Mr. Rajesh Kumar Chhibber joined the services of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank as Probationary Officer in the year 1982 and has led the Bank in different capacities from managing business operations at Branch and Zonal offices to the Corporate Level across the operational geography of the Bank, bringing a treasure of experience to the chair that spans around thirty nine years. His areas of expertise include Credit, Finance, IT, Corporate & Retail Banking, Risk management, Trade Finance, Foreign exchange, Business continuity planning, HR, Bancassurance.

He headed the Bank as Chairman and Managing Director from June 2019 to December 2021.

Elevated as Executive President of J&K Bank on June 1, 2018, he was the Bank's Chief Compliance Officer besides heading Business Support division, HRD, Insurance, Government Banking, Lead Bank, CSC, FID, Subsidiary Management, Culture & Sports functions of the Bank.

As Vice-President in 2009, he headed the technology department of J&K Bank and made remarkable contributions in creating the technology infrastructure of the bank besides instituting the process of providing relevant expertise to the staff.

He has also served as Chairman J&K Grameen Bank for two years and nine months and brought great laurels to the bank by accomplishing its key strategic goals.

Shri. Nitishwar Kumar is an Indian Administrative Services Officer of 1996 batch. He is presently Principal Secretary to Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir (UT). Prior to this, he was serving as Joint Secretary/Member Secretary, National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education.

His career in different fields of administration spans over 24 years. Having worked in different capacities and departments at State and Central government level he possesses a wide range of experience and expertise. He has worked in Health, Education, Revenue, Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, Water Resources, Cooperation and Human Resource Development. In many of his assignments he has been responsible for Planning and Programme implementation which is his area of expertise.

Shri. Kumar is a post graduate in Economics and has also done Masters in Public Management and Governance from London School of Economics & Pol. Science.

He is also an avid reader and keen observer of nature and is widely known for his literary pursuits, poetry and singing.

Mr. Naba Kishore Sahoo, aged 65 years has been a banker throughout his life. Starting his career as scale I officer in Canara Bank, he has moved up to scale VII level during a span of 32 years and finally as Executive Director in Allahabad Bank for 4 years. He has thus to his credit a very rich and diverse experience in banking industry with expertise in Credit, Risk Management & HR. During his career he has been highly successful in driving business and achieving all round performance under very critical and challenging circumstances.

His exposure in banking covers a wide spectrum of areas ranging from Urban, semi urban and rural areas in addition to overseas exposure as Chief Executive of Canara Bank in London. He led his teams as a Circle Head of Bhubaneswar and Pune and has been awarded and recognized within the organization as a STAR PERFORMER. He has emerged as a leader by putting efforts in positioning the organisation in the right place by adopting proper strategy, planning, guidance and execution. In addition to being an Agricultural Science graduate which has been instrumental to his success in Rural banking, he has done CAIIB from Indian Institute of Bankers. Besides he has also attended numerous advanced level programs, both in India and abroad.

Dr. Rajeev Lochan Bishnoi, 64, is a Finance, Banking, and Governance practitioner specialising in governance and risk processes for improving the overall financial health.

Having rich experience in public life and concern for improving governance in the country, he was made a member of the 10th Audit Advisory Board of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India, which ended on 5th April, 2023. Now, he is reappointed to the 11th Audit Advisory Board of CAG, effective 13th April, 2023, for the next two years.

He has been an Independent Director in J&K Bank since 21st January, 2022 and is a member of several critical board-level committees. He was also on the Board of the Bank from 11th January, 2020 to 10th January, 2022. Previously, he was Chairman of the Audit Committee and led the transformative journey of the Bank; in addition, he was a member of various Board committees, including Stakeholders Relationship Committee, Integrated Risk Management Committee, Investment Committee, Human Resources Development Committee and Nomination & Remuneration Committee. He earlier served as NOD (appointed by GoI) on the Board of the Bank of India, where he served up to October 2016. He served as the Chairman of the Audit Committee besides being a member of its Board Committees on Credit, Human Resources, Wilful Defaulters, Risk Management, Customer Service, and Nomination & Remuneration. He was an independent director on the Board and in various Board level committees of BOI Merchant Bankers Limited until March 2021. 

