D2L Connection: Bangalore

Mr. Martin Barratt

Mr. Martin Barratt is a skilled Canadian Foreign Service Officer and Certified International Trade Professional with more than 25 years of service at Global Affairs Canada. He is currently the Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General of Canada in Bengaluru, India. Between 2021 and 2025, Mr. Barratt was the Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada to Qatar. Between 2016 and 2021, Mr. Barratt was the Senior Trade Commissioner at the Embassy of Canada to Hungary, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He has had previous overseas postings as Senior Trade Commissioner in Kuwait and as a Trade Commissioner in India. In Canada, Mr. Barratt has had various assignments including Deputy Director in the Trade Strategy and Analysis Division, and has also worked in the Caribbean and Central America Relations Division, Multilateral Trade Policy Division, and South Asia Commercial University of Victoria, British Columbia.

Anugya Kumar (She/Her)

Anugya Kumar is a higher education specialist driving innovation in teaching and learning at O.P. Jindal Global University, where she serves as Joint Director in the Office of Digital Learning and Online Education (ODLOE). She leads the design, development, and delivery of next-generation online and blended degree programmes, working at the intersection of pedagogy, technology, and learner experience.

With expertise in strategy, accreditation, and academic innovation, Anugya has spearheaded partnerships with global edtech leaders and international universities to build scalable, learner-centric programmes and global best practices. She is passionate about democratizing access to quality education, embedding employability into curricula, and creating future-ready pathways that empower learners to thrive in an evolving workforce.

Dr. Ganesh Prasad

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is pleased to announce the joining of Dr. Ganesh Prasad as Director – Information Technology & Digital Transformation (IT&DT), MAHE, Manipal effective March 27, 2025. In this capacity he will report to the Chief Operating Officer, MAHE, Manipal.

With an accomplished career of 24 years in the IT Industry, Dr. Prasad brings in expertise in Digital Transformation, Enterprise Architecture Strategy, AI Innovation and Emerging Technologies. Throughout his career, he has successfully led large-scale projects across multiple industries, working with major clients across USA, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Malaysia, Thailand, and UK in the areas of Enterprise Solutions, AI-powered Transformation, Governance Frameworks, and Stakeholder Management.

Dr. Ganesh has held key leadership roles in globally renowned organizations, driving enterprise strategy and digital transformation. At CGI, he led AI & GenAI development and contributed to Smart City Transformation for Edinburgh. With the Scottish Government (AFRC), he streamlined agricultural funding through digital platforms. As Enterprise Architect at Post Nord, he optimized cross-border postal operations and at AON UK, he has automated reinsurance processes, revolutionizing financial services. He has also led transformational projects for Combined Insurance Australia, KLM Airlines and others, enhancing efficiencies across finance, insurance, logistics and aviation.

Hails from Udupi, Dr. Ganesh holds Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from the Swiss School of Business and Management, Geneva. He has completed M.Tech from MIT Manipal and Bachelors from the Mangalore University. He has also completed Post Graduate Program (PGP) in AI & Machine Learning from McCombie School, Texas University (USA). Additionally, he holds several industry certifications, including Zachman Enterprise Architecture Framework (EAF), Risk Cost Driven Architecture (RCDA) and Azure Cloud Computing.

Married to Mrs. Katyayini, a homemaker, the couple is blessed with a daughter pursuing her education. He may be contacted on 0820-2925020 and his email id is [email protected]

Dr. Ashish Mittal

Dr. Mittal is a People-First & a well-recognized Group – CHRO. He has 27 years of progressive 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 in 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐇𝐑 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐎𝐃, 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 spanning across CSR, IT, ITeS & Education Industry.

Education: Ashish has done his Bachelor’s Degree (BBM), Christ College; 𝐇𝐑 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐈𝐈𝐌, 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞; MBA, 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐔𝐒 (𝐈𝐓𝐌) & hold a Doctorate Degree from Mandsaur University.

Ashish is a certified 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 (𝐂𝐁𝐈), 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 (𝐂𝐏𝐓𝐏) & 𝐚 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐑 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐚.

Ashish is currently the Group – CHRO of Sreenidhi Educational Group, Hyderabad, India wherein he heads the HR Function for all the entities under the Group.

In his earlier roles, he worked as Head – Public Relations & HR – The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Lead – BPHR, 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬 (headed a Unit of 2000+ employees), 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 – 𝐇𝐑 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐚 (handled a 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 & 𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞), General Manager & Head HR, Shiv Nadar University (𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐂𝐋 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬) & Director HR, FLAME University.

He has also been conferred with 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐇𝐑 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 (nationally & inter-nationally) & has also been recognized as 𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀’𝐒 100 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐑 & 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐒 INDIA TOP 50 HR LEADERS.

