Sumitra is a fourth-generation member of Tolaram Group – a 70-year-old family business headquartered in Singapore, with a majority of its business operations in Africa. She currently heads the affiliated family foundation, Ishk Tolaram Foundation, working on education, employment, and healthcare issues in vulnerable populations in Indonesia and Nigeria.
Encouraged by recent trends in the social impact sector, Sumitra is looking to develop creative, sustainable solutions to entrenched problems in these geographies, leveraging both the business and foundation.
Outside of this, Sumitra is actively engaged with the Family Business Network (FBN), the Business Families Foundation (BFF), and Nexus and spends time connecting with next-generation leaders who are discovering their voices within their family business narratives.
Before moving into the foundation, Sumitra graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery from the National University of Singapore where she served in both clinical and policy positions with a particular interest in family and community medicine. She is currently pursuing a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge.