Sanjay Khanna brings over thirty years of corporate, entrepreneurial and some social sector experience across India and South Asia, the United States and Europe, having been associated with some of the world’s most recognized quality brands. 

Mr. Khanna started his career with Time Magazine in New York in 1985, moved to Europe, and shortly thereafter managed seven of Time Inc.’s magazines at the retail level in the United States & Canada, based in New York. He returned to New Delhi, India in 1989 as Executive Assistant to the present Executive Chairman, Mr. PRS Oberoi (and also as Director Diversification) of The Oberoi Group of Hotels. In 1990, when India first opened its doors to foreign investment, he was on the core team that negotiated with Pepsi Cola to earn a franchise for the Oberoi Group and set-up two bottling plants in South India; other diversification projects included joint ventures with the Accor Group of Hotels (Novotel), transmission of CNN news to its hotels, hotel projects in Vietnam and Cambodia, and other potential JV’s with various companies.

From 1992 to 1995, Mr. Khanna struggled as an entrepreneur, manufacturing garments for export to Japan, consulting for Indian companies for projects in Vietnam and Cambodia, and small trading activities.

In 1995, Mr. Khanna was instrumental in setting up (and was later responsible for the Network Development & Distribution) Discovery Channel & Animal Planet across India and South Asia. In 6 years, he established the channel as a recognized brand name in more for more than 125 million viewers.  Mr. Khanna was known to have recruited the best, most motivated and efficient team in the Indian electronic media at the time, and establishing leadership and a number of ‘firsts' in the industry. He left Discovery Channel as Regional Director -- India and South Asia for Discovery Communications India and as Vice President Discovery Communications Inc., USA.

Mr. Khanna has been involved in restructuring a couple of known Indian brands and endeavoring to take them to private equity, the conceptualization and marketing of real estate projects, and various other deal structuring and consulting assignments. Presently, he manages his own capital market and real estate portfolio, and is a Senior Strategic Advisor with SNG Partners, a medium sized law firm.  He is well networked and connected.

Mr. Khanna's forte lies in translating advanced world systems in India's difficult business and regulatory environment, and describes himself as, ‘Entrepreneurial in the corporate world and corporate in the entrepreneurial world.' He advocates that Management and Leadership is more an art than a science that requires greater EQ than IQ, and is probably amongst the top 50 people in the world teaching the value of the Emotional Quotient aspects of Entrepreneurship. Mr. Khanna is acknowledged to have exceptional negotiating, legal and good financial skills, in addition to being deemed a Level 5 Manager.

Mr. Khanna was educated at the Cathedral & John Connon School in Bombay, India (where he excelled in sports & extracurricular activities), and later in the United States at Grinnell College (where he was involved with many student activities), graduating with a double major in General Science & Political Science in 1985. Mr. Khanna professionally mentors students and executives, not precluding people of modest background. He has been teaching the EQ aspects of Entrepreneurship and lectures on Business Sustainability, Innovation, Management & Leadership, etc., at his alma mater, Grinnell College in the United States. 'Real Life Entrepreneurship’ at the Indian Institute of Technology in India, and holds workshops on entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and management at high schools, colleges and corporates. He has a large number of Indian and foreign mentees. Mr. Khanna supports his wife with the basic care of 100 underprivileged pre-kindergarten school children in Gurgaon, India, and works on the rehabilitation and care of street dogs. He also enjoys a good walk/workout and golf, and is an interesting and interested conversationalist.