Executive Committee.
The PNGIBC Executive Committee provides strategic direction and oversight of the Council's bilateral mandate.
The Executive Committee comprises four Office Bearers - President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary - together with up to five additional Committee Members. The Committee controls and manages the affairs of the Council, with members elected at the Annual General Meeting and eligible for re-election in the subsequent year.
Mahadevan Shankar is a Strategic Advisor and Investor, bringing 30+ years of global business experience and extensive networks in Banking, Finance, Superannuation, Investment Banking, and PE & VC funding.
His expertise spans Manufacturing, Retailing & Wholesale, Defence & Security, Mining and Oil & Gas, Healthcare & Pharmaceutical, Education, Infrastructure (Roads, Ports & Energy), and Real Estate. After transacting in precious metals, he is now sharing his expertise in critical minerals that will drive future technologies in the Indo-Pacific region.
Mahadevan is a qualified Chartered Accountant from India and Australia, a CPA from Papua New Guinea, and a Professional Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Australia. He provides strategic advisory and corporate restructuring advice drawing on global experience across Australia, Canada, India, Russia, Central Asia, the South Pacific, and Africa.
Having retired early as a Partner of the largest Big 4 Accounting & Consulting firm in 2007, Mahadevan founded Arzuh International (www.arzuh.com) to help multinationals, SMEs, and startups incubate, grow, and scale. In PNG, he delivers these services through MASH Advisory Limited (MASHAL).
Mahadevan is currently the President of the PNG India Business Council (PNGIBC) and the former Founding Vice President of the Society of Indian Chartered Accountants Inc. in PNG (SICA). He is also an Adjunct Fellow of the National Maritime Foundation of India, contributing to strategic dialogue on trade and partnerships in the wider Indo-Pacific maritime domain.
Mr. Rajeev Sharma is the CEO of Nasfund. He joined the Fund on 16 October 2014 as Chief Financial Officer and served as Chief Operating Officer before his appointment as CEO on 1 April 2023.
With over 30 years of experience across big corporates, multinational companies and financial institutions, Rajeev has held senior roles in PNG since 2002, as well as in India and the Middle East.
He holds a bachelor's degree with Honours in Commerce from Delhi University, India, and is a Chartered Accountant from India, a CPA from Australia, and a member of CPA (PNG). He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the Papua New Guinea Institute of Directors.
Chief Sir Salamo Injia Kt, GCL is one of Papua New Guinea's most distinguished jurists, legal scholars and former Chief Justices. Born in Enga Province, he earned his law degree from the University of Papua New Guinea, where he received the Dux Award, before completing a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School as a Fulbright Scholar.
He began his legal career with the Public Solicitor's Office and later worked in private practice before being appointed to the National Court bench. He served as Deputy Chief Justice from 2003 and as Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea from 2008 to 2018. During his leadership, he advanced judicial reform, strengthened court administration and supported greater access to justice across the country.
Chief Sir Salamo has also made a significant contribution to legal education and scholarship. He has authored and co-authored numerous publications covering constitutional law, criminal law, civil procedure, evidence, sentencing and other areas of law in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. His longstanding service to the judiciary and the nation has been recognised through a knighthood and his appointment as a Grand Chief of the Order of Logohu.
Lien William is an experienced finance and accounting professional with more than 20 years of leadership experience across the energy, resources, public sector, banking and professional services sectors in Papua New Guinea. She currently serves as Chief Accountant at TotalEnergies EP PNG Limited, where she leads accounting operations, financial and management reporting, statutory compliance, audit coordination, joint venture accounting, treasury support and internal control activities.
Lien has held senior finance, audit, corporate services and governance roles with leading organisations including TotalEnergies, Heritage Niugini, Mineral Resources Authority, Talisman Energy, Rift Oil PLC, Deloitte, the PNG Government and ANZ Bank. She has also played a key role in supporting the initial establishment and operational set-up of several international oil and gas companies in Papua New Guinea, including Rift Oil PLC, Talisman Energy and TotalEnergies EP PNG, contributing to finance, reporting, compliance, systems, governance and local operational readiness.
Her expertise includes IFRS reporting, financial governance, consolidation, budgeting, regulatory compliance, systems implementation, team leadership and board-level support. She holds a Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Queensland, a Bachelor of Business Economics from the University of Papua New Guinea and is a member of CPA Papua New Guinea and CPA Australia.
Philip Samar is a mining professional with over 20 plus years of contributing to the development of policy and regulatory practices for both the government and the industry. He holds a Master's degree in mining engineering from Akita University in Japan and an undergraduate degree from the PNG University of Technology.
He was most recently the Vice President External for K92 Mining Ltd and prior to that was Managing Director of the Mineral Resources Authority of Papua New Guinea.
He has served on the boards of the MRA, various mining project Landowners Investment Trusts, K92 Mining Ltd, Nambawan Super Ltd, Transparency International PNG (TIPNG) and a number of other state administrative bodies.
Sylvia Pascoe is a PNG entrepreneur, SME advocate and community leader with more than 20 years' experience in events, marketing and business development.
She is the founder and Managing Director of Pascoe Events & Marketing and the founder of Pom City Markets, one of Port Moresby's leading platforms for promoting local SMEs, artisans, food producers and emerging entrepreneurs.
Through her work, Sylvia has helped create accessible market opportunities for hundreds of Papua New Guinean businesses while advocating for stronger connections between SMEs, corporate organisations, government and development partners.
Originally from New Ireland Province, Sylvia leads the PNGIBC MSME National Industry Group, working to strengthen two way trade, investment, knowledge exchange and commercial partnerships between Papua New Guinea and India.
PNGIBC is actively seeking Women in Business to join our membership and the Executive Committee leadership team, or to lead and participate in a National Industry Group.