Our Core Team

Mehnaz Ansari

Founder, AeroInfraStratgiX | Global Trade & Infrastructure Leader | Aviation & Infrastructure Policy Expert

Mehnaz Ansari co-founded AeroInfraStratgiX (ASX) to address the growing demand for leadership, capacity building, and policy-aligned education in the aviation and infrastructure sectors across South Asia. AISX was born out of a vision to empower institutions, governments, and industry leaders with the knowledge, tools, and partnerships needed to shape the region’s next phase of sustainable growth.

With over 25 years of experience in global trade, aviation policy, and infrastructure strategy, Mehnaz has played a transformative role in advancing U.S.-South Asia economic cooperation. As Senior Regional Representative for South Asia at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), she led the development of more than 150 infrastructure projects across eight countries—including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and others—unlocking billions in U.S. exports while fostering local impact.

She is widely recognised for leading five U.S.-India Aviation Summits and conceptualising the first U.S.-India Executive Management Program in Aviation. Through these efforts, Mehnaz has built enduring partnerships between government, academia, and industry. Her deep relationships with Indian regulators, multilateral agencies, airport operators, and global institutions underpin AISX’s mission and approach.

At AISX, Mehnaz brings this unique blend of policy insight, global connectivity, and execution expertise to deliver solutions in aviation education, regulatory alignment, executive training, and strategic consulting. Her work also spans smart cities, ports, inland waterways, energy, ICT, public procurement, and climate-aligned infrastructure.

A passionate advocate for inclusive leadership, she has served as Chairwoman of the Women in Aviation Leadership Initiative and was the Senior Vice President of Women in Aviation, India Chapter. She regularly delivers masterclasses for senior professionals through programs at IIMs, Haas School of Business, and S&P Global. Mehnaz is also a Senior Advisor-in-Residence with the LedBy Foundation, a Harvard-incubated platform advancing leadership among Indian Muslim women.

Through AeroInfraStratgiX, Mehnaz is channeling her global experience into building platforms that connect global best practices with local execution—creating lasting value for South Asia’s aviation and infrastructure ecosystem.

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Vasudevan S (PhD)

CEO, AeroInfraStratgiX

Dr Vasudevan is the Chief Executive Officer of AeroInfraStratgix (AISX). AISX is a mission driven infrastructure consulting and capacity building organisation. Our focus is to upskill infrastructure professionals and enable leadership capability that can help build world-class organisations that are competent, resilient, sustainable and future-ready. We do this through strategic partnerships with global and local institutions, creating deep learning environments, delivering high-impact training programs and curating leadership dialogues on strategic issues and growth initiatives. AISX is co-promoted by aviation and infrastructure professionals with a combined experience of more than seven decades in the industry.

Prior to joining AISX as CEO, Vasu was leading the Aviation, Travel and Tourism business for India and APAC in ICF Consulting, a US-based advisory services headquartered in Virgina, United States working with a dedicated team of over a hundred professionals across five continents.

In his 25-year consulting career, Vasu has advised governments, transport authorities, financing institutions, airport owners, operators and infrastructure sector stakeholders on policy, strategy, finance, operations, procurement, and transaction related solutions. He has worked extensively with aviation and transport sector clients in the
Middle East, Africa, South Asia and APAC
on airport development strategies, economic analysis, project financing solutions, operational transformation strategies, regulatory reforms and PPP transactions.

Prior to joining ICF, Vasu led KPMG’s India aviation business and served as the
Global Airport Sector Lead focussing on business development and consulting
solutions for key aviation clients.

Vasudevan holds a post-graduate degree in Economics and a doctorate in
Management. He is recognized as a thought leader in the industry and publishes his
views in print and social media frequently.
playing the guitar.

Our Aviation & Infrastructure Experts

Building the Future of Aviation

Sundresh Sarup - Drewes Logistics

Sundresh Sarup is the Managing Director of Logistics Plus India Pvt. Ltd., a position he has held since the company’s inception in 2013. With over three decades of experience in global logistics and supply chain management, he has been instrumental in expanding the company’s footprint across major Indian cities and establishing it as a trusted partner in international freight forwarding and project cargo logistics. Under his leadership, Logistics Plus India earned various certifications. He became actively involved in global aviation industry initiatives, including his role as Co-Chair of the U.S.-India Aviation Cooperation Program for 4 years. Known for his strategic vision, operational excellence, and advocacy for digital innovation, Sarup continues to drive growth and transformation in India’s logistics sector.