Ashish enjoys his passion & conducts sessions / panel discussions on HR, Leadership, Fitness & Motivation with Students, Academia & Corporates wherein he shares his Industry knowledge along with the some of the best practices adopted Globally. He also contributes actively on the LinkedIn platform.

Ashish is a passionate Skydiver, adventurous Backpacker (𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 25 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴), enthusiastic Cyclist, skilled Badminton Player, dedicated Swimmer, certified SCUBA Diver & an accomplished Marathoner. He has proudly served as a Brand Ambassador for multiple marathons, inspiring communities to embrace fitness, adventure & a life of purpose.

Ashish is also a “𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐭”, 𝐍𝐂𝐂, Christ College, 9 Karnataka Battalion, Karnataka & Goa Contingent, 1996 Batch wherein he served as a 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫 (𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒌 in NCC).

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrashishmittal/

Dr. Anil Bajpai

Dr. Anil Bajpai presently the Group Director of PIMR, Bhopal. He briefly left for Odisha for a short tenure to support JKUniversity as its Vice Chancellor. He rejoined to lead PIMR Bhopal. Dr. Bajpai has also previously served our Prestige Group as Chief Operating Officer.

He has a rich academic background with his qualification from St. Stephens (B.Sc. Hons), IISc., Bangalore (B.E. Electrical Tech & Electronic), IIM Ahmedabad (Post Grad Diploma in Management, Marketing) and Ph.D. in Management from Jodhpur University.

Dr. Bajpai’s career is distinguished by more than a decade of academic leadership experience and a strong foundation in the corporate world, where he spent over 31 years in the telecom and semiconductor industries primarily. During his corporate tenure, he held pivotal roles, including COO and CEO, overseeing extensive telecom network rollouts and managing large-scale operations across seven Indian states. His specialties in project management, technology absorption, and team motivation have earned him a reputation for effective and visionary leadership.

Dr. Manojkumar Nagasampige

An EdTech professional with over 28 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic administration, deeply committed to advancing online and distance education. Expertise includes designing and delivering high-impact academic programs, executive boot camps, and corporate training for global organizations such as Philips, Deloitte, GE Healthcare, Heinz, and Baxter. Research contributions span learner analytics, the economics of online education, blended learning effectiveness, and innovative pedagogical and assessment strategies that transform learning outcomes.

A strong proponent of quality assurance in higher education, with a proven record of guiding institutions through NAAC, NBA, ISO 9001:2008 & 2015, DEAC accreditations, and NIRF rankings. Certified as an IRCA Lead Auditor for ISO 9001:2015 and a CII Lead Assessor for the 5S-Workplace Management System, bringing a meticulous approach to institutional audits, accreditation, and ranking strategies.

Recognized speaker, panelist, and mentor in the EdTech space, with invitations to leading forums to share insights on digital learning, accreditation, and the future of education. As Founding Director of the Directorate of Online Education at MAHE, led the expansion of global online programs, including the PanAfrican Scholarship Project with the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India.

Dedicated to bridging technology and education, with a mission to build sustainable, high-quality digital learning ecosystems that empower students, educators, and institutions worldwide.

Prof. (Dr.) Dwarika Prasad Uniyal

Prof. (Dr.) Dwarika Prasad Uniyal is a distinguished academic leader. He currently serves as the Pro Vice Chancellor and Professor at RV University, Bengaluru, India. Until recently, he was the interim Vice Chancellor of RV University.

Prof. (Dr.) Dwarika Prasad Uniyal holds multiple roles at RV University. He is the Dean of the School of Business and the School for Continuing Education & Professional Studies along with being the Director of MineRVa: RV Center for Leadership and Executive Education.
Dr. Uniyal joined RV University as its founding Pro Vice Chancellor and has been instrumental in establishing the School of Economics and the School of Business, where he also served as the founding Dean. With over 25 years of experience in academia and industry, he has held significant positions at leading institutions, including IIM Kashipur, MICA – Ahmedabad, SPJIMR – Mumbai, and SP Jain School of Global Management – Dubai.

Before his current role, Dr. Uniyal was the Dean of the School of Business at FLAME University, Pune, and the Founding Assistant Dean of Jindal Global Business School at
O.P. Jindal Global University. His expertise and reputation in the field led to an invitation from the Government of India to serve as a Professor of Management at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, where he was responsible for training civil servants. Dr. Uniyal has also taught civil servants including those from other countries at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Mussoorie.

In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Uniyal has significantly contributed to the corporate sector. He served as an Independent Director on the board of Braithwaite & Co. Ltd., a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, where he played a pivotal role in the organisation’s revival. His industry experience extends to retailing, advertising, and radio, which he gained before transitioning to academia.

