aveena Raj Kohlli's wit and forthrightness are matched only by her sheer breadth of knowledge about the media business. The epithets 'first woman CEO of the Indian television industry' and 'one of the most influential women in the media' rest easy on this woman dressed casually in a skirt. As she gets ready to take up the reins of Show M - India's first branded entertainment company - in partnership with Group M, Kohlli displays the characteristic iconoclasm that propelled her to success.

Kohlli, who was brought up in Bangalore, has had her educational grounding in several fields. She studied psychology, economics and literature for her Bachelor's degree. She also did a course at the London School of Journalism. In addition, she has a diploma in feature films and broadcast news from New York University. Her 20-year-long career too is equally diverse, spanning stints in advertising, radio and broadcast as well as entertainment media. "No education, training or experience is wasted," she says sagely. ... more