Vijay Kumar Ojha is a seasoned Governance, Legal, Ethics and Compliance professional, currently working as Group Company Secretary at Sharaf Group, Dubai with more than two decades of hands-on experience in corporate governance, legal, compliance, and management.
Vijay’s professional career started in the year 2000, while pursuing Company Secretary course from The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). His first assignment was to handle finance and administration of an NGO working for children and women welfare in rural areas of Eastern India.
In 2002, he moved to New Delhi to pursue the final stage of CS qualification. During his studies, he joined Lifelong India Pvt. Ltd. as Management Trainee, soon rising to the position of Assistant Company Secretary within six months, independently handling secretarial and financial matters of some of the subsidiary companies of the Lifelong Group.
Upon completion of CS qualification and obtaining Associate Membership of ICSI in May 2004, Vijay got the opportunity to work as Company Secretary in Kumar Organic Products Limited, a public limited company based in southern city of India, Bangalore. This was his first job as an independent Company Secretary, where he was responsible for the Chairman and Board of Directors of the Company. During his association with Kumar organic, Vijay had the opportunity to hone his skills on the company secretarial work in corporate setups and made himself proficient in many aspects of governance, legal, risks, compliances, administration and other management matters.
About two and a half years thereafter, he joined Hampson Industries Pvt Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of a UK based company, listed on London Stock Exchange and world’s leading spare parts manufacturer for aeronautics and automotive industry. As Company Secretary and Manager of Legal Affairs, he managed the secretarial functions, legal compliance, human resources and administration of the company. During his stay at Hampson, he completed many projects and assignments independently and received appreciations for the same.
After working for around five years with Hampson, Vijay moved to Dubai, UAE in November 2011to take up fresh challenges in his professional career, he joined the Sharaf Group and continued exercising his rich experience as company secretary in corporate governance, legal, risks and compliance functions.
His career path reflects commitment to excellence in corporate governance, risk management, legal and compliance resulting in impeccable credentials as a solid governance, legal and compliance leader.
Let’s gain a comprehensive understanding of his professional journey.
Vijay’s Role at Sharaf Group
When Vijay joined Sharaf Group in November 2011, he took on a newly created role within the organization. Sharaf Group, a family-owned conglomerate, operates across sixty countries with diversified interests in shipping, logistics, ship-owning, tourism, electronics, fashion retail, hospitality, manufacturing, financial services, and real estate.
In his current position, Vijay leads the Corporate Secretarial, Legal, Governance, and Compliance functions at the Corporate Head Office. He serves as the Board Secretary for the Group Board, managing secretarial duties and ensuring governance alignment with the Group’s strategic objectives and policies. He also ensures full compliance with local laws, rules, and regulations while supporting the Group’s global operations effectively.
His Key Responsibilities:
Vijay plays a pivotal role at Sharaf Group, handling a diverse portfolio of responsibilities:
- Governance Leadership:
- Strategically oversees governance frameworks for the Group, ensuring alignment with corporate policies, regulatory requirements, ethical values, and the Board’s strategic objectives.
- Manages the end-to-end processes for Board, shareholder, and committee meetings for the Group’s subsidiaries and joint ventures entities including agenda setting, minute-taking, and action tracking assisted by a team of professionals.
- Legal Risk Management:
- Proactively identifies and mitigates legal risks, managing disputes, litigation, arbitration, and documentation to protect the Group’s interests.
- Provides strategic advice to the Board and senior management on complex legal, regulatory, contractual, and administrative matters.
- Compliance Oversight:
- Ensures adherence to global compliance standards, including KYC, FATCA, CBcR and CRS, resolving regulatory challenges to maintain operational continuity.
- Formulates and implements compliance policies and procedures, integrating them with group policies for seamless adherence across all jurisdictions.
- Corporate Secretarial Excellence:
- Acts as custodian of legal and governance documentation, including statutory registers, corporate records, and regulatory filings.
- Coordinates incorporation, restructuring, and dissolution of entities globally, ensuring compliance with jurisdictional requirements.
- Stakeholder and Regulatory Engagement:
- Liaises with external regulators, legal advisors, and stakeholders, ensuring transparent communication and fostering partnerships.
- Collaborates with company secretaries, lawyers, and registered agents across offshore and free-zone jurisdictions.
- Policy and Process Standardization:
- Established group-wide governance and compliance frameworks, including standardized procedures for entity incorporation and operational compliance.
- Developed and implemented SOPs for board operations, legal processes, and compliance management, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
- Digital Transformation and Innovation:
- Pioneered the digitalization of legal and secretarial documentation, enhancing accessibility and operational efficiency.
Vijay’s strategic leadership and expertise in governance, risk, and compliance play a critical role in enabling the Group to operate effectively across a diversified global footprint while mitigating risks and ensuring sustainable growth. Managing such a diversified group presents significant challenges that require considerable attention, strategic planning, and effective management skills.
