Anilesh Ahuja

Anilesh Ahuja embarked on his remarkable journey as a teenager when he arrived in the United States in the autumn of 1982 at the tender age of fourteen. He left behind the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, India, with its current population of 25 million, to join his father in a small New Hampshire town, which had a population of merely 2,500 at the time. In this new and unfamiliar environment, his immigrant father promptly enrolled him in an all-boys school, midway through the academic year.

At that moment, Anilesh was a unique and conspicuous presence – a colorful exclamation point in a sea of predominantly white students. He faced significant social challenges due to his smaller physical stature and the fact that his father had pushed him into a higher grade based on his strong academic performance. The noticeable physical disparities could have appeared insurmountable. His days were filled with attending classes for the current curriculum, and his evenings were dedicated to catching up on the school year he had missed. Moreover, he began learning foreign languages for the first time as a 14-year-old, alongside an array of new subjects and teaching styles.

In those early days, despair and the feeling of being at odds with the world and the universe loomed large in his mind. Yet, he did not recognize then that these trying times were nurturing a lifetime of valuable skills, fortitude, and the ability to overcome adversity. Graduating from the New Hampshire school marked the end of that chapter, and he eagerly turned the page to the next.

The subsequent chapter of his life unfolded at the University of Pennsylvania, a prestigious Ivy League institution, where he graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor's degree in Economics. These years were marked by personal growth, the formation of lifelong friendships, and full assimilation into the American dream, within the diverse campus community.

The 1990s saw him, like many young immigrants, building his career. In 1992, he also embarked on another journey as he married the love of his life. This period was filled with many firsts, including becoming a husband, a father, and making significant professional strides. Anilesh became the youngest-ever Senior Vice President at a prominent bulge bracket bank, rising to a leadership position in his chosen field. His career spanned three different banks, culminating in his role as the Global Head of Mortgages, where he managed thousands of employees for one of the world's largest investment banks. In 2008, he successfully established his first firm during the challenging financial crisis, which eventually blossomed into a thriving asset management business.

Today, with humility and determination, Anilesh Ahuja embarks on the next phase of his life, returning to his homeland, India. Success for foreign investors in India, especially in the real estate sector, is often seen as defying the odds. He has overcome numerous challenges and adversities throughout his life and looks forward to this new chapter. Reflecting on the past 30 years, he recognizes that his time in New Hampshire sowed the seeds of resilience, equipping him with the skills to triumph over adversity and the unwavering resolve to turn the page and embrace what lies ahead. He eagerly anticipates surmounting the odds once again.