisor to the successive CEOs of one of the world's largest technology and professional services firms over two decades
Strategic advisor to the chairs of a FTSE 100 mining group and a leading global private equity fund
A pioneer in diversity and inclusion, helping shape the culture and leadership of major global firms before DE&I had a name
International & Public Sector
Senior advisory board of an international multilateral energy organisation, Commonwealth partnership and Green Finance initiative, presence at COP26 in Glasgow
Sponsor of a national STEM programme created in partnership with a UK Prime Minister and a leading cultural diplomacy institution
Developed a skills programme for a Royal environmental initiative, with a 96% success rate placing young people from overlooked communities
Cultural diplomacy initiatives across India, Brazil, Russia, and China
Sectors
Technology & Telecommunications • Private Equity & Financial Services • Energy Transition & Green Finance • Defence & Mission Critical Infrastructure • Mining & Resources • Professional Services • Multilateral Development
convening
IN THEIR WORDS
Counsel trusted at the highest level.
“I have known Mala for many years, and across that time I have watched her operate with class at a level that is genuinely rare. She combines strategic insight with a deep understanding of the leadership and talent required to deliver on it, often seeing how institutions and people need to evolve before most have recognised the problem. She brings the relationships, the judgement, and the sheer tenacity to make it happen. I trust her instincts completely. I remain, as I have been for many years, a fan.”
Dominic Barton, Chairman, Asia House • Former Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company
“I have worked with Mala on a variety of projects for over 20 years, at Accenture, the British Council and Live Music Now. She has reliably brought fresh perspectives and new ideas on how to reach out and connect. She is then action-oriented in making things happen, often using her own contacts database as a resource.”
Sir Vernon Ellis, Former International Chair, Accenture • Former Chair, British Council • Chair, Live Music Now
“Mala has a rare gift for convening the right people around the right ideas at the right time, something we continue to draw on as we develop new executive industry communities together. She combines genuine warmth with innovative thinking, and any organisation fortunate enough to work with her will quickly understand why she is so highly regarded across the global leadership landscape.”
Dr Maher Chebbo, Former Chairman, REEEP • Board Member, Elisa
“Mala doesn’t just maintain a network, she activates it. What sets her apart is her ethics: in a world where relationships are often transactional, hers never are. When Mala makes an introduction, doors don’t just open, they stay open, because her reputation precedes her. She is one of the finest connectors and strategic advisors I have had the privilege of working alongside.”
Deepak Ravindran, CEO Utilities, Kraken Technology • Former Managing Partner, BCG
“She has a real talent for listening, asking the right questions, and helping you think through complex situations calmly and clearly. Her guidance is always thoughtful, never rushed. What makes her particularly valuable is the combination of her coaching ability and a very well-connected network built over many years.”
Nacho Gimenez
EXECUTIVE COACHING
The critical first months in the corner office.
The transition into a C-suite role is one of the most consequential moments in a leader's career. The decisions made, relationships built, and tone set in the first months define everything that follows.
Drawing on Cambridge methodology and decades of boardroom experience, I work with newly appointed leaders to navigate this period with clarity, confidence, and impact.
First 100 Days
Structured support through the critical transition period.
Leadership Presence
Developing the gravitas and authenticity the role demands.
Stakeholder Navigation
Building the relationships that determine success.
Strategic Clarity
Defining priorities and communicating them with conviction.
clarity
BEGIN A CONVERSATION
Discreet by Design.
For institutional advisory, forum architecture, executive coaching, or bespoke search enquiries.