He is an advisor to the J.P. Mathur Charitable Trust, New Delhi where research is carried out in fields of economic policy and governance with an emphasis on banking, finance and economy and several other aspects of concern. He is a life member of Non-Executive Directors in Conversation Trust (NEDICT) promoted by Mr. M. Damodaran, former UTI Chairman & SEBI Chairman, working to establish the best practices for Boards & NEDs. He was one of the main organisers of two national level conclaves i.e. Economic Conclave in 2017 and Banking Conclave in 2018 under aegis of India Policy Foundation and Centre for Economic Research.

He is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He has a deep interest in Education and is a member of the Board of Management of Shobhit University, Meerut, a NAAC “A” grade accredited university. 

He is a former Advisor to the UP-Export Corporation Limited. He was invited by the Government of Kazakhstan to deliver the Keynote Address at a seminar on ‘The Role of Small & Medium Enterprises in the National Economy’ held at Kazakhstan. 

A firm believer in the philosophy that economic activity at the bottom of the pyramid is the backbone of the eco-system of an emerging nation, he completed doctoral research work on "Vision and Strategy for Development of Entrepreneurship through Micro Finance and Micro Enterprises in Developing World". He researches Ancient Indian Economy and History to find lessons for today’s economic conundrums. This is another field of research and study for him. 

He is a hobby poet and has written a book of poetry and ‘dohas’ in Hindi titled ‘Man Laago Mero Yaar Fakiri Mein’. This is published by Sahitya Bhandar, Prayagraj.

Mr. Umesh Chandra Pandey is a Fellow Chartered Accountant with Bachelor’s degree in Commerce. He is a Senior Partner at M/s B.M. Chatrath & Co. LLP since 1991.

Mr. Umesh Chandra Pandey has a considerable and great deal of working experience in the field of Statutory Audit of Listed & Public Ltd. Companies, Corporate Law, Taxation – Domestic & Transfer Pricing, Project Report Preparation, M & A Transactions, Statutory Compliance Audit – Direct Tax/ Indirect Tax & Labour Laws. He has conducted Central Statutory Audit of Banks like Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India and Government Company Audits of South Eastern Coal Fields Ltd, Indian Oil Ltd, Oil India Ltd, Steel Authority of India Ltd. & Power Grid Ltd. Mr. Umesh Chandra Pandey is specialized in conducting due diligence of MSME and Heavy Industries on behalf of Scheduled Commercial Banks and is empanelled by IBA for conducting ASM Audit.

Mr. Umesh Chandra Pandey has been an Independent Director on the Board of Tourism Finance Corporation of India Ltd from 2005 to 2010 and has also served as Chairman of Audit Committee. He has also been the Chairman of Audit Committee M/s Engineers India Limited from 2015 to 2019. He is on the Board of the M/S Jammu & Kashmir Bank since January 21, 2022.

He has served as Member of CII North India Committee, entrusted with the affairs of Micro Small Medium Enterprises, Economic Affairs & Taxation, Industrial Relation, Corporate Social Responsibility, Foreign Trade Policy and Guide to Export & Import.

He has also served as Special Invitee & Committee Member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India on the following Committees:
1.       Direct Tax & Indirect Tax Committee.
2.       Research Committee.

Mr. Anil Kumar Goel is a Fellow Chartered Accountant with Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (H) and Master’s degree in Social Work. He is a qualified Arbitrator & Mediator, Information Systems Auditor (DISA), Forensic Auditor & Fraud Detector (FAFD), qualified as Peer Review Board of ICAI, Formerly Member of various Research Groups of ICAI & NIRC, Formerly MEC & Joint Secretary cum Treasurer of Sales Tax Bar Association, New Delhi. Moreover, he has been an Independent Director on the Board of RITES Ltd (a Mini Ratna CPSU) from 01.04.2016 to 31.03.2020.

