Pune, September 26, 2025 — Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a trailblazing organisation championing grassroots women as leaders and changemakers, has announced the appointment of Naseem Shaikh as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The appointment follows a rigorous, year-long selection process led by SSP Board members and prominent experts in the social development sector, including Ms. Chetna Gala Sinha (Founder, Mann Deshi Foundation), Ms. Annie George (Founder Director, BEDROC), and Ms. Ipsita Das (Tata Sustainability Group), among others. The Selection Committee unanimously endorsed Shaikh, citing her unmatched commitment and deep-rooted experience in empowering grassroots women over the past three decades at SSP.
Shaikh has played a pivotal role in advancing women’s leadership in areas such as health, nutrition, water security, sanitation, climate resilience, and disaster recovery. She was recently named one of the 50 exceptional women leaders selected for the 2024-2025 Women Leaders India Fellowship, powered by Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices.
Prof. Vinod Chandra Menon, SSP Board Member, stated: “Naseem Shaikh’s inclusive vision and grounded leadership will carry forward Prema Gopalan’s powerful legacy. Her appointment marks a new chapter in SSP’s journey of enabling grassroots women to lead transformative change.”
Accepting the role, Naseem Shaikh shared: “It is an honour to carry forward the vision of our late Founder, Prema Tai, who believed that ‘ordinary women can trigger extraordinary changes.’ I look forward to working with our partners and communities to further strengthen this movement and place women at the centre of social and economic transformation.”
Chetna Gala Sinha, Selection Committee member, added: “Naseem’s journey from the grassroots to the top leadership is a powerful testament to SSP’s values. Her leadership will inspire many more women to take on changemaker roles across India.”
With this appointment, SSP reaffirms its mission to scale women-led solutions, deepen community resilience, and champion inclusive development from the ground up.