Capt. Poonam Gaur - Flemonte Aviation

Capt. Poonam Gaur is a leading aviation consultant and entrepreneur with over 20 years of diverse, hands-on experience across commercial aviation, regional air connectivity, flight operations, and aviation infrastructure development. Her career is marked by a rare combination of technical expertise, strategic foresight, and an unrelenting passion for transforming the aviation landscape in India and beyond.

Poonam’s aviation journey began in the cabin as an air hostess, but her ambitions quickly took flight. She earned her Commercial Pilot Licenses from both the USA and India in 2009 and soon rose through the ranks—becoming Flight Operations Head at the Sanjay Kakade Group, followed by a pivotal role as Senior Associate for Flight Performance & Airline Operations at Martin Consulting LLC, Dubai. There, she led a pioneering Fuel Burn and Cost Optimisation Study for TAROM Romanian Air Transport, significantly improving operational efficiency.

In 2014, Poonam co-founded Air Taxi Services, spearheading India's regional connectivity movement. Her efforts brought air access to underserved towns and cities, directly supporting tourism, trade, and local economies. Her aviation business acumen extends to aircraft sales, charter auditing, and regulatory certifications (NSOP/AOP), making her a go-to expert for startups and legacy players alike.

In 2025, she introduced India’s first Microtower and Automated Traffic and Advisory System—a solar-powered, rapidly deployable airfield safety solution that delivers real-time weather and traffic updates at remote airstrips, heliports, and STOLports. This groundbreaking system reflects her deep understanding of operational gaps and her ability to engineer scalable, sustainable solutions tailored for India’s unique terrain.

Poonam also plays a strategic role in Greenfield airport projects, including the development of Karikal Airport in Puducherry. Her consultancy services span infrastructure planning, airstrip design, regulatory navigation, and operational readiness, helping government and private stakeholders turn vision into viable aviation projects.

Recognized for her trailblazing work and leadership, Poonam has received several prestigious awards, including:

- Female Entrepreneur of the Year, GTF Women Excellence Summit 2022
- Inspiring Women Entrepreneur, Global Triumph Foundation Women Entrepreneurship Summit 2023
- The Real Super Woman, Forever Star India Awards 2022
- Global Women Inspiration, I CAN Foundation 2022
- Honored by the President of India (2024) as one of the 50 Women Achievers in Indian Aviation
- Celebrated by Women in Aviation India as a Pioneer Woman in Aviation

An advocate for diversity in aviation, she mentors young professionals through her work with the Asia Foundation’s Women in STEM Program and serves as a thought leader in various aviation forums.

J. Spencer Dickerson - American Association of Airport Executives

Spencer Dickerson retired in December 2021 after serving 41 years at the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), including positions of Senior Executive Vice President for Global Operations and Executive Director of AAAE’s affiliated organization, the U.S. Contract Tower Association. His experience at AAAE including working with Members of the U.S. Congress/congressional staff and officials at the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, U.S. Departments of Commerce and State, and U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Dickerson was responsible for business development, training programs, conferences (domestic and international), FAA contract tower program issues and coordination of programs and activities with the AAAE Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Policy Review Committee, AAAE regional chapters, AAAE committees, and Boards of Directors for USCTA and AAAE’s affiliated organisation, the International Association of Airport Executives. He currently serves as President of JSD & Association and is also a part-time faculty member/virtual instructor for Kansas State’s College of Aerospace and Technology.

Mr. Keku Bomi Gazder - MD & CEO - Aviapro Logistic Services Pvt Ltd

Mr. Keku Bomi Gazder, until recently was the former CEO, AAI Cargo Logistics & Allied Services Co. Ltd a 100% subsidiary of the Airport Authority of India under the Ministry of Civil Aviation Govt of India.

Prior to that and has had a distinguished career of nearly three decades in the aviation responsible for the Middle East, South Asia and India regions, handling senior positions in leading aviation companies such as Saudi Arabian Airlines Cargo, Air France-KLM Cargo & Martinair Cargo amongst others.