Expertise in Business Administration, Legal, and Corporate Governance
Vijay is graduated in Business Administration (BBA) and Law (LLB) and is a fellow member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, (ICSI) and life member of the Institute of Directors (IOD), New Delhi, India through which he acquired vast learning and gained knowledge in the field of Business Administration, Legal, Finance, Compliance and Governance. Studying these subjects helped him execute his knowledge in practice and provide expertise to handle complex situations.
“I am proactive and consistently assess the situations in advance, ensuring I handled them smoothly.” says Vijay. His educational background and working experiences in various industries have helped to provide insights into handling complex issues and managing different situations.
Challenges and Strategies for Ensuring Compliance Across Multiple Jurisdictions
According to Vijay, ensuring compliance and governance across multiple jurisdictions can be challenging due to the complexity and diversity of legal, cultural, and operational environments. Here are some key challenges he faced in multiple jurisdictions, where the Group operates:
- Diverse Legal and Regulatory requirements and keeping updates on changes in the same.
- Cultural and language barriers in different jurisdictions
- Conflicting rules and regulations including data regulations, privacy and security.
- Unavailability of the requisite specialized local expertise and resources.
- Governance challenges, reporting and filing requirements
- Ethical and Operational differences including Corruption and Bribery Risks etc.
He suggests some strategies / measures to mitigate these challenges as follows:
- Develop a centralized governance framework with flexibility for the local adaptation.
- Prepare policies, processes and SOPs for each business segment with focus on regulatory changes and requirements.
- Continuous training and development of staff on jurisdiction-specific compliance, ethical standards and reporting requirements.
- Use governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) tools to streamline processes.
- Conduct internal audits to identify and mitigate gaps in compliances and processes.
- Get help from experts for local statutory and regulatory compliances as and when required.
Tips for Balancing Professional Responsibilities and Personal Well-Being
“It’s tough but with the support of family and colleagues it is accomplished.” says Vijay. The following are key points which really helped him in the balancing act.
- Identify key responsibilities and delegates work to team members by empowering them.
- Trying to set boundaries for work and family time.
- Taking help of technology for completing works efficiently and timely manner.
- Time Management by proper planning
- Follow honest, trustworthy and ethical standards
- Do exercise, morning walk, yoga to take care of Physical and Mental Health
Staying Updated with the Evolving Regulatory landscape and ensure your team remains aligned with best practices
Vijay further says, “staying updated with the evolving regulatory landscape and ensuring that team aligns with the best practices requires a strategic approach that combines continuous learning, robust systems, and proactive communication.” He follows and monitors updates on regulations by subscribing to alerts from law firms, regulators, Central Bank etc. He uses technology, internet etc. and engages with industries groups and forums, as a regular speaker on governance, legal and compliance topics.
Vijay has created a centralized repository of corporate records, which he keeps updating on a regular basis. He further hosts periodic training sessions to keep the team informed about new regulations and compliance requirements. He encourages professionals to go for certifications or courses that deepen regulatory knowledge. Further, he hires consultants or advisors for industry-specific compliance advice when necessary.
What advice would you give aspiring professionals looking to excel in governance, risk, and compliance roles?
“Excelling in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) roles requires a blend of subject knowledge, technical expertise, strategic thinking, and strong interpersonal skills.” Vijay advises what he follows, and every professional should likewise follow.
He further advocates the following measures:
- building a solid foundation of knowledge by understanding core concepts of GRC and keeping yourself updated on latest developments,
- getting relevant education and certification to build trust and gain expertise,
- familiarize yourself with GRC tools and platforms, use AI resources,
- improve communication, writing, speaking and presentation skills,
- always be honest, ethical and maintain confidentiality and trust of the stakeholders.
- understanding how businesses operate and the financial implications of governance, risks and compliance.
- be proactive, anticipate regulatory changes and emerging risks to position yourself as a forward-thinking professional.
Looking ahead, what are your goals for driving innovation and improvement in corporate governance within Sharaf Group?
“Driving innovation and improvement in corporate governance is essential for ensuring any organization to remain resilient, competitive, and aligned with stakeholder expectations.” says Vijay. The Promoters of the Group have established vision and objectives, and he would like to see that good governance helps in achieving these objectives. following points can be taken as key goals for enhancing corporate governance:
- Strengthening Board effectiveness in decision making
- Enhancing risk oversight through Integrated Risk Management:
- Embedding ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles in operations and actively involving stakeholders in ESG initiatives to build trust and credibility.
- Leveraging technology and using digital governance platforms that streamline Board processes, document management, and compliance tracking.
- Enhancing stakeholder communication through transparency, and active engagement:
- Driving Innovation in governance by encouraging collaboration between the Board and management to foster innovation in governance practices and maintaining confidentiality at the same time.
- Regularly compare governance practices with industry leaders to identify areas for improvement.