People

Kanakia Joins PwC

Former Executive Director & Head - Healthcare Services at KPMG India, Pradeep Kanakia (49), has joined Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) as the South Region Market Leader and Head of the Healthcare Practice in India. Kanakia was with KPMG for the last 25 years and was a part of their leadership team and oversight board, and also had responsibility for KPMG's 'go to market' strategy. Having had significant exposure in audit, advisory and market functions, Kanakia will focus on achieving high levels of audit quality across all engagements as PwC India continues to invest in various initiatives to reaffirm its commitment to high standards of quality and client service.Says Kanakia, "My role in PwC is threefold- to be a Senior Audit Engagement Partner, the South Region Market Leader and the Head of Healthcare Practice. The leadership of the healthcare practice will help me to position PwC in this exciting sunrise sector to explore many exciting opportunities through PwC's global network and leadership." During his stint with KPMG, Kanakia was instrumental in setting up the first KPMG office in India, in Mumbai in 1993. He has worked in the UK, the UAE and India under various roles in audit, advisory and markets. Kanakia is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).During his tenure in KPMG India, Kanakia traversed from being an Audit Partner to head the Risk Advisory function before moving to the firm's leadership team as National Head of Markets and as a Head of Healthcare Services. In his various roles, he has added value to several of KPMG's clients in areas such as risk management, overseas listing and cross border expansion. "I am excited to have joined PwC and am impressed with the vision that the firms' leadership has of the future. I have made this decision because I want to work with the leading audit practice in India and globally. I believe that the strength and depth of the firms audit practices' expertise is a real differentiator in serving clients consistently across the world. I also look forward to helping the firm achieve growth with focus on quality service delivery," said Kanakia, while commenting on his new role.

Kolkata Bound

The CEO of Apollo, Bilaspur Dr VR Ramanan (59) is re-locating to Kolkata as the Director of Medical Services of Eastern Region. Now, he would be based out of the Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata. Besides looking after Apollo Gleneagles, he would simultaneously be the CEO of Apollo Hospital, Bilaspur. "Apollo Gleneagles Hospital has grown to become 450 beds and added the most modern Cancer Treatment facilities of the East. Helping these hospitals towards their growth in numbers and quality of service is the main goal coming ahead in the next couple of years," says he. After doing MBBS and MS at the Government Medical College under University of Jabalpur by 1978, Dr Ramanan started his career at the Main Hospital of Western Coalfields Ltd at Barkui in Chindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. In 1984, he joined as the Chief Medical Officer at Main Hospital of Salem Steel Plant in Salem, Tamil Nadu. By mid 2002, he was heading SAIL's large Hospitals as the Executive Director. During this period, he got trained in 'Advanced Endoscopic Surgeries and Procedures' at the Middlesex Hospital, London, and became amongst the earliest pioneers for such operations. In 2005, he decided to opt for a change and took voluntary retirement, so that he could explore the medical challenges of corporate hospitals. He thus joined at the 350 bed-Apollo Gleneagles Hospital at Kolkata in January 2006 as the Director of Medical Services. After two years, he moved to the 300 bed-Apollo Hospital at Bilaspur. The facilities at the Bilaspur unit were augmented with necessary professionals and equipment maintenance which enabled its growth from an occupancy of about 60 per cent to beyond 85 per cent and improved the bottom line too.

New Head for Philips Healthcare

Anjan Bose The power behind Philips Healthcare- Anjan Bose (56), Vice President & Business Head, Philips Healthcare, has now taken on the role of Vice President and Head, Professional & Public Affairs of Philips. Krishna Kumar has been appointed as Vice President & Business Head, Philips Healthcare. Krishna Kumar After graduating from IIT, Bose joined as Service Engineer in Philips Medical, India in Kolkata in 1977. In 1984, he was selected as one of the first few Asian expats to work at Philips global HQ in Holland. In 1990, he left Philips to join Hewlett-Packard Medical as the Country Manager in India, and later became Director-South Asia, where he was responsible for countries spanning from Vietnam to Pakistan & then Director for Emerging Markets and Financing Programmes for Asia Pacific. In 2001 Bose left Agilent to join the fledgling Datex-Ohmeda as the MD. Bose returned to Philips in 2004 as the Managing Director of Philips Medical Systems in India. While Krishna has double masters from leading institutes - IIM, Ahmedabad and Kellogg School of Management. His experience spans across India, USA, Japan and China, holding leadership positions in Coopers & Lybrand Consulting, HSBC Investment Banking, Microland and more recently in Johnson & Johnson in their healthcare division.