Bernard Martyris has over 40 years of experience in handling human resources and over two decades in the hospitality industry. Bernard graduated from Xavier Labour Relations Institute in 1976 since which time he has held senior management positions at the Oberoi Group and The Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (was part of the Corporate Executive Committee in both companies), served on the board of Tata Coffee as an independent director in 2003, was invited to be a member of the Global HR Council of the Conference Board, USA in 1998 and was Chairman of the HR Committee of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce between 2007 and 2009. He was part of the Corporate Executive Committee (top management) of both the Oberoi Group and the Taj Group.
Bernard has been responsible for the HR function of Kuoni India and VFS Group since 2004. Before he was appointed as Chief Culture Officer, he was Chief of Human Resources of VFS Global, responsible for VFS Global’s global HR function and focusing on HR strategy, leadership development, and talent and performance management. Concurrent to his VFS Global role Bernard headed the HR function for the Switzerland-based Kuoni Group. As VFS Global’s Chief Culture Officer, Bernard will be responsible for the further enhancement and strengthening of the organisation’s culture and ingraining corporate values across the organisation. He will also be responsible for coaching and mentoring top management and be responsible for the company’s Education Services business.
Nirbhik Goel is the Chief Human Resources Officer at VFS Global, responsible for the overall HR function of the organisation, including Learning and Development and HRSSC, and the overall Corporate Security, Travel and Administration Services functions.
Nirbhik joined VFS Global on 01 July 2021, bringing with him close to three decades of rich career experience comprising 16 years of leading the HR function globally for renowned service sector companies, including Hospitality (hotels) and Financial Services. He has strong expertise in several key HR functional areas such as Talent Management, Succession Planning, Learning and Development, Performance Management, and Coaching and Mentoring. Nirbhik has led large HR teams across multiple locations and been responsible for managing substantial HR budgets.
Prior to joining VFS Global, Nirbhik served as the Executive Vice President and CHRO at The Oberoi Group of Hotels. Other key senior positions held by Nirbhik include Managing Director and Global Strategic HR Business Partner for the CIO and Global Head of Operations at AIG based in the headquarters at New York; Managing Director and Head of HR-India at Barclays; and Vice President and Divisional Head of Human Resources for South West Asia at Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Amit Saincher is the Head of VFS Global Academy, responsible for leading the Academy’s vision of developing industry-ready talent for the travel and hospitality sectors. He oversees the strategic direction, curriculum design, and experiential learning initiatives, ensuring that VFS Global Academy delivers world-class training aligned with industry standards.
Amit brings over 25 years of leadership experience spanning client relations, strategic planning, business development, revenue delivery, process improvement, and sales & marketing. Prior to joining VFS Global Academy, Amit held senior positions at leading organizations, including The Walt Disney Company India, where he served as Vice President and Head of Business Operations – Mashal Sports, Brand Experience & Events, and Corporate Operations, Real Estate. He also served as Deputy Vice President and General Manager at The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts.
A dynamic and hands-on leader, Amit has a proven track record of building high-performing teams and driving operational excellence. His expertise in innovation-driven strategies, business transformation, and value creation has contributed to improved top-line revenues and enhanced bottom-line margins across organizations. Known for his strong work ethic, strategic mindset, and commitment to excellence, Amit plays a key role in strengthening VFS Global Academy’s position as a premier training provider for the industry.
Lebana Penkar is a distinguished Leadership Development and Talent Transformation Leader with over 25 years of cross-sector experience spanning luxury hospitality, hotels, F&B, retail, professional services, and high-growth enterprises across India and international markets. She brings a rare confluence of deep hospitality DNA, commercial acumen, and people strategy expertise, positioning her as a trusted architect of future-ready leadership and performance-driven cultures.
In her role, Lebana plays a pivotal part in shaping strategic learning ecosystems that embed service excellence, leadership capability, and people-led transformation aligned with premium brand aspirations. Her work consistently delivers measurable outcomes in leadership effectiveness, employee engagement, guest satisfaction, revenue growth, and brand equity. Her expertise spans executive and senior leadership development, end-to-end training, talent and succession planning, high-potential identification, performance management systems, and large-scale service culture transformation.
Lebana has partnered closely with Boards, Promoters, CXOs, General Managers, and Academic Leaders to institutionalise leadership pipelines, strengthen brand ambassadorship, and align people strategies with long-term commercial objectives. Her professional journey includes leading leadership and training functions for iconic luxury brands such as Sofitel, Westin, JW Marriott, Le Meridien, Foodlink, Future Group, and Arrivae, as well as contributing to luxury hotel pre-openings and service excellence initiatives across Asia and the Middle East.
As a certified coach, mentor, global luxury brand trainer, and Advisory Board Member for prestigious hospitality institutes in India, Lebana is deeply engaged in building strong campus and university partnerships, enhancing curricula and strengthening industry relevance by designing campus-to-corporate talent pipelines and enhancing employer branding.
Known for her strategic mindset, hands-on leadership style, and unwavering commitment to excellence, she continues to create sustained impact at the intersection of leadership, learning, and business performance.
