It only took me a few minutes to realise that Preeti Bajaj is a special person.

Preeti, the 98th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, oozes charm, confidence and intelligence.

As we sat down to lunch, and discussed Preeti’s childhood in India, I also gained an insight into her strength and independent spirit.

Always active in her leadership pursuits, Preeti had a string of student committee and leadership positions she held during her undergraduate years. 

Preeti was one of five candidates who was chosen to join Hyatt International’s first ever corporate training program in India in 1998. Preeti was instrumental in opening the first island pub in New Delhi, Djinns, in 1998, which exposed her to Australian culture and inspired her move to Australia.

Preeti moved from Delhi to Melbourne in 1998 to do her MBA, and later moved to Sydney.

There are two great challenges facing humanity, according to Preeti – the future of work and the future of the planet. She’s busy working on the second problem.

Preeti is the CEO of an emerging business, Clipsal Solar, which is aiming to change the way Australians use solar power.

Clipsal’s model is to not only install your solar system but also connect it to an app, so you can use power more efficiently. The app (which is in beta testing) gathers data about your electricity consumption and then advises you on ways to save money on your power bills.