Anna Biswas

Managing Director, India

Background

I am one of those conflicted generalists that loves working with multiple time horizons and layers of the system, but at the same time seeks out tangible impact in the now. I get fidgety if I think something might just sit on a piece of paper on a shelf, and yet frustrated if we’re thinking too small. So it fits that I landed up working in India, where we have no shelf room left and the scale can blow your mind.

A great deal of my work centres on helping organisations to understand the opportunity before them in a just and regenerative future, and their role in making it happen. I’m not a Futurist, but I enjoy applying Futures techniques, waking up the imagination and reaching for something beyond where we feel stuck now. Some of the most exciting work I have been involved with has been helping people see the needs that are emerging and building ways they could be met through new business models and offerings. I’m currently running the Forum office in Mumbai, a city alive with innovation and entrepreneurship.

I joined Forum in 2007, following a few months contributing to reforestation in North Argentina. I’d come across Forum as part of my Sustainable Business Masters at Leeds University and fell in love with the idea of working at the cutting edge of this field.

My dream project

Anything that gets people collaborating to bring good ideas into practice quickly, but allows for some good 10,000ft thinking to make sure it has ripples beyond the now. Preferably with an international or global impact.

What floats my boat outside of work

Exploring – usually on my bike – yes, even in Mumbai. Getting lost in different cultures. Outdoorsy stuff: scuba diving; being walked by the dog; breathing in clean, fresh air whilst standing on Morte Point, North Devon in a howling gale; that kind of thing. And my dream house would definitely be a tree house. Perhaps like this one.

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Why organisations must prioritise climate and health in 2024 – and how some already are

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Pathways to transforming unethical recruitment practices

If a strong foundation of trust among diverse stakeholders is established in a complex system, how can this be built on to create lasting, effective change? In the last of a three-part blog series, we explore possible pathways to an effective changemaking system in responsible recruitment, and opportunities for value chain actors to act in transformative ways.

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We are a growing organisation and we are regularly on the look out for new recruits to join our teams around the world.
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More and more businesses like are setting ambitious targets for positive impact on their operations, value chains and wider operating context. For more than 25 years we have partnered with businesses to navigate this complexity and design impactful solutions that deliver the deeper change that’s needed. Why not get in touch to find out more?