Dr. KV Kishore Kumar is a renowned psychiatrist and mental health expert. He has a distinguished career that began at NIMHANS, where he headed the Community Health Services in the Department of Psychiatry. With his extensive experience and expertise, Dr. Kumar has played a pivotal role as an advisor to the Government of India on mental health policies and programs. He currently serves as the Director of The Banyan and BALM, leading the clinical care team.

Swapna Krishnakumar is a dedicated professional with over 20 years of experience at The Banyan. As the Deputy Director of Administration & HR, she is pivotal in managing internal services and ensuring smooth operations organisation-wide. With a passion for equal opportunities and mental health systems, Swapna actively contributes to developing robust governance and leadership within the organisation.

Murugan Krishnan has been working with The Banyan for over a decade. He leads the preparation of the annual budget for all programmes, prepares financial reports for donors and audits statements for income tax and FCRA returns filing. He previously worked as Chief Accounts Officer for The Association for the Rural Poor and is a CA (Intermediate) under the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Preetha Krishnadas has a bachelors in Mathematics and a postgraduate degree in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work. She leads The Banyan’s Nalam Urban Mental Health Programme which delivers community wellness-oriented care services in 9 wards of Chennai and in collaboration with the DMHP in Sriperumbudur. Her interests lie in working with children and people with disabilities. Preetha has previously worked with HelpAge India, Directorate of Public Health, Preventive Medicine and the National Institute of Epidemiology.

Vanitha has a postgraduate degree in Psychology and has been associated with The Banyan since 2003. She heads The Banyan’s Nalam Rural Mental Health Program which delivers community based services in Thiruporur Taluk and in collaboration with the DMHP in Kattumannarkoil Taluk. Her interests are in working with children on issues of self harm, suicide and grief support and art-based therapy.

Mrinalini Ravi is a mental health professional with over 12 years of experience in the sector. She leads the partnerships portfolio, and is primary liaison for The Banyan and BALM’s diverse stakeholders. Mrinalini also has programme management experience, has run Greater Chennai Corporation shelter for men with mental health issues, and is Executive Director of Aaladamara, The Banyan-Azim Premji Foundation Centre for homelessness and mental illness in Bangalore.

Archana is a clinical psychologist with a PhD from VU, Amsterdam. She leads the Emergency Care and Recovery Centre at The Banyan working closely with the clinical team to design psychosocial interventions in a user-centric way. She previously worked with Antenne D’ Eccoute associated with the Luxembourg Government and Portugal Embassy and was a Consultant Clinical Psychologist (Lecturer) for the Department of Psychiatry at Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMC), Vellore.

Salih PM has a postgraduate degree in Social Work with a specialisation in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work with a decade of experience in the mental health sector. He heads the Kerala chapter of The Banyan and leads all interventions and collaboration with the health and social justice departments. He is a member of the state-level monitoring committee for Shelters for the Urban Homeless. His primary interest is in rights based psychosocial care for homeless people with mental health issues.

G. Roy Defeeva is an accomplished finance professional with a wealth of experience in the field. As the Assistant Director of finance at The BANYAN, he joined the organisation at the beginning of 2022 to co-lead the Finance Department and drive financial excellence. With an impressive career spanning over 30 years, Mr. Defeeva has acquired extensive finance, banking, taxation, credit control, and channel management expertise.