Deepa Malik becomes the new independent director of OYO

This Wednesday Deepa Malik, a Paralympic medalist, was appointed as an independent director on the board of directors of hospitality unicorn Oyo. The President of the Indian Paralympic Committee, Deepa Malik is a 2016 Paralympic silver medalist (PCI).

The 51-year-old turned to Twitter to announce that she will be sharing her thoughts on boosting workforce diversity and a customer-focused attitude with the upcoming IPO. The hospitality giant filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India two weeks ago, hoping to raise roughly $1.16 billion (Rs 8,430 crore) (SEBI).
Ritesh Agarwal, Chairman, Founder, and Group CEO of OYO, welcomed Deepa to the board, saying that a diverse board will assist instil lateral thinking. He also added that Over the last few years, they have been working to make their company and Board more inclusive. For them, Dr. Malik’s experience and passion for travel and adventure will play an important role for OYO. She is not just an example to a generation of Indians, but she also epitomizes the spirit of overcoming adversity.

Deepa now an independent director of joins the team with other three independent directors already on the board, these are Bejul Somaia, a partner at Lightspeed India Partners; W Steve Albrecht, a qualified internal auditor, and certified fraud examiner; and Troy Alstead, a former COO at Starbucks. Aditya Ghosh, a former Director of InterGlobe Group (Indigo), is also a non-executive nominated director on the board.

Deepa remarked on Twitter, “I look forward to working with Ritesh, who has become an inspiration to the new generation, our country, and esteemed fellow members.”