He worked in close association with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other ministries and was part of the following initiatives / committees:

Focus Group on Operationalizing of Krishi Udaan, Lifeline Udaan and Vaccine Maitri Defence Convergence Committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Governing Council of the Logistics Skill Council (LSC), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
Investment Clearance Cell Committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Member – National Committee on Civil Aviation by the Confederation of Indian Industries.
Chartered Member at CMILT (The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport – India).
Former Member, Civil Aviation Advisory Group under the aegis of Hn. Minister of Civil Aviation, India.
Former Member, Air Cargo Promotion Board under the aegis of Hn. Minister of Civil Aviation, India.
Former Member, IATA Advisory panel on CASS Implementation in India.
Mr. Gazder has been conferred the following:

“Industry Ambassador” – India Cargo Awards by DDP in 2022.
“Corona Warrior” Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) Vishwakarma Award for the year 2021.
“Air Cargo Person of the Year 2019-20” awarded by ACAAI Eastern Region.
“Trail Blazer” – India Cargo Awards by DDP in 2018.

Afaq Hussain - Director Brief

Afaq Hussain is Director and Founding Member of the Bureau of Research on Industry and Economic Fundamentals (BRIEF). With nearly two decades of experience in policy research, he specializes in international trade and trade facilitation, regional cooperation, maritime infrastructure, and the logistics sector.

Through extensive field-level research and high-impact collaborations, Afaq has delivered successful interventions on international trade and economic development. At BRIEF, he has led multiple flagship assignments in the trade and logistics ecosystem with the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways, Ministry of Commerce, and the National Committee for Trade Facilitation, aimed at enhancing India’s trade environment and improving port efficiency. His work has also contributed significantly to regional economic cooperation in South Asia, particularly on India–Pakistan trade and Cross-Line of Control trade through Jammu & Kashmir.

In June 2025, Afaq was appointed Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the N7 Initiative, Middle East Programs, Atlantic Council (Washington DC). His research there focuses on the economic dimensions of the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC). His co-authored report on IMEC at the Atlantic Council is regarded as an important contribution to the literature on the corridor’s economic viability and operational aspects.

Afaq is also a trusted partner for international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and UNDP. He served as a member of the Infrastructure Connectivity vertical for India@75 at NITI Aayog, contributing to India’s long-term development agenda. An alumnus of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) on ‘Smart Ports’, he brings global insights to policy, trade, and infrastructure dialogues.

His research and advisory work focus on identifying infrastructural and regulatory inefficiencies, streamlining cross-border trade processes, and advocating progressive policy reforms that strengthen regional and global trade ecosystems. Known for a hands-on, field-driven approach, Afaq’s work is rooted in on-ground research across India and abroad. He was also part of the study team for the study, ‘Assessment of Logistics Cost in India’, an important study towards creating an efficient domestic logistics ecosystem in India, by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

In addition to his policy work, Afaq regularly contributes opinion pieces, journal articles, and book chapters, and delivers lectures at leading universities, forums, and workshops worldwide on international trade, logistics, and infrastructure.

Rashmi Mehrotra - Tech Strategist & Leadership Development

Rashmi Mehrotra is a technology leader and strategist with over three decades of experience spanning telecommunications, enterprise IT, and corporate education. She began her career at the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) before spending over a decade at Bharti Airtel, where she led large-scale IT transformations and managed global partnerships during one of India's most significant periods of telecom expansion. This foundation gave her a rare, ground-level understanding of what it takes to build systems — and people.
At MindShift, which she co-founded, Rashmi evolved the company’s focus from building EdTech platforms to specializing in data analytics. The company designs tools that take raw performance data and turn it into clear, practical roadmaps for improvement.
Rashmi's deeper passion lies in leadership development and curriculum design. At the School of Meaningful Experiences (SoMe), she planned and designed executive programs for mid-to-senior professionals focused on leadership presence, executive communication, and influence — equipping leaders to manage complex stakeholders, navigate organizational dynamics, and command authority in high-stakes settings. She has also led the development of an AI-powered platform to assess communication skills at scale.
Rashmi holds both B.Tech and M.Tech degrees from IIT Roorkee, and has also completed the General Management Program for IT Executives at IIM Bangalore. At Aerostratgix, she serves as a strategic advisor, leveraging her experience to guide coaching initiatives and high-level course planning.

Henry Steingass - Senior Advisor to The Wicks Group

Henry Steingass is a Senior Advisor to The Wicks Group, PLLC on international trade policy and economic development. Henry has more than 30 years of related experience, including developing and managing international economic development programs, trade promotion programs, and developing and managing energy sector public-private investment collaborations in emerging markets. He has long experience working as a US Government executive as well as in the private sector.

