Board of Directors

Dr. Rajiv Tandon, Chairman

Rajiv Tandon founded Adayana in 2001 and served as President & CEO until 2008.  Today, he serves the organization as Chairman of the Board, with more than 30 years of experience in business, consulting, and higher education. Prior to forming Adayana, Tandon was Founder, President and CEO of LearningByte International, a developer of custom e-Learning and web-based training solutions. Tandon had previously served as Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Worldwide Operations for National Car Rental, Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India and earned a master’s degree in Operations Research, MBA, and Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship from the University of Minnesota. Tandon is an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas and has earned several awards for his teaching.

Mike Jackson, President and CEO

Mike Jackson was named President and CEO of Adayana in April 2008, after having served as President and CEO of ABG, which he founded in 1979.  Under his leadership, Adayana has refined its targeted vertical market approach and increased profitability and return to all stakeholders.  Jackson frequently publishes management and marketing articles in industry and company publications, and has recently been featured on Inside Indiana Business television program and the Indianapolis Smart Business magazine.  Jackson helps companies adjust their strategies to compete successfully in tomorrow’s market.  He co-authored Agri Selling, the standard textbook on agricultural selling.  Jackson serves on the Boards and Audit Committees of Terra Nitrogen Company and Renewable Energy Group, Inc. and received the prestigious “Distinguished Agricultural Alumni Award” from Purdue University in 1996. 

Steve Shamblott, EVP of Corporate Development

Steve Shamblott brings extensive business, operations and sales experience to his role at Adayana. He also serves as Chairman of affiliate Ag Technologies International, and is a co-founder of Adayana. Shamblott was previously Chairman and co-founder of LearningByte International, an e-Learning content developer based in Minneapolis. He was previously Executive Vice President of Marketing for Human Capital Corporation, a provider of technical training in the U.S. and Canada. As Executive Vice president for International Operations at DataCard Corporation, Steve was responsible for management of the U.S. sales division, corporate marketing, and a worldwide network of 134 independent distributors.

Peter Dow, Chief Operating Officer (retired), Campbell-Ewald Advertising

Peter Dow brings more than 40 years of experience that includes advertising, the automotive market, and prior enrollment in the United States Navy to Adayana as a member of the Board. Now retired, he began his career as a Navy air intelligence officer before joining the Campbell-Ewald advertising agency in 1958. After eight years with Campbell-Ewald, he joined the Young and Rubicam advertising agency and later the Chrysler Corporation as the Director of Advertising (and Marketing) with the Chrysler-Plymouth Division. Peter eventually returned to Campbell-Ewald to serve as Executive Vice President before being named President, Chief Operating Officer and Chairman of the Executive Committee. In 1993, he was named Vice Chairman prior to his 1995 retirement.

Currently, Peter serves as a Director of Technobrands as well as Adayana. Previously, he served as a Director for Masco and MascoTech (NYSE) Fretter, Inc., Republic Bank S.E. and R.P. Scherer (NASDAQ) along with private companies Invetech, Stroh Brewery, and Stroh Family Co. Inc. He also serves as a Trustee of the Alice Kales Hartwick Foundation and the THA Foundation and is a Trustee Emeritus of The Lawrenceville School.

Kumar Mahadeva, Managing Partner, Kubera Partners

Wijeyaraj (Kumar) Mahadeva was the driving force behind one of the fastest-growing technology services companies in the world.  He founded Cognizant Technology Solutions, an  S&P 500 company with a market cap of over $6 Billion, in 1994 and served as Chairman and CEO until 2004. Kumar later founded Kubera Partners, a publicly traded private equity fund investing in businesses that operate in the U.S. – India corridor, and is a managing partner with the fund. Kumar was born in Colombo (Sri Lanka) and has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and the US. He holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Cambridge University, England, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Abhishek Maheshwari, Principal, Kubera Partners

Abhishek Maheshwari co-leads the Kubera Partners' investment and portfolio activities in India. Prior to joining Kubera, Abhishek was an Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company at their Stamford and Mumbai offices. While at McKinsey, he led several strategy and operations engagements across hi-tech, telecommunications and industrial sectors for clients in US, Europe and India. Prior to McKinsey, he was a team leader at Cambridge Technology Partners in their Frankfurt office and led system implementation projects across Europe. Abhishek has a Masters in Business Administration with distinction from Columbia Business School in NY and a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi, India.

Tim Penny, President & CEO, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

Timothy (Tim) Penny was named as Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation’s (SMIF) President/CEO in April 2007. His extensive background includes workforce development, early childhood development, and economic development with a focus on bio-ag and bio-medical. Prior to joining SMIF, Tim represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1982-1994 and was previously a member of the Minnesota State Senate from 1976 to 1982. While in Congress, he served on the Education and Labor, Agriculture, and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. He also chaired the subcommittee on Veterans’ Education and Training and the Foreign Agriculture and Hunger subcommittee. In addition, Tim chaired the Democratic Budget Group and the Porkbusters Coalition. Most recently, Tim served as a Senior Counselor at Himle Horner, a Twin Cities-based public relations and public affairs firm, and co-chair of the Humphrey Institute Forum at the University of Minnesota. To supplement his career, Tim co-authored three books: Common Cents; The 15 Biggest Lies in Politics; and Payment Due. Born and raised in southeastern Minnesota, Tim received his B.A. in political science from Winona State University. Tim has four adult children and resides in Waseca.