Leaders Share How the INSEAD Senior Leadership Program Transformed Their Careers
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Synopsis: Amit Kasliwal and Vishvapreet Cheema, past participants of the INSEAD Leadership Programme for Senior Executives–India (ILPSE), share how the program helped them transition to broader strategic leadership roles, unlocking new career trajectories. |
Titles multiply, responsibilities expand, and yet a quiet question persists: Is this all there is? For Amit Kasliwal and Vishvapreet Cheema, that question arrived at different moments in very different careers—but it led them both to the same place: ILPSE. What followed was a fundamental shift in how they see themselves as leaders, decision-makers, and human beings.
In a candid interview, the participants spoke candidly about how the INSEAD senior leadership program, known as Leadership Programme for Senior Executives–India (ILPSE), truly reset their leadership at the highest level.
Q. What was your role prior to joining the INSEAD senior leadership program?
Amit Kasliwal: I was the India Head–Corporate Sales at Ford India before joining the INSEAD senior leadership program.
Vishvapreet Cheema: At the time, I was serving as Director of Operations, South West Asia at IHG Hotels & Resorts, managing large-scale operations and driving performance across a complex, fast-evolving hospitality landscape.
Q: What motivated you to participate in INSEAD ILPSE?
Amit Kasliwal: I wanted the alumni status of a top global business school. Like many senior professionals, I saw a prestigious credential as the next logical step. But what I experienced during the program went far beyond that expectation. It became a deeply transformative journey that challenged how I viewed myself and the world around me.
Vishvapreet Cheema: As I reflected on the next phase, it became clear that transitioning into a C-suite role would require a broader, more strategic perspective—one that went beyond operational excellence to encompass enterprise-wide thinking, leadership agility, and future readiness. ILPSE presented itself as the ideal platform to bridge that gap.
Q: Prior to ILPSE, how did you evaluate your own leadership? What were the blind spots?
Amit: I often evaluated myself through the lens of designation and external validation. That was my primary frame of reference. The program helped me become aware of my own patterns of judgment and assumptions and gradually shift towards a more conscious and expansive outlook.Â
Vishvapreet: I was effective operationally, but leading an enterprise is a fundamentally different challenge. It demands the ability to think across systems, lead through ambiguity, and inspire beyond direct authority. ILPSE gave me the frameworks and, more importantly, the self-awareness to close that gap.
Q: What did the learning experience inside the INSEAD senior leadership program actually feel like? Were there specific moments that stood out?
Amit: I went through a significant personal crisis during this period, and ILPSE played a pivotal role in helping me navigate that phase: enabling me to reflect, accept, and take meaningful action. What could have been a setback became an opportunity for reinvention.Â
Vishvapreet: ILPSE provided a rich blend of global perspectives, strategic frameworks, and peer learning that challenged my thinking at every turn. It instilled a renewed sense of confidence and clarity in my leadership approach.
Q: How did the INSEAD senior leadership program experience influence your career path?
Amit: In many ways, the seeds of my entrepreneurial journey were sown during this period. The clarity and self-awareness I gained pushed me to think beyond my existing career path and explore something more aligned with my purpose.
Vishvapreet: The experience instilled a renewed sense of confidence and clarity in my leadership approach. It prepared me not just for the next role, but for the scale and responsibility that come with it.
Read more about how the INSEAD senior leadership program helped participants reshape their professional growth trajectories and gain an edge in leadership.
Q: Where are you today, and how much of that is traceable to ILPSE?
Amit: Today, I am the Founder of Dehurdle, building an AI-powered coaching system to help organizations augment behavioral intelligence and unlock their people’s potential at scale. That is a significant pivot from my corporate role, facilitated by the leadership clarity I gained from ILPSE.
Vishvapreet: I am the President of Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd. I can confidently say that ILPSE played a pivotal role in enabling this transition. The program acted as a catalyst, providing both the intellectual foundation and the strategic impetus required to step into a larger leadership mandate.
Q: What would you say to a senior executive who is considering ILPSE?
Amit: For senior leaders who have already achieved success, ILPSE offers something valuable: the opportunity to step back, reflect, and redefine what comes next.
Vishvapreet: For leaders aspiring to move into enterprise roles and drive meaningful impact, ILPSE is not just a program but a transformational experience. If you are serious about stepping up, not just in title but in depth of leadership, this is where that journey begins.
Amit and Vishvapreet arrived at the INSEAD Leadership Programme for Senior Executives—India (ILPSE) from different industries, different roles, and different motivations. They left with something in common: a fundamentally different understanding of what leadership can look like when it is grounded in self-awareness, strategic clarity, and the courage to reinvent. One built a company. One became a president post, completing the INSEAD senior leadership program. Both point to the same year as the turning point.
If you are a senior leader asking what comes next, ILPSE could help you find the answer.