Mr. Anil Kumar Goel has 35 years of extensive experience and substantial expertise in Corporate & Tax Laws, Consultancy, Statutory & other Audits for Corporates and Non-Corporates Business and NPO/Trust and Banks etc. His diverse clientele includes Manufacturers, Traders, Service Providers, Importers, Exporters, Societies, NGO, and Trusts etc. He has delivered many lectures at reputed Professional Forums like ICAI, Bar Association etc. and has published many articles in renowned Professional & Social magazines, Newsletters etc. on various professional & social issues.

Mr. Anil Kumar Goel is the General Secretary of “Prakash Bandhu Sewa Samiti,” Managing Trustee and Vice President of “Jammu Kashmir Study Centre” (JKSC), Vice President of Prachin Shiv Mandir Committee, Ashoka Niketan, Director of “Vibrant Motivation and Development Foundation” (a Company Registered u/s 8 of Companies Act) and Governing Council Member of “Asian Eurasian Human Rights Forum”, an NGO – Working for Global Human Rights. Besides, he is Past President of Rotary Club at Rotary Intl Dist. 3012.

Mr. Anand Kumar is an information technology (IT) specialist who has experience of more than three decades in IT development and management. Mr. Kumar completed his Bachelors of Technology (Electrical Engineering) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, and his Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow.

Mr. Anand Kumar has worked in various multinational banking and financial services organisations such as Citigroup, HSBC, Barclays, Fiserv, etc. He has also served as a Director on the board of Fiserv India Pvt. Ltd. As Vice President – IT Delivery at Fiserv India, he managed pan-India IT Delivery teams spread across Noida, Pune, and Bengaluru. In this role, he carried responsibility for application development, maintenance, implementation, and support activities for Fiserv products in areas such as core banking, lending, cards, payments, and risk.

Mr. Kumar specializes in helping organisations build scale with maturity, thereby significantly improving organisational credentials, revenue growth, and business confidence. He has led the design and execution of innovative programs such as Target Zero Defects in delivery, as well as improvement initiatives focused on achieving sustained business success through the institutionalization of effective processes and tools.

Mr. Kumar has made significant contributions to the rapid growth and consolidation of four companies in India - i-flex solutions ltd., HSBC Global Technology Centre, Barclays Technology Centre, and Fiserv Global Services. He also had a stint in the Ministry of Communications, Govt. of India from 2017 to 2019.

Mr. Sudhir Gupta joined the services of the Bank as Probationary Officer in the year 1989 and has served the Bank in different capacities across the operational topography of the Bank ranging from business operations at Branch, having headed three different Zones of Bank as Zonal Head and in leading important departments i.e Customer Care, Credit Audit, BSD /CCM at Corporate Headquarters.

Mr. Gupta has also demonstrated his leadership skills in J&K Grameen Bank where he was deputed as chairman for a period two years. During his tenure as Chairman of J&K Grameen Bank, he accomplished the strategic targets within the defined timelines.

Carrying a paragon of capability, expertise and professionalism to the chair that extends over thirty years, his areas of expertise include Credit, Finance, Corporate & Retail Banking, Customer Service, Trade Finance, Business continuity planning, etc.

Ms. Shahla Ayoub is a young Economist of J&K. She presently works as Assistant Professor in Department of Higher Education, Government of J&K. Having worked as Assistant Director in Economics and Statistics, Department of Planning, Monitoring and Development Department, Government of J&K before joining the Department of Higher Education, she brings to Board an affluence of Economic expertise and perspicacity.

She has a yearning and yawning interest in the field of economic research, especially in the areas of Conflict Economics, Financial Inclusion and Developmental Economics. She has to her credit a number of publications, on subjects like Governance, Conflict & Economic Warfare and Economic Welfare.

