Varshaa Kutik joined BIS on 1 March 2022 as their first Culture and Inclusion adviser. Her role has since expanded to include Talent management and is currently Talent, Culture & Inclusion Advisor. She has 18 years of experience in the DEI space and has worked across several industries. Prior to joining the BIS she was the APAC LEAD for D&I for Bank of America based in HK. Across her career she led D&I for the APAC & EMEA regions for Cargill, a Minnesota-based global leader in trading and distributing agricultural commodities. She also held a global role in Cargill driving learning, talent management, and D&I for one of Cargill’s 5 global businesses for over a year and was based in Minneapolis. Before Cargill, she was employed with Goldman Sachs in India and led their D&I efforts. Varshaa has a master’s degree in Globalization and Development from Warwick University in the UK. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at Warwick Business School. She has lived and worked in 5 countries (India, UK, US, Singapore & Hong Kong) and she is currently based in Basel Switzerland.
Steve Way is an actor, comedian, writer, and speaker. He was born with Muscular Dystrophy and is an advocate for disability awareness. Steve performs stand up comedy in the NJ/NY area, public speeches around the country, and can be seen in the Hulu show Ramy.
Steve has been performing stand up for over 12 years with his first set at the Comedy Charity Explosion in his hometown of Rutherford, NJ.
Since the early age of 10, Steve has been public speaking, most notably with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He has spoken at major events and fundraisers and now does motivational speaking on overcoming adversity, healthcare, and workers’ rights.
Maria Xiao is the Global HRBP Director for Operations, Quality, and Finance in TE Connectivity’s Automotive Sector. Since joining TE in 2018, she has held multiple leadership roles driving organizational effectiveness and talent strategy.
As Global Co-Chair of the Asian Heritage ERG since 2024, Maria has scaled the network from a regional initiative to a global platform—strengthening leadership engagement, advancing inclusion, and directly connecting culture with business impact and talent outcomes.
With over 13 years of HR leadership experience across multinational organizations including GE and Essilor International, she brings a global, cross-cultural perspective to building inclusive, high-performing organizations.
Maria relocated from Shanghai to the U.S. in 2022 and is currently based in the Charlotte area.
Harblas is the Global Co‑Lead of the MSD and Merck Asia Pacific Association (APA). Focused on advancing APA’s strategic priorities, cultivating high‑performing teams, and further positioning APA as a trusted business partner across the enterprise.
Harblas brings over 15 years of experience in market access and commercial leadership across multiple international markets, he has led complex, cross‑functional teams at MSD, driving patient access, commercial growth, and enterprise capability.