Staff Spotlight: Sheetal Jaywant

Our next staff spotlight episode welcomes Head of Governance & Company Secretary, Sheetal Jaywant.

Sheetal was born and grew up in Mumbai, India. She studied at the University of Mumbai and received her bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Law which gave her the foundation to pursue an impressive career spanning over 20 years of diverse legal and corporate secretarial experience. Sheetal is also a qualified Company Secretary in India as well as in the UK & Ireland.

Sheetal began her professional career as a Management Trainee for Jet Airways, then a highly successful commercial airline operating in India. After working her way up, she assumed the position of Company Secretary whilst managing a successful merger between two major airlines. After leaving Jet Airways, Sheetal went on to work for several multi-national organisations such as Hewlett-Packard and AstraZeneca Pharma as a Legal Counsel and Company Secretary.

In fact, Sheetal was a Pro-Bono Lead for Hewlett-Packard India and achieved the highly prestigious Trust Law Award from Thomson Reuters Foundation (UK) and the Chairperson of the Sexual Harassment Committee. Sheetal also told us, ‘I was delighted to be recognised for my work, especially on shareholder litigation. It was great to receive an award from the Office of General Counsel’.

A self-confessed passionate cook, Sheetal is often seen giving ‘kitchen and cooking’ analogies to her work colleagues while explaining the complex fundamentals of Corporate Governance. She is eagerly awaiting an opportunity to work at the Roffey Park kitchen during holidays and cook for her colleagues, we can’t wait!

One of Sheetal’s fondest memories was when she met her culinary idol, Marco Pierre White, whilst visiting Norway. When asked about her cooking, she explained ‘I absolutely love being in the kitchen. Despite being an enthusiastic cook and pescetarian by diet, I cannot handle fish, which when served on the plate, have eyes that stare back and I cannot make peace with mushrooms (being ‘fungi’) and my imagination runs wild when noodles are on the menu.’

Sheetal’s wonderful imagination does not end there as she has a real passion for decorating her home, undertaking DIY projects and curating different items. ‘I truly believe that a home reflects the people that live in it, so I take great pride in making it my own’. Sheetal is also an incredibly spiritual person. She has been associated with a charity in India for the past 24 years that undertake various projects to provide welfare to children and women. She told us, ‘I spent one of my birthdays providing over 120 orphans with books, stationery and food. It was the best birthday of my life’.

Sheetal also loves to travel and explore new places, particularly those off the beaten track. ‘Paragliding over Interlaken, the Norway Fjords cruise, the lavender fields in Somerset, City breaks and Christmas markets and Agatha Christie’s West-end dramas are a few of her favourite memories’. Sheetal is also a huge fan of Bollywood and Marvel – she even has an Avengers poster on her office wall!

Sheetal has been married for 14 years and after eight relocations across the globe, she has finally decided to settle in the UK.  Sheetal recently joined Roffey Park Institute as the Head of Governance & Company Secretary advising the organisation on governance matters.

Sheetal has quickly created an impact at Roffey Park Institute with her professionalism and expertise in governance. She is a part responsible for implementing new strategies by ensuring that Roffey Park Institute stays compliant in all aspects. She is currently working on some interesting Governance Projects like GDPR and ESG in consultation with governance professionals. Looking ahead to the future, Sheetal is planning to explore various Pro-Bono opportunities where Roffey Park Institute can support other organisations. Sheetal has been a fantastic addition to the Roffey Park team.

Categorised in: Company News