Dr Vandana Gopikumar
Dr Vandana Gopikumar
Co-Founder, Managing Trustee
Vandana Gopikumar, co-founder of The Banyan, believes that lived experience is at the centre of most learning, having lived with and learnt from those that accessed The Banyan’s services. She has 31 years of experience in identifying complex challenges and co-developing appropriate solutions with service users as co-founder of The Banyan and Banyan Academy. As a member of the first Indian Mental Health Policy Group, she spotlighted the needs of ultra-vulnerable persons and the essentiality of servicing the last mile. In her spare time, Vandana finds inspiration in her dogs, movies, writing, and reflecting. She mentors leadership across both The Banyan and Banyan Academy, offering strategic direction, critical macro systems and policy engagement and clinical expertise. Her mentorship as a managing trustee continues to shape the organisation’s transformative impact in mental health.
Ms Vaishnavi Jayakumar
Ms Vaishnavi Jayakumar
Co-Founder
Vaishnavi Jayakumar dropped out of her MBA course to co-found The Banyan in 1993. During this period, Vaishnavi shouldered the responsibilities of Administration and Finance while constantly engaging the team with her innovative ideas, activities and training as part of The Banyan’s human resource management approach. Vaishnavi stepped down from her role as managing trustee in 2008, as part of a long-term plan to entrust the future of the organisation with its second line. Though frequently terming herself “retired”, she has since gone on to work in the disability sector, facilitating and participating in a cross-disability discourse. In her spare time, Vaishnavi indulges in a wide range of interests which include Western classical music, history, anthropology, literature, and criminal justice ethics. Though she would most prefer to hide in bed with her two dogs.
Dr KV Kishore Kumar
Dr KV Kishore Kumar
Executive Director
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.
Dr Archana Padmakar
Dr Archana Padmakar
Director – Programs
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.
Dr Preetha Krishnadas
Dr Preetha Krishnadas
Director – Programs
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.
Ms Swapna Krishnakumar
Ms Swapna Krishnakumar
Director – Operations
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.
Mr Roy Defeeva
Mr Roy Defeeva
Director – Finance
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.
Murugan Krishnan
Murugan Krishnan
Senior Advisor – Finance
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.
Mr Ashok Kumar
Mr Ashok Kumar
Senior Advisor – Regulatory Affairs
Ashok Kumar has been with The Banyan since its inception. He began his career through direct client care services and thereafter engaged with fundraising and partnerships for many years. He now oversees and develops the layout and design for annual reports and communication materials. He also manages The Banyan’s compliance matters and maintains liaison with state and central welfare departments.
