Ep. 2: Susan Forrester AM – Bringing Passion To The Boardroom

Bhavna Kapur

Director and President of MBAus WA chapter

Bhavna is a general management professional with a portfolio career spanning multiple geographies namely India, Middle East, and Australia. Driving strategic organisational growth, Bhavna over the past two decades, has worked with disparate industries like Automotive, Telecommunication, Retail, IT, Engineering, and Learning & Development.

A visionary, Bhavna brings strategic level leadership experience in Innovation, Strategy, Marketing, Planning, Operations, Project Management, and Business development. Her diverse experiences are coupled with knowledge of local and international markets, cross-cultural fluency, and relationship-building across borders.

Bhavna is the Founder-CEO of a startup that responds to ESG and shifts the needle on systemic issues. She is currently acting in advisory capacity for startups and SMEs that are driven by ESG principles.

Bhavna holds an Executive Masters in Leadership, Strategy, and Innovation from Murdoch University, and an MBA from the Curtin Business School, in Australia. Her former qualifications include Masters in Management and Undergraduate in Science from India as well as an MCSE from Kuwait.

She is a member of the CFI and AICD.

Bhavna embodies the values and purpose of MBAus. Serving as a board member, she hopes to create an ecosystem of collaborative forces to advance the value of MBA degrees in Australasia.

Dr Stefan Smith

Director

Dr Stefan Smith has more than 12 years of research and development experience covering fundamental science through to pilot projects. His research interest focused on separation science and the development of innovative materials and technologies for decarbonizing and improving the efficiency of the energy and oil and gas industries. After leaving the laboratory in 2017, Stefan has held senior operational leadership roles in a deep technology start-up, research institutes, and research-adjacent membership organizations.
Dr Smith holds an MBA from Monash University (2021), a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD, Chemical Engineering) from Monash University (2017), and a Bachelor of Science and Technology (BScTech) from the University of Waikato. He is a current member of Monash MBA Alumni Committee and the AICD. He was previously the Vice President and Director of the Membrane Society of Australasia and has held several other positions in and around the university sector.
Stefan joined the Board of MBA Australasia to support MBA Students and Graduates through improved awareness, professional development opportunities, and the establishment of a cross-university network of MBA alumni.

Mridul Dutt

Director & Company Secretary

Mridul Dutt has over 20 years of experience in non-executive director roles with a focus on business development, digitalization, and strategy. He is a founder of ecommerce business and has held senior executive roles with RPS Group, E7 and Turner & Townsend. He delivered strategy, governance and assurance transformation programs in the oil and gas, mining, and infrastructure sectors.

Mr. Dutt has participated in various not for profit organization offering strategic advice and acting as a mentor to inspire a diverse next generation of talent. Mr. Dutt is a big advocate of sustainability and involved in several net zero initiatives. Mr. Dutt is a founder of ecommerce business and has introduced sustainable eco-friendly fashion brand woven in pure Lotus silk with the sole focus on positively impacting the environment.

Mr. Dutt is an active committee member of Engineer Australia and has built strong partnerships across the various sector while delivering powerful results throughout his career. He is dedicated to using his experience in both the public and private sectors by supporting innovation, reducing barriers to entry, and building strong communities.

Mr. Dutt is a member of AICD, a registered civil engineer and holds an MBA from University of Queensland and Harvard University focused on leadership and strategy.

Masud Hossain

President

Masud is a professional Mining Engineer with over 16 years of technical and operational experience, dealing with complex mineral deposits in multiple commodities with both Underground and Open pit environment. His Career to date has focused in resources engineering, operations management, consulting, productivity improvement, process simulations and optimisation, strategic planning, business analysis and business development. Masud is a Member of AusIMM (Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy) and a Member of TOCICO (Theory of Constraints International Certification Organization).

Masud holds an MBA from The University of Queensland, a Master of Engineering M.Eng (Mining) from The University of Ballarat, and a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) from The University of Ballarat.

Other than his Mining career, Masud has been heavily involved in the Not for Profit (NFP) sector with experience in multiple board advisory and project roles. He is also a start-up coach and enjoys coaching entrepreneurs in shaping and developing business ventures.

Masud upholds the vision and values of MBAus, he has recently joined MBAus as a director of the board with a passion to improve the value and awareness of the MBA degrees in Australasia.

Ross Barclay

Director

Ross Barclay is an MBA graduate from the Queensland University of Technology and founded the MBA Success podcast with fellow board member Chris Jacko. Ross has been working in finance for close to a decade and is currently in the role of a Customer Design Specialist. He is passionate about people and receives energy from creating amazing customer experiences.

Ross also completed a Bachelor of Business (majoring in finance and economics) from QUT and now continues to run the QUT MBA alumni social group.