Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, March 2025 — Gopal Devanahalli has been appointed as President – Skilling at Wadhwani Foundation, where he will lead global skilling initiatives aimed at enhancing workforce readiness and accelerating economic development. With over 30 years of experience across IT services, education, BPO, healthcare, telecom, and consumer industries, Devanahalli brings a multifaceted leadership background to his new role.
Before joining Wadhwani Foundation, he served as Group President – Strategy & Business Development at Manipal Education and Medical Group, playing a key role in driving strategic growth. He also held the position of CEO at Manipal Education Americas, overseeing management services for the American University of Antigua, and previously served as CEO of MeritTrac Services, a leading testing and assessment company. His governance experience includes serving as an Independent Board Member at Infosys BPM, where he chaired the Audit and NRC committees.
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Devanahalli has also completed the Corporate Director Certificate from Harvard Business School. Speaking about his new role, he emphasized the urgent need to scale up skilling in today’s evolving global job landscape.
While Devanahalli will focus on global skilling programs, Ajay Kela will continue to lead the Wadhwani Innovation Network and its Centers of Excellence. Together, their leadership is expected to accelerate the Foundation’s impact across developing economies by equipping individuals with job-ready skills and improving employability outcomes.
Founded in 2001 by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, the Wadhwani Foundation is a global not-for-profit organization committed to accelerating job growth and enabling millions to earn a family-sustaining wage. Headquartered in California with operations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the Foundation operates through four key initiatives: Wadhwani Advantage, Wadhwani Entrepreneur, Wadhwani Opportunity, and Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN). It combines technology, partnerships, and outcome-focused programs to improve livelihoods through entrepreneurship, skilling, innovation, and business growth.
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