An ODE to a Gentleman!

Balaram Menon
Former Managing Director of WTC, Bengaluru

It is with our deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of former WTCA Board Director, Mr. Balaram Menon of WTC Bengaluru, on June 16, 2024. Mr. Menon was a Former Managing Director of WTC Bengaluru, and served as a WTCA Director from 2015-2019, during which he was elected to serve as Vice Chair of the Executive Committee in July 2015 and Chair of the Executive Committee in July 2017. He also served on WTCA’s Strategic Plan Task Force, which drafted WTCA’s 2017-19 Strategic Plan. Those of us on the WTCA Board who served with Mr. Menon will remember him as a great friend and strong advocate for our network, most recently speaking at the Global Business Forum (GBF) held in Bengaluru, India in March.

Mr. Menon’s affiliation with the WTCA network began in 2011, when he assumed the position of Managing Director of WTC Trades & Projects Pvt. Ltd. – which is the WTCA license holder for WTC Bengaluru, WTC Chennai, WTC Devanahalli, WTC Hyderabad, WTC Kochi and WTC Thiruvananthapuram. Under his leadership, WTC Trades & Projects Pvt. Ltd. established MOUs with the local State Government in India, with the vision to explore new territories and reach global markets abroad. A former Management Committee Member of Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce (BCIC), he was fully dedicated to fostering international trade – arranging partnerships within India, and conducting B2B meetings for foreign companies and hosting trade delegations for numerous seminars, workshops and speaker programmes. He remained in an advisory role for WTC Bengaluru and the Brigade Group following his tenure on the WTCA Board.

On behalf of WTCA, I want to thank Mr. Menon for his invaluable contributions to our global network and extend our sincere condolences to his family and to the many colleagues at WTC Bengaluru who were fortunate to know and work with him.

Sincerely,
John E. Drew
Chairman, WTCA Board of Directors

“ If there was ever a gentleman who embodied all the qualities expected of a person of that stature, it was Mr. Balaram Menon! With both his head and heart at the right places, his sophisticated charm endeared him in no time to all who came in contact with him. And there are too many of them to count. Mr. Balaram Menon, Bala to many, was a professional with an illustrious career extending over four decades, involving leadership roles in corporate banking, strategic consulting, and global business operations. Mr. Menon first crossed paths with our Chairman, Mr. Jaishankar in the early 1980s, marking the beginning of a relationship that evolved into a permanent bond and a friendship that blended camaraderie with trust and respect. When Mr. Menon returned to Bangalore in 2006, his association with the Brigade Group took on a professional dimension. He served on the Board of Brigade Hospitality Services Ltd. till his last day, as an Independent Director, where his expertise in corporate governance and strategic planning proved invaluable.
Mr. Menon was appointed as Managing Director, of the World Trade Center Bangalore, in 2011. His concurrent roles as Chair of the Executive Committee (2017) and Board Member of the World Trade Centers Association (2015-19) in New York further amplified his influence, connecting businesses across borders and fostering global collaboration. He was among the most respected personalities in the WTCA fraternity. Here again, he served on the board of WTCTP till his last day, lending his invaluable advice to the Board. Mr. Menon’s legacy is defined by his ability to blend strategic acumen with a deeply personal approach, making him a great leader and a trusted friend.
We’re sure Mr. Menon is sitting up there with a smile on his face, his double strong cup of hot coffee in one hand, a cigarette in the other and looking down at us with pride as we take forward all the good work he did, to greater heights! ”

– Vineet Verma
Managing Director, World Trade Center Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai