A little leeway goes a long way

People with ASD can contribute hugely to a business, but struggle in a typical office environment. Hiren Shukla wants to change that, writes Emmet Ryan

Hiren Shukla, director of EY America’s automation and innovation programme Picture: Fergal Phillips

Hiren Shukla comes across as a regular tech executive, but he knows that’s not the full story.

His family left Uganda during the reign of Idi Amin as political refugees with no more than the clothes on their backs. They ended up in New York, where identity was an issue for Shukla from the start.

“We always think about New York as a melting pot. The belonging piece was always troublesome. Were we ...