Shalini Khemka is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Director of E2Exchange (E2E), which champions and connects entrepreneurs, creates communities, invests equity capital and recruits non-executive directors for SMEs. Shalini’s background is in financial services, with a specialism in banking. In previous executive roles, Shalini co-founded the world’s first online ‘bank to bank’ trade finance company, after which she served as an Investment Director at LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group.
Shalini also brings extensive advisory experience to UK Export Finance (UKEF), having previously served on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Entrepreneurs (CFE) and the Development Board of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Currently, she is a fellow of Burton & South Derbyshire College, and a member of both the Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and the Advisory Committee of the Commonwealth Entrepreneurs.
Speaking to Asian Voice, Shalini Khemka said, “I feel totally humbled, overwhelmed and very proud. I feel properly recognised, to be honest, after a lot of hard work. So, it’s really humbling and very fulfilling. Also, I feel strongly that this is a recognition, not just of me but for and on behalf of the thousands of entrepreneurs whom I've been able to work with over the last 10 years and a recognition of the tireless work that they do drive economic prosperity.
“It means a huge amount, I think partly because it shows that hard work in the UK is properly recognised, and this country is a meritocracy. There’s been a lot of self-sacrifice in my personal life, in order to build my company, and to make the contribution that we are making, not just me, but all of our members.”
She added: “So many of us from our backgrounds, we’ve run our own companies, and we are the lifeblood of the economy. We create employment, we create wealth, jobs; we drive the GDP of this country. So, if it encourages others to follow their passion, I feel very humbled to be able to have that opportunity to encourage and inspire them.
I could not have launched and built E2E without the huge support of many but in particular my Chairman; Darryl Eales and my investors and Board Directors who include and have included Peter Roberts, Chandni Vora, Dimitrios Hatzis, Meera Santora, Robert Kilgour, Jason Wouhra OBE, Judy Naake MBE, Lord Bilimoria CBE, Duncan Bannatyne OBE and many others, whom I think whole-heartedly”
