Vedika Bhandarkar President and Chief Operating Officer

As President and Chief Operating Officer, Vedika is responsible for the oversight of Water.org's global organization, ensuring our overall effectiveness and comprehensive achievement of strategic, financial, and annual operational goals. She works closely with the CEO, the executive team, the Board of Directions, and the President of WaterEquity, and a broad range of other stakeholders to champion the vision of Water.org. She previously served as Water.org’s Chief Operating Officer, Chief Global Impact Officer and the Managing Director, India.

Vedika has more than 25 years of experience building teams and businesses with Indian and international financial institutions. She worked with J.P. Morgan for over 12 years, where she served as the Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking.

Vedika serves as an Independent Director on the boards of several companies. She also serves as a board member of the Jai Vakeel Foundation, an institution focused on children and adults with intellectual disabilities. In 2022, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Vedica Women's Alliance in recognition of her outstanding achievements and exemplary leadership.

Read more from Vedika on empowering women with access to safe water and sanitation through financial inclusion.

Watch as Vedika describes how financial inclusion for women and families in need of water can change their lives. Through the story of Chumki who used a small, affordable loan to give her family water, Vedika explains how time spent collecting water can now be used to increase household income—taking families like Chumki's from poverty to possibility.