Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, 6th November 2019: Dr. Vinaya Shetty, from Mumbai India, is the first Indian to be elected to the position of General Vice President (GVP), International Organisation Development Association (IODA) since its inception in 1986. Dr. Vinaya has helped in change & transformation of numerous organisations across industries in India and has been contributing in facilitating IODA’s efforts since 2009.

Welcoming Dr. Shetty, Past President IODA, Peter Kalmar from Hungary elaborated, “Dr. Vinaya Shetty, our first Indian woman elected to the post of GVP, is a charismatic and respected professional who moves and inspires her audience, as if it was the easiest thing on earth. In dealing with people, she leaves no one untouched, her messages are deep, clear and meaningful at the same time – thanks to her outstanding sense of humor – she is just so much fun to watch and be with. She can significantly contribute to strengthening the international IODA Community.” IODA is a non-profit association, has members from 50 countries who are initiating and supporting organizational and societal change processes all over the world. IODA is a community as well as a platform for OD (Organisational Development) professionals to connect, share and exchange ideas.

Dr. Vinaya Shetty, President – VIN Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd. from Mumbai said, “It is a dream come true in many ways. IODA has always embraced inclusion & diversity and I have the honor of furthering the vision to newer geographies. It’s overwhelming to be connected to people who are bound together over the years, exploring new cultures & impacting change. No wonder the annual conferences are always held in a new Continent since its inception.”

This is not the first time that Dr. Vinaya Shetty has made India proud. In 2016, she was the first Indian woman entrepreneur finalist, for the prestigious Empretech Woman in Business Award, United Nations Conference Trade & Development (UNCTAD). This was the first time in 20 years since the inception of the award that an Indian made it to the finals. It was indeed no mean fete considering there were 200 applications from 33 Countries that year.

According to Richard Beckhard, recognised as one of the Founders & Pioneer of OD, defined it as, “Organizational development is an effort (1) planned, (2) organization wide, (3) managed from the top, (4) to increase organization effectiveness and health and (5) through planned intervention in the organizations processes using behavioural science knowledge.”

I have long been impressed by Dr. Shetty’s energetic interest in applying OD to the organizations and contexts of the future,” says Rod Barnett, ex GVP of IODA. “I am delighted that IODA has this new GVP, to continue to lead us into the future and deeper into Asia where so much of the future development of OD is taking place. In 2020 IODA and Assumption University will be hosting an OD World Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.”

Collaboration is another critical aspect of IODA, constantly seeking collaborations with local OD networks of each Country as well as international OD networks. Their firm belief is that collaborations is key to co-creating & enabling change efforts in the world. The evolution of knowledge in this field of OD is rapid and only by creating a large global community that stay connected will we impact communities, organisations, governments and the world at large.

Being a member of IODA translates to lifelong association with the community. Asian Organisations & Academia are into OD practice & education in a big way. They will find an international ‘home’ to belong to,with IODA.

So, one would ask who can be a member of this global community? OD & HRD Professionals, Entrepreneurs, business heads who are responsible for change & transformation can be members. We invite all to be a part of IODA to imbibe and give more on Organization Development,” informed Dr. Vinaya. Member aspirants to visit www.iodanet.org.

Dr. Vinaya has a strong management background and is highly experienced in strategy and innovation, a practicing Coach, she has been leading & facilitating transformation in various industry segments in India, especially for start-ups. She envisages that under her leadership, IODA will accelerate its reach and IODA’s valuable insights will be disseminated widely.