Name: Difficult Conversations Matter
Start: 2024-10-08T09:00:00+01:00
End: 2024-10-08T10:00:00+01:00

APAC, EMEA

Development

Dreading those tough talks at work? It’s time to change that. Join us for an engaging WeQual event on mastering difficult conversations. Learn how to handle sensitive topics with confidence and turn potential conflicts into opportunities for growth.

Guest Speaker

Manjaree Chowdhary, Senior Executive Officer (Legal & Realty) and General Counsel at Maruti Suzuki India Limited

Manjaree is a seasoned expert in strategic advisory, board management, and enterprise risk and compliance. With over two decades of experience across South Asia and global markets, Manjaree has successfully navigated the complexities of industrial manufacturing, healthcare, power, and automotive sectors. As the first woman General Counsel at Maruti Suzuki, her leadership and legal acumen have been instrumental in driving the company’s success.

Recognized as the “General Counsel of the Year (Female)” at the Legal Era Annual Legal Awards 2020, Manjaree is also a mentor, board director, and a frequent speaker at top business and law schools in India. Her ability to manage complex transactions, litigation, and public policy issues makes her the ideal guide for this event.

Don’t miss the chance to learn from Manjaree’s extensive experience in handling difficult conversations and leading with integrity.

What You’ll Learn

Understand the dynamics of difficult conversations and why they matter. Learn strategies to approach these talks with confidence and clarity.
Discover how to communicate your message clearly, listen actively, and respond thoughtfully, even under pressure.
Find out how to use difficult conversations to strengthen relationships, build trust, and foster a more collaborative work environment.
Learn practical techniques to manage and resolve conflicts, turning potential issues into opportunities for positive change.

Don’t let the fear of difficult conversations hold you back. Equip yourself with the skills to navigate any discussion with confidence and ease. Join us and transform the way you communicate at work.

Manjaree Chowdhary

Maruti Suzuki India

Senior Executive Officer and General Counsel

Manjaree Chowdhary is Senior Executive Officer and General Counsel of Maruti Suzuki India, a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation Japan and the leading car manufacturer in India, employing over 34,000 people. Leading a team of 50+ legal professionals, Manjaree works closely with the Board, the CEO and the Leadership Team to provide legal and compliance support in a dynamic regulatory and risk environment. Additionally, Manjaree is also responsible for management of the Realty and Infrastructure business of the Company.

A Felix Scholar and master’s in law from the University of London with distinction, Manjaree made a mid-career shift from academics to law. She began her legal career at a leading Indian law firm, moving in-house to General Electric before joining Maruti Suzuki as its first woman General Counsel in 2018. Manjaree is an experienced General Counsel with over 26 yrs. of successful history of working across South Asia, US, ANZ, and Japan in diverse industries like Industrial, Manufacturing, Auto, Healthcare, Power and Services. Skilled in strategic advisory, Board and listed entity management, complex commercial transactions and structuring, litigation, regulatory and public policy, enterprise risk, compliance and change management, she brings a global and innovative mindset with strong local execution to help grow businesses in challenging regulatory and business environment.

Manjaree’s adaptive leadership style allows her to assimilate quickly into new business environments and culture to contribute effectively in a short span of time. She believes in professionalism, perseverance, and patience as mantras to overcome challenges and add value. Her leadership has brought recognition to the Maruti Suzuki Legal Team by being included in the Legal 500 GC Powerlist – India Teams 2019 and being recognized as the Best In-house Legal Team (mid-size) in India at the prestigious Legal Era India Legal Awards 2021 for the first time and more recently being recognized as the “Best In- House team for Compliance and Risk Management, 2023 by Asia Legal Business. She has successfully leveraged her functional and business understanding to lead industry initiatives and support government relations work.

Manjaree is a nominated member of the CII National Committee on Regulatory Affairs and the CII National Committee on Legal Services. She serves and on the Boards of Suzuki Motor Gujarat Pvt. Ltd., an INR 12,000 Cr company and the UK India Legal Partnership and is the Founding Member of the General Counsel Association of India. A visiting speaker at top business and law schools in India, she enjoys strong credibility in the industry and the legal fraternity. Her articles have been published in the prestigious global magazines ‘Ethisphere’ and ‘Asia Legal Business’ and locally in ‘BW Legalworld’ and ‘Lex Witness’.

Inducted in the BW Legalworld Hall of Fame in 2024, Manjaree is also the winner of the prestigious Forbes India ‘Top General Counsel’ 2023 and the WeQual Asia Pacific Award in the Business Security category in September 2021. She featured in the India “Top 100 Powerful Women in Law” in 2017 and was felicitated at the Indo-UK Law Society Summit at the House of Lords in London in November 2018 for contribution to the Indian corporate legal sector. She was recognized as the General Counsel of the Year (Female) at the prestigious Legal Era Annual Indian Lawyers Awards 2020, has featured in the ‘Women in Manufacturing’ book released by Mobility India in 2022 and has been part of the elite list of Business World Top 100 GCs in India for three consecutive years.

Located in Gurugram (NCR of Delhi), Manjaree is a movie buff and enjoys reading, dancing and interior designing in her free time.

Manjaree was the Winner of the Business Security category in the WeQual Awards, Asia Pacific, 2021. She is also a lifetime member of WeQual Executives.