Apart from supervising a number of Post Graduate Research Dissertations at the Department of Economics, Cluster University Srinagar, she has also participated in National and International Conferences and has made presentations on subjects like Response of Households to Conflict, Financial Inclusion of Handicraftsmen in District Srinagar, Rural Households of Kashmir & Financial Inclusion under PMJDY and Healthcare Infrastructure in Kashmir Valley.

Dr. Pawan Kotwal, a 1994 Batch IAS officer (of erstwhile Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre of Indian Administrative Service) is at present serving as Advisor to Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.

He  brings to the fore  a  wealth   of Administrative acumen and proficiency having previously served as Principal Secretary for Health and Medical Education, Forest , Ecology and Environment, and Revenue, Planning & Monitoring Department in UT of Ladakh.

During his term as Principal Secretary, Dr. Kotwal played a crucial part in bringing out crucial reforms and initiatives in health and medical education sector. He spearheaded the efforts to improve health care infrastructure, enhance medical education facilities, and promote the wellbeing of the people of Ladakh.

His accomplishments in the fields of forest, ecology, environment, and revenue are equally admirable, portraying his unflinching commitment to sustainable development and good governance.

Santosh D. Vaidya has a rich experience in public service at the state, federal, and international settings. During his undergrad studies at Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, he earned the Silver Medal for his academic performance. He has completed Masters programmes in Economics from IGNOU – Delhi and in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University, USA.

He transitioned from the IPS to the IAS in 1998 and then served in varied assignments in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar islands, and Jammu and Kashmir. After his district postings, Santosh contributed to policy formulation in education and social welfare sectors in Goa. While serving in the water utility and the municipal council in Delhi, he gained rich experience of project development in infrastructure.

As the staff officer to CM – Delhi, he supported judicious decision-making and coordination of flagship initiatives. During his stint in the Prime Minister’s Office, Santosh contributed to policy formulation and project monitoring in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He was instrumental in rolling out the rooftop solar program of Renewable Energy Ministry.

While serving as a Senior Advisor of the World Bank at Washington DC, Santosh gained insights into multilateral finance and the Bank’s fiduciary policies on financing, environmental, social, and governance aspects. He also played a key role in coordinating India’s strategic initiative in Andaman & Nicobar islands.

During his current assignment in Jammu and Kashmir, Santosh focusses on public finance and fiscal policies for enhancing efficiency and development impact. He has received the national award for his work in the disability sector and the Election Commission’s certificate for his work in Delhi.

Santosh keenly follows political economy in China and Central Asia and has written articles on the challenges in renewable energy and water management. Beyond his professional pursuits, he is passionate about jogging and trekking.

Dr. Mandeep K Bhandari, IAS is 2001 AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territory) cadre IAS officer. He completed his MBBS with Gold Medal from Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab University and Chandigarh.

Dr. Bhandari at present is Principal Secretary to Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of UT of J&K and is also holding charge of CEO Amarnathji Shrine Board. He has to his credit an administrative and professional expertise of more than two decades.

During his illustrious career, he has served on diversely significant and responsible positions like Sub Divisional Magistrate Bhaderwah, Additional District Development Commissioner Kathua, Deputy Commissioner Leh, and Deputy Commissioner Jammu. Dr. Bhandari has also discharged his duties as Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Commissioner/ Secretary to Government of J&K, Health & Medical Education. In the year 2017,   Dr. Bhandari was appointed as Divisional Commissioner, Jammu. From 18.01.2018 to 17.09.2018, he served as  Private Secretary to Hon’ble Human Resource Minister, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and then from 18.09.2018 as Joint Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

In every sphere of administration wherever Dr. Bhandari has worked, he has made outstanding contributions in tough and challenging circumstances. Dr. Bhandari brings to fray a treasure of competence, reliability, perspicacity and aptitude.