Anuraag Guptaa — CEO
As CEO and President, I bring over 25 years of dynamic leadership experience across diverse industries, spearheading transformative initiatives that drive growth, profitability, and organizational excellence. My journey is marked by a relentless pursuit of innovation, strategic foresight, and a commitment to delivering unparalleled value to stakeholders. Experience Highlights: CEOs Gurukul: Founder of CEO’s Universe to empower & elevate current and future CEOs and medium-sized company owners through transformative education and strategic networking, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge & practical leadership application. First Meridian: Co-incubated this company supported by global PE investors like Goldman Sachs, resulting in IPO readiness and acquisition of 8 companies, with revenues of over $400M. Quess Corp: Led APAC region, building India’s largest technology staffing company, oversubscribed IPO by 144x, reaching a valuation of $2B. Capgemini: Incubated and led a $250M Technology Outsourcing Managed Services business for an Australian Bank across Australia, NZ, Singapore, and India. Gulf Bank: Played pivotal role in program-managing turnaround and restructuring efforts following a reported loss of $1.50B. Board Memberships & Advisory Roles: Defence Tech company: Board Member in a PE Backed Deep Tech and Engineering providing strategic guidance. Paper Mill: Coaching a $370M+ on strategy and digital transformation. Health Tech Company: Advisory Board member, leveraging deep tech IP. Personal Mentorship: Guiding CXOs and mid-stage startups. IPO & M&A Expertise: ● Named personnel in Quess Corp IPO of 2016 and IPO-ready First Meridian for a $100M IPO. ● Completed over 8 acquisitions in India, NA, and APAC regions, leading integrations, turnarounds, and growth trajectories. Collaboration with PE Investors: ● Collaborated with PE investors, holding CEO, President and Board member roles in organizations backed by industry giants like Fairfax, Goldman Sachs, Janchor Partners, & Samara for a decade. Authorship & Media Engagement: ● Author of widely read “First-Time-CEOs” series on LinkedIn with over a million views. ● Featured in leading national newspapers like ET, Times of India, and Mint. ● Regular speaker at MBA colleges, participating in entrepreneurship and leadership summits. Academic Background: ● Alumni of Harvard Business School, NYU Stern, LSE, and HEC Paris. ● Engineering graduate from Harcourt Butler Technological University (erstwhile HBTI). ● Certified Corporate Director from IOD | Six Sigma MBB from GE.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a seasoned executive in HR Services and Technology Staffing sectors.
Location: Pune, Maharashtra, India
Experience: 28 yrs 2 mos
Skills
- Communication
- Business Coaching
- Mergers & Acquisitions (m&a)
- Initial Public Offerings (ipo)
- Business Management
Career Highlights
- Led multiple companies to IPO readiness and successful acquisitions.
- Built India's largest technology staffing company with $2B valuation.
- Empowered CEOs through strategic education and networking.
Work Experience
Stealth Mode Startup
Recrafting "People-First, AI-Powered" Staffing Venture (1 yr 6 mos)
FirstMeridian Business Services
Co-investor - President & CEO (5 yrs)
Orcapod
BoD & Interim Management (8 mos)
IP led Defense and Med Tech, Deep-Tech start-ups
Board Member | Angel Investor | Board of Advisors (9 yrs)
Quess Asia Pacific
Member Board Of Directors (2 yrs 2 mos)
Quess IT Staffing
CEO - India, North Americas and APAC Regions - $150+M across Magna Infotech & Brainhunter Systems (3 yrs 1 mo)
Capgemini Financial Services Business Unit (FS GBU)
Global Business Leader for a $250+M "Managed Services" Tech Outsourcing Deal for an Australian Bank (2 yrs 6 mos)
Vice President - Head of IT Applications, Business Transformation, and Finance Controller Functions (2 yrs 9 mos)
Gulf Bank
AGM, Head of PMO and Operational Excellence to Chairman and CEO's Office (3 yrs 4 mos)
GE
Head of Six Sigma Consulting (MBB) - Assistant Vice President (4 yrs)
ICICI Bank (earlier Anagram Finance)
Relationship Manager- Corporate Banking (2 yrs)
Branch Incharge - UP (1 yr)
IDBI Bank
Officer - Consumer Banking (2 yrs)
SM Zschimmer & Schwarz Chemicals, India
Officer - Technical Sales (1 yr)
Education
Senior Executive Leadership Program (SELP) at Harvard Business School
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) at NYU Stern School of Business
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Master of Business Administration - MBA at HEC Paris
Corporate Certified Director at Institute of Directors - India
Bachelor’s Degree at HBTI, Kanpur