An accomplished author, Dr. Uniyal has published extensively in reputed ABDC “A” category academic journals. He is also the co-author of the bestselling book “Managing Retailing”, published by Oxford University Press. Beyond his academic and corporate contributions, Dr. Uniyal actively participates on the advisory boards of several social and commercial enterprises, including SDCUK, Project FUEL Foundation, Venture Garage, Little Local and Himalaya2Home.
Dr. Uniyal is also a published poet. His first poetry collection, Ummeedon Ke Pankh, was released in 2022, followed by Mere Aasan Jhooth in 2024, both of which have been well-received. His creative pursuits extend to advertising, podcasts, theatre and short films, showcasing his diverse talents.

Dr. Uniyal’s multifaceted career exemplifies his unwavering commitment to education, leadership, and creativity, establishing him as a respected figure in both academic and professional spheres.

Mr A M Thimmiya

Mr A M Thimmiya is a distinguished leader in the education sector, widely recognised for his pioneering work in technology driven education, professional skilling and educational innovation globally. He is currently the CEO of SRM Education, Chennai.

He brings over 3 decades of leadership experience in organisations such as Aptech Computer Education, Manipal Global Education, Labournet…
Renowned for integrating formal education with professional training, he has influenced universities, EdTech companies, and social enterprises.

Mr. Thimmiya has been involved with CII, FICCI & EDGE (Emerging Directions in Global Education) as a task force committee member and also the Academic Senate member of the Universities represented.

He also serves on the governing board of various universities and Edtech organisations globally.
His expertise makes him a respected thought leader at various forums.

Dr. Mallikarjuna Gadapa

Dr. G. Mallikarjuna is Professor and Director of the Centre for Distance and Online Education at Manipal University Jaipur. With over 25 years of experience in higher education and 18 years of leadership across Manipal Group universities, he is recognized as an expert in online and distance learning, regulatory compliance, and large-scale examinations. Under his leadership, MUJ has built one of India’s fastest-growing online education ecosystems, enrolling over one lakh learners from more than 60 countries.

Vishal Makhija

Over 18+ years of experience across India and the US, working with various customers from large enterprise’s to digital-native customers. For the past 5 years, Vishal leads the Education team for AWS India and South Asia. In this role, he and his team collaborate with EdTechs, universities, and government bodies to shape the future of learning in the region. His focus areas include enabling customers’ cloud transformation journeys, facilitating SaaS adoption, and more recently, guiding AI implementation strategies. As AI transforms education—from personalizing learning experiences to enabling groundbreaking research—Vishal helps customers navigate both the opportunities and ethical considerations of this technology.

Pravin Kumar

Pravin Kumar is the Vice President – IT & Digital at BITS Pilani, Mumbai, with over 24 years of experience in IT strategy, digital transformation, and infrastructure management. He has led the end-to-end technology setup for BITSOM, BITS Design School, and BITS Law School, implementing enterprise applications such as CRM, ERP, LMS, and SIS, while introducing AI-driven solutions to enhance operational and academic efficiency.

Prior to his current role, Pravin held leadership positions at Aditya Birla Group, Wipro Technologies, and IBM, driving large-scale global IT operations, hybrid cloud governance, and enterprise transformation programs. His expertise lies in aligning technology with business strategy, building high-performing teams, and leveraging AI, ML, and cloud to deliver sustainable growth and innovation.

Dr. Nitu Bhatnagar

Dr. Nitu Bhatnagar, an accomplished academic leader and researcher, serves as a Provost and Professor of Chemistry at Manipal University Jaipur.

Prior to this, she has served in the Registrar office in different capacities as Deputy Registrar (Academics), Additional Registrar and Registrar for a period of more than 5 years. Her tenure in the Registrar’s office, has been marked by outstanding contributions, particularly in compliance, administration and process enhancement.

Dr. Bhatnagar has received many accolades, including the prestigious “Women Scientist Award” (2022) from DST, Govt of Rajasthan, President’s Award for Academic Excellence (2017) from MUJ, and recognition as a founding member of the Adhesion Society of India (2025). She has successfully secured grants for innovative projects, including a Women Scientist Scheme from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India (2009). Her impactful research is reflected in over 60 publications in international journals of repute, conferences and multiple book chapters, including editor of one book.

Dr. Bhatnagar is affiliated with leading organizations as a Fellow with Royal Society of Chemistry, and as a member of American Chemical Society, and International Association of Advanced Materials. She had been a Visiting Faculty at The Chinese University of Hong Kong under their Academic Visitors Scheme, serves as a reviewer for prominent journals and conferences and has chaired technical sessions in international forums. Recently she has been granted one Indian patent and also has a copyright to her credit.

