Vanessa Haripersad is Founder and CEO of Shankara People Solutions, a human capital and leadership development firm operating across Africa and the UAE. With 24 years of corporate human capital experience and over 20,000 interviews conducted across her career, she brings deep expertise in organisational development, resilience leadership, and talent strategy.
Vanessa is the creator of the SCCR Resilient Leadership Framework, built on Self-Awareness, Compassion, Curiosity, and Resourcefulness, which underpins her keynote speaking, coaching, and workshop facilitation for corporate leaders across the continent. She is a certified Imposter Syndrome Coach Practitioner (under Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin), Resilience Coach, Insights Discovery Practitioner, and Big 5 of Strategy Coach.
She serves as Editor in Chief of Ishkama Global Change (IGC) Magazine, and founded the Shankara Leadership Academy for Girls to advance leadership development among young women. She also founded the Shankara Graduate Mentorship Programme, developing young leaders with purpose and resilience. In 2026, she received the Global Icon in Transformational Leadership & People Excellence award in recognition of her contribution to the field.
Vanessa is a sought-after speaker on global stages, with recent appearances including live television and radio interviews in London and Oxford, and panel engagements across Africa.
