Viji Venkatesh is the Region Head (South Asia) at The Max Foundation as well as chairperson and managing trustee of Friends of Max. She was born and brought up in Delhi, with her parents hailing from Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram. For over 35 years, she has been actively involved in various circles and organisations that provide aid to people suffering from different illnesses, especially cancer. She began with The Max Foundation in 2001 by leading the administration of the Glivec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP) in India, and primarily works in cancer prevention, cancer awareness, and anti-tobacco counselling. She is also the mastermind behind Chai for Cancer, an innovative awareness and fundraising campaign. She is also one of the Executive Committee members of the Marrow Donor Registry India and the Terry Fox India Committee.

She has been awarded the Scroll of Honor for her outstanding contribution in the field of Social Service from the Health Minister of Bihar, and the Max Patient Advocacy Award for her relentless efforts in convincing the Government of India to reinstate the Customs Duty waiver on the drug that is the gift of life to thousands of CML and GIST patients in India. She lives in Mumbai, India with her husband and travels regularly to see her family spread across the globe. She is passionate about Kaitherisarees, photography, films and travel.