‘Leaders as Coach” was one of the most impactful leadership development initiatives we launched in our regional factory of British American Tobacco in Singapore, in partnership with Prasad, to strengthen our performance culture on the shopfloor. Our objective was to enhance leaders’ coaching capabilities, empowering them to better support the operators who create value on the line.

Over a thoughtfully designed six-month journey, all managers — including our operations leadership — participated in a unique learning experience that combined self-paced modules, peer-based coaching circles , unique journaling diary and bite-sized learning nuggets. These elements helped our leaders hone the art of asking powerful questions and foster psychologically safe environments where their teams could truly thrive.

Prasad brought distinctive perspectives and deep subject matter expertise to the design and facilitation of this program, blending practical insights with an understanding of our operational context. His contribution was instrumental in embedding a culture of servant leadership, which has directly supported our strategic imperative of lifting operational efficiency on the floor.

Thank you, Prasad, for your partnership in making this program a resounding success.

"You approach the table with a crippling sense of humility. Please go fix it!". It was radical candor at its finest. On one side of the table sat my exceptionally caring and charismatic boss; on the other, I sat—squarely on the receiving end of this tough love.

Growing up in North India, humility wasn’t just a value—it was a badge of honor. But how do you work on something so deeply ingrained in your identity?

That’s when I met DNP. Over the next 3–4 months, we spent hours exploring my beliefs, my value system, and how I could evolve without losing my authentic self. DNP brought masterful empathy, genuine care, and the rare ability to probe and constructively challenge long-held assumptions. Ultimately, it was his nudge—to give myself the same benefit of doubt I so readily gave others—that shifted everything.

Today, I remain true to my values, but I’m more confident than ever in flexing my style to meet the moment—and doing so in a way that feels authentically mine.

My engagement with DNP has been nothing short of a game-changer, and I wholeheartedly recommend him as a coach, mentor, and friend.

Working with DNP was a catalyst for my professional growth. His deep discovery-based coaching and calm, insightful and curious presence created a space of immense trust. His coaching helped me unlock new career opportunities and refine my leadership style to effectively lead a diverse, cross-functional team across APAC. The impact was tangible, not just for me but also for my team, as I became better equipped to support them through their own challenges. I can't recommend him highly enough.

Working with DN Prasad during a major transition to a new job role was a game-changer. His deep qualifications, including being an ICF-certified executive coach and his strong expertise in leadership development, were evident in every session. Through his perceptive questioning and tailored approach, Prasad helped me navigate the complexities of a new role while unlocking my leadership potential. He focused on helping me cultivate an authentic leadership style that aligned with my personal brand, knowledge, skills, and experiences. His coaching empowered me to bring out the best in my executive abilities and approach leadership with newfound confidence and clarity.

I started working with DNP when I moved to a completely new industry in 2019, after six years in a single organization in the e-commerce space. I knew I needed help to grow as a leader, and after a few recommendations and profiles, we met over a casual dinner and instantly connected. His background in Google and the tech world made him the perfect sounding board for the challenges I was facing. Over three years and 20+ sessions, he helped me navigate leadership without losing who I am, track my progress, and build confidence in handling complex situations. His guidance has shaped not just how I lead, but how I approach life — I still go back to my session notes whenever I hit a tough spot.

What stood out most was how easy and real it felt. He took the time to first understand me before offering direction, never trying to mold me into someone else. The conversations felt like talking to an elder brother — someone who listens, gets where you’re coming from, and challenges you in just the right way. Whether in-person or virtual, every session left me with clarity and something I could act on immediately. That blend of empathy, perspective, and practical advice made the engagement truly valuable.

I had engaged Prasad as my Executive Coach at a challenging time in my leadership journey, in Singapore. I had taken over a new role and had to disrupt the function and the ways of working, significantly, in order that we deliver. Through the sessions (always over a coffee), Prasad enabled me to gain clarity of my vision, thoughts and actions; align the required leadership behaviours in congruence with my personal and professional beliefs, challenge long-held values to assess if they were still serving me well and looking at situations with a new lens. He helped co-create my leadership narrative.

I found Prasad to be very open, objective and unbiased; he brought in appreciation for a leader’s life since he is a practicing executive himself and always, respectfully and with my permission, would challenge me to go beyond comfort zones.

I had engaged Prasad as my Executive Coach at a challenging time in my leadership journey in India. I had taken over a large P&L responsibility with a big team and declining business, morale was low and there was lack of clarity all around. As I was working on reshaping my function and the contributions it could make to the organisation at large; I had to disrupt the function and the ways of working, significantly, in order that we deliver.

Through the sessions, Prasad enabled me to gain clarity of my beliefs and actions aligned to my personal values, challenged long-held understanding of my context and their relevance at that point in time and helped me look at situations as a new observer. He was instrumental in making me a better leader and shaping how I thought and approached situations - which I continue to apply.

I found Prasad to be very open, and unbiased; he brought in appreciation from a practitioner’s perspective, challenged me with respect, to go beyond comfort zones. He was easy to work with and he was quick to grasp not only the issue but also the underlying problem. The engagement has served me in good stead.

