NRI News

Mahatma Gandhi’s bust at the United Nations headquarters. Two Indian-Americans in Money magazine’s top 50 changemakers

The installation of Mahatma Gandhi’s bust at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, makes every Indian proud.

He made this statement following the unveiling of the bust of the Father of the Nation at UN headquarters by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on December 14 2022.

“Seeing the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the UN offices inspires pride in every Indian. The Prime Minister tweeted, “May the ideas and principles of Gandhi increase prosperity on Earth and promote sustainable development.

Gandhi’s bust will serve as a reminder of the principles he supported, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier on Thursday in a tweet, calling Gandhi an “uncompromising advocate for peaceful coexistence.”

“Mahatma Gandhi was a staunch supporter of nondiscrimination, pluralism, and peaceful coexistence. According to Guterres’ tweet, the new installation at UN headquarters will serve as a reminder of the principles Gandhi upheld and to which we must continue to be dedicated.

At the installation of Mahatma Gandhi’s bust, Jaishankar was joined by Guterres, Csaba Korosi, the 77th UN General Assembly’s president, and Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative/Ambassador to the UN.

According to a news release from India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, they left flower tributes at the bust. Two Indian-Americans are among the 50 significant people in business, journalism, entertainment, investment, politics, etc. who are influencing how Americans manage their money, according to Money magazine.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Rohit Chopra and the fintech company Capitalize’s Gaurav Sharma have received recognition for their “unique perspective on the gaps inside our financial institutions - and how they’re striving to change the future for regular customers.”

The 40-year-old Chopra’s responsibility as the CFPB’s director is to safeguard families against dishonest and abusive financial practices.

Chopra was chosen by US President Joe Biden to the position in 2021, and according to Money, “Chopra has already made an outsized impact on Americans’ wallets by helping reform how medical debt impacts our credit, lower ‘junk fees’ levied by banks, and more.”

In addition to serving as a Director, Chopra serves on the boards of the Financial Stability Oversight Council and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

“Chopra, who is 40 years old, is a youthful financial regulator, yet he has considerable expertise. In reality, he resembles Forrest Gump in terms of finances “Money reported.

Beginning in 2018, Chopra worked successfully to tighten penalties for serial offenders, reduce the FTC’s reliance on no-fault, no-money settlements for fraud cases, and

stop unfair treatment of small firms. Before joining the government, Chopra worked for McKinsey & Company, a large management consulting firm, where he focused on consumer technology, healthcare, and financial services.

Chopra has a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Sharma, an Australian by origin, is the CEO and CoFounder of Capitalize, a venture-backed fintech business with a focus on the retirement savings market, located in New York. Sharma had held positions with JP Morgan, UBS, Morgan Stanley, and Greenlight Capital before launching Capitalize.

He made the decision to start a business that makes it simpler after realizing how difficult it is for most people to understand their retirement accounts.

Really thrilled to be among some incredible inventors, Sharma tweeted, “and really humbled to be chosen by @ Money as one of 50 Changemakers for 2023.”

Sharma’s initial goal for Capitalize was to simply discover an old account and make it simple for him to transfer money into an IRA. However, Sharma told Money that “our main aim is helping the issue of saving for retirement.”

First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Sushmita Shukla

First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Sushmita Shukla, an insurance sector veteran of Indian descent, is now the second-ranking official at the prestigious organization.

The Federal Reserve System’s Board of Governors gave its blessing to the nomination, the New York Fed announced in a statement on Thursday.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Board of Directors has nominated Shukla, 54, as first vice president and chief operating officer, beginning in March 2023.

Shukla, who holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Mumbai and an MBA from New York University, will serve as the New York Fed’s first vice president.

In the statement, Shukla expressed her gratitude for the chance to work for a company with such a noble objective as the New York Fed.

“I look forward to using everything I’ve learned over my career, including my technology, operations, and risk-focused experiences, to advance the key initiatives and support the committed leadership of this important institution,” the author says.

Shukla has substantial experience leading large-scale organizations and transformation programs, according to John Williams, president and chief executive officer of the New York Fed. Williams called Shukla a creative, inspirational, and highly effective leader who brings this expertise to the Bank.

Shukla, according to him, “has a thorough understanding of technology, is passionate about fostering a truly diverse and inclusive workplace, and is skilled at agile innovation approaches.”

According to the announcement, Shukla will work with the Bank’s president and chief executive officer to define, convey, and carry out the organization’s strategic direction. Shukla will also represent the Bank as an alternate voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee.

Rosa Gil, the founder, president, and chief executive officer of Comunilife and chair of the New York Fed Board of Directors, stated that Shukla has “deep expertise and leadership acumen” that will benefit the Bank in fulfilling its goal and strategic objectives.

Shukla has held leadership positions in the insurance industry for close to 20 years, according to her profile on the New York Fed website. She also has extensive experience leading significant enterprise transformation initiatives, in-depth knowledge of technology, and expertise in Agile innovation techniques.

Shukla, a resident of Connecticut, most recently served as Chubb’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for International Accident & Health, where she oversaw operations, claims technology, and strategic initiatives for the company’s international accident and health business in 51 nations.

According to the profile, she improved customer service and the overall customer experience while driving operational efficiencies.

At Healthfirst, where she began as Vice President of Enterprise Business Solutions in 2016 and later served as interim Senior Vice President of Enterprise Transformation in 2017, Shukla previously oversaw a company-wide transformation effort.

Shukla has also worked with Liberty Mutual, Merrill Lynch, and GiantBear Inc., a New York-based provider of cellular technology and application services.

The Federal Reserve System is made up of the Board of Governors in Washington, DC, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and 12 regional Reserve Banks.