Henry recently retired from his position as a Regional Director at the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), for which he led infrastructure project development and US business promotion programs focused on capturing large-scale export and infrastructure modernization opportunities in the leading Asia, Middle East and Africa emerging markets. He directed USTDA’s comprehensive trade development programs and professional staff teams in South Asia and Southeast Asia, and previously the programs and staff in China, the Middle East, and North and Sub-Saharan Africa. His duties encompassed all aspects of institutional representation and diplomacy, developing client relationships, providing oversight and strategic planning, maintaining sector expertise, and achieving targeted results across a diverse array of economic growth programs. For more than 10 years, Henry also led USTDA’s Global Transportation Sector team, which required the creative development of new bilateral and multilateral initiatives with varied government and private sector stakeholders to accomplish business and policy goals related to the agency’s strategic mission.

Prior to joining USTDA, Henry worked to structure new public-private sector investment collaborations in the electric power industry, including managing a team that combined project finance structuring with engineering services to build greenfield power plants under new private ownership models in emerging markets. His energy sector background also includes public service positions serving as Energy Advisor at the US Agency for International Development’s Asia Bureau and as Program Officer at both Winrock International Institute and at the Tennessee Valley Authority. In his Program Officer roles, he worked to develop power project feasibility and investment programs, working with both organizations’ international renewable energy and environment divisions. Henry holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University.

Representative Experience

- Led and expanded USTDA’s US-China Aviation Cooperation Program, a private-public partnership providing more than 40 US member companies and four US Government agencies with an innovative platform for commercial and high-level policy engagement in China’s rapidly growing aviation sector; resulting technical and skills development programs led to more than $1.5 million in exports to China
- Working through the US India Aviation Cooperation Program, organized a rapid-deployment capacity development and international safety compliance initiative to assist India’s Civil Aviation Authority with regaining an FAA Category 1 safety rating in 2015,
- Led the implementation of a 10-year, multi-phase technical assistance program for regulatory modernization with Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, designed to achieve an FAA Category 1 safety rating and economic authority for direct flight access to the US by Vietnamese air carriers; also organized service planning programs and specialized business missions to assist a Vietnamese air carrier and Vietnamese airports with successful modernization initiatives
- Working with the US aircraft engine industry, succeeded in an uphill campaign to deploy official US Government training grant support targeted at Emirates’ industry-leading A380 engine procurement
- Led USTDA efforts, with the US FAA and Department of Transportation, on development of a multi-year initiative for the Asia-Pacific region through which technical capacity development programs and trade missions focused on complex aviation safety challenges and growth opportunities were implemented; results included Philippines regaining an FAA Category 1 safety rating
- Working with Philippine and US Government transportation security agencies, launched a new US technical cooperation assistance program for aviation security, targeting Philippine international compliance requirements and US trade interests
- Created numerous new programs to assist public and private energy and transportation sector infrastructure developers with forming business relationships with US exporters, specialized US Government agencies, multilateral banks, and others, including
- Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Infrastructure Collaboration Initiative in 3rd countries
- India Smart Cities development portfolio
- Clean energy and climate change-responsive portfolios in the priority markets of China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and Pakistan
- Rail and Urban Transportation infrastructure portfolios in India, Vietnam and Indonesia

Prof. S. Raghunath - Ex IIMB

Prof. S. Raghunath, a prominent figure in Corporate Strategy and Policy, currently serves as the Chairman of The South Asia Board Academy of International Business. With an illustrious career spanning two decades at IIM Bengaluru, he has held pivotal roles, including Dean (Admin), Chairperson of the Corporate Strategy and Policy area and the NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning. He has also chaired the IIMB International Student Exchange program.

As a renowned expert in international business, his teaching portfolio includes courses on strategy, strategic alliances, and e-business strategies in postgraduate and doctoral programs. He has coached senior managers from top Indian and multinational companies, offering his expertise to industry giants like General Electric, IBM, and Wipro.

Prof. Raghunath’s influence extends globally; he was a visiting scholar at Stanford University, researching strategy-making in high-tech companies. He serves as an independent director on corporate and academic boards, enriching both sectors with his strategic insights and leadership. With a wealth of experience, Prof. Raghunath continues to shape the landscape of corporate strategy and education.