I benefited thoroughly from having Prasad as a coach, just when I was transitioning to a new role managing a large operations team. The conversations helped me unpack and reframe how I should approach the new role, vis-a-vis previous roles managing much smaller planning and policy units. Prasad puts anyone who he engages with at ease. During my sessions, he helped me to relook assumptions about my management approach and ensured that I committed to actionables at every session. He would also be generous with personal experiences when the conversations would benefit from them.

Partnering with Prasad (DNP) during Ad Astra’s growth journey has been both enriching and impactful. He brings rare insight, an ability to cut through complexity, and a calm strategic lens that adds immense value. His guidance challenged us in the right ways—pushing us to think deeper, align better, and stay true to our vision. I’ve deeply valued the clarity, depth, and thought partnership he brought to the table.

Our sessions helped me rethink how I communicate as a leader. The coaching brought clarity to situations I would normally power through — it made me pause, listen more intentionally, and open up space for genuine two-way communication. That shift has impacted how I lead and approach.

I’ve deeply valued Prasad’s inquisitive and thought-provoking coaching methods. He has reminded me of the importance of two-way communication and the value of critical thinking for better and more effective solutions. His use of informative case studies and reading materials has made the learning journey both engaging and insightful, transforming the way I now approach and interact in the workplace.

I first met DNP in 2018. I had recently completed the Advanced Management Program at The Wharton School, had been with my organisation for 15 years at that time, and my organisation was being acquired by one of its global peers. I had recently been exposed to Coaching at Wharton and was looking for someone to work with in Singapore who could help me navigate and shape the next phase of my professional career. DNP’s authenticity, substance, and pedigree shone through in our first meeting, and I was delighted to become a coachee of his.

DNP helped me unpack multiple components of my operating approach and leadership style, helped identify areas I should double down on, and highlighted areas where I needed to course correct. He enabled me to hold a mirror to myself and exponentially increase my self-awareness as a leader. At a time when I was looking to explore new opportunities, his perspective was immensely valuable. The past 7 years of working with him have been an absolute pleasure. Every session gives me meaningful, actionable inputs to work on. DNP brings expertise, optimism, and clarity into the conversation. His affable nature makes it easy to discuss any kind of situation with him. When I relocated to Dubai in 2021 to take up a role with a new organisation, DNP was there for me as a sounding board and a guide through that process and transition. As my career and life evolve, I continue to lean on Coach DNP.

DNP has been a pivotal figure in my life - first as my manager at Google, and now as my coach. I benefited first hand in his early days of coaching - his extraordinary ability to ask the right questions, foster a nurturing environment, and lead by example. He wasn’t just a manager; he was a role model who inspired everyone around him.

In our coaching engagement in recent years, the experience was nothing short of transformative. DNP didn’t just coach me—he reshaped me as a leader. His approach was profound yet simple: honor your true self first, then amplify your values to create impact.

Today, I’m also a coach, committed to paying forward the same kind of empowerment DNP gave me.

I engaged with DN Prasad at a crossroads in my career. I was unknowingly ready for a major pivot, but wasn't seeing the path ahead and helplessly felt the fire dying on the path I was on. DNP helped me refocus, recognize my strengths, and encouraged me to rekindle my passion. Now I've embarked on a new journey and that fire that was once fading burns brightly again!

Working with Prasad as my coach was a transformative experience that helped me navigate the early stages of my entrepreneurial journey. His guidance and expertise provided me with valuable insights, clarity, and direction. Through our sessions, I gained a deeper understanding of my vision and developed a strong foundation for my business.

Prasad's coaching style is supportive, insightful, and empowering. I'm grateful to him for the incredible support and guidance he's provided. Today, I'm proud to say that my journey from being a startup entrepreneur to being acquired by India's largest staffing firm was made possible with Prasad's mentorship and guidance.

Calm. Insightful. Disarming. That’s how I’d describe Prasad. Engaging with him wasn’t just coaching; it was a turning point in how I view leadership and self-awareness. With his deep experience coaching senior leaders in large global organisations, I initially wondered whether someone like me, coming from the dynamic and often unstructured world of startups, would be the right fit for him as a coachee. But Prasad put that doubt to rest within minutes. His ability to connect across contexts with empathy and clarity is truly exceptional.

Let’s just say a quiet nudge from a trusted friend led me to Prasad, and I couldn’t be more grateful for where that path has taken me.

What made the experience deeply meaningful was how he held up the mirror gently, yet unmistakably. He helped me identify and confront some of my most entrenched personal traits. It's still a work in progress, but that self-awareness has been a catalyst for change.

He also helped me reframe my understanding of leadership, not as hand-holding or direction-giving, but as enabling others to grow. True to that philosophy, his coaching style created the space for me to reflect, question, and arrive at my own answers. Always guided, never led.

I came in expecting coaching, but at times it felt like therapy, in the best possible way. Prasad doesn’t just coach. He helps you realign, recalibrate, and reconnect with your purpose and with yourself.

I was seeking a coach that had both private and public experience to support me in new work that required working more with external partners and networks.  Prasad came with the right balance of experiences but more importantly, was generous with his time and attention as he helped me navigate the transition.  He listened with openness and guided me through skilful questions and useful resources that clarified how I was approaching the transition.  This helped me to be more effective as a leader.