Dr. Manoranjan Pon. Ram

Dr. Manoranjan Pon. Ram is a research-driven e-learning professional and seasoned educationist, dedicated to transforming the digital landscape of higher education in India. He currently serves as the Director of Online Education at SRM University Online, Chennai, following a distinguished tenure at Amity University Online, Noida, Delhi NCR.

With over 30 years of academic and administrative experience, Dr. Pon. Ram has been instrumental in leading national-level digital education initiatives in collaboration with various government universities across the country. His core expertise lies in learning design, LMS integration, interactive content development, online pedagogy, and assessment frameworks. He is particularly recognized for his work in Flipped Classrooms, Blended Learning, and Outcome-Based Education (OBE).

An active researcher and thought leader, Dr. Pon. Ram has edited eight academic books in Management and Information Technology and has served on the editorial boards of several reputed journals. His academic credentials include a Bachelor’s in Engineering, a Postgraduate degree in Management, and a Doctorate in E-Commerce—an interdisciplinary foundation that empowers his innovative approach to online and blended learning.

Dr. Pon. Ram’s contributions have earned him prestigious accolades such as the “Rashtriya Gaurav Award”, the “Certificate of Excellence” (presented by Hon’ble Dr. Bhishma Narain Singh, former Governor of Tamil Nadu & Assam), and the “Udyog Shiksha Sahyog Puraskar” for his outstanding service in Management and IT education.

At SRM University Online, he leads the end-to-end academic value chain—including curriculum design, content development, pedagogy, assessments, learner support, quality assurance, and stakeholder engagement. He is also a strong advocate for leveraging digital platforms to enhance both business training and academic delivery, having conducted numerous workshops, lectures, and training programs for educators and industry professionals.

Notably, he has played a key role in developing and delivering MOOCs for SWAYAM, the Government of India’s national e-learning initiative. His current research focuses on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into teaching-learning ecosystems to advance the future of online education.

Lee Poteck

Lee Poteck is Chief Revenue Officer of D2L, responsible for overseeing and optimizing global go-to-market activities. Lee is passionate about emerging technology and acts as a mentor, sponsor, and speaker.

With more than a decade of leadership experience at D2L, Lee has held increasingly senior positions at the company including Senior Vice President of Sales & Customer Success, Vice President of Education Sales, and Vice President of Client Sales. Prior to joining D2L in 2012, Lee worked at RIM (BlackBerry). He also previously served as Director and Co-Chair of the Trips Committee at Daytrippers Children’s Charity, and Board Member of Students Offering Support (SOS) charity.

Lee holds an Honors Bachelor of Science degree from Western University, a Master’s of Business Entrepreneurship & Technology from the University of Waterloo, and multiple Executive Education Certificates from Queen’s University Smith School of Business.

Lee resides in Ontario, Canada with his wife, two daughters, and standard poodle.

Stewart Watts

Stewart Watts is Senior Vice President, EMEA & APAC Sales, at D2L. He leads the company’s commercial activities east of the Americas—across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa regions.

A graduate of The University of Nottingham, Stewart holds an MA (Hons) in Hispanic Studies and has worked in the software industry within education and learning since 2011. Stewart moved to D2L in January 2016 having previously spent close to five years at software and services firm Blackbaud Inc., where he ran commercial operations within the European division.

Stewart was brought up in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in the north of England and now lives in Surrey with his wife and two children. Stewart describes himself as a “spare bedroom musician,” a “wannabe Tiger Woods,” and a “long-suffering Manchester United fan,” with his passions for music, golf and football taking up the majority of his free time.

Vivek Iyer

As Managing Director of D2L India, Vivek Iyer leads the company’s strategic growth in one of the world’s fastest evolving and most promising education landscapes. With over two decades of leadership at the intersection of Education and Technology, Vivek is recognized as a trusted advisor to university leaders and policymakers championing digital transformation in Indian higher education.

Vivek is a passionate advocate for leveraging technology to drive academic excellence, equity, and future-ready learning across India’s diverse educational ecosystem. He partners closely with Vice Chancellors, institutional leaders, policymakers, and EdTech innovators to accelerate scalable, student-centric models aligned with NEP 2020 and global best practices.

Prior to his role at D2L, Vivek held senior leadership positions at premier EdTech and technology companies, including Anthology, SAP, Teradata, and IBM. Throughout his career, he has built high-performance teams, delivered sustained growth, and established transformative institutional partnerships that have advanced the digital learning agenda nationwide.

Vivek holds an MBA from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and a B.Tech from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra.

Jeff Salin

Jeff Salin is a Director, Implementation & Learning Experience at D2L. He is a passionate educator, focusing on scenario-based learning, gamification, and competency-based education. He’s also into audio engineering, music, triathlons, and all things food.