Niranjan Thinks

Twenty-one years in, I still think of my career less as a ladder and more as a series of operating systems I've been asked to improve — teams, processes, client relationships, my own habits. Here's the record.

Sterling, A First Advantage Company

Apr 2020 – Present

I joined as Chief of Staff to the CEO, India, and the role has since grown into full P&L ownership of a Line of Business — $200M+ in revenue, three geographies (US, India, Philippines), 300+ specialists reporting in, and vendor relationships to manage across all three countries.

Growth path: Chief of Staff to CEO India (Apr'20–Dec'20) → Associate Vice President, US Operations (Jan'21–Mar'26) → Director, Operations (Apr'26–Present)

  • P&L ownership of a $200M+ Line of Business — strategy, execution, client satisfaction, all under one accountability.
  • USD 320K in annual savings identified and implemented through cost-optimization measures, alongside a 10–12% annual productivity gain.
  • Vendor management across three countries — contract negotiation and delivery timelines improved 8–9%.
  • SOP standardization across departments, cutting operational errors by 13–15% and embedding stronger compliance.
  • 300+ people led directly — coaching managers and supervisors, building a high-performance culture that consistently hits its metrics.
  • Client experience: customer complaints down ~30%, existing-client revenue up 15–20%, and new value-priced offerings introduced at double the standard rate.
  • Monthly and quarterly business reviews with senior leadership and client teams, turning data into decisions.

CRISIL Limited, an S&P Global Company

Dec 2006 – Apr 2020

Thirteen-plus years in Infrastructure Advisory, growing from Executive Analyst to Associate Director — the stretch where I learned most of what I still rely on: how to price a bid honestly, how to read a P&L for the story underneath it, how to make an innovation initiative stick.

Growth path: Executive Analyst (Dec'06–Mar'09) → Manager (Apr'09–Mar'19) → Associate Director (Apr'19–Apr'20)

  • Strategic alignment: balanced-scorecard execution of annual strategy, an 11–12% lift in cross-department alignment.
  • Profitability: targeted bid pricing and business analysis drove an 8–10% increase in project profitability and better Return on Sales.
  • P&L and KPI tracking at the unit and department level, with financial variance analysis feeding senior management's decisions.
  • MIS reporting and forecasting for senior leadership.
  • Led the Business Innovation Desk firm-wide — building tech-based tools and frameworks that cut time-to-market by 18–20%, in partnership with IT.
  • Ongoing process-optimization work to keep workflows honest and efficient.

CHR Global Pvt Ltd (formerly Consindia)

Feb 2005 – Nov 2006

My first real exposure to consulting — business process reengineering, SWOT-driven strategy, and performance management systems, built directly with clients across on-site engagements. It's where I first learned that the "to-be" process is only as good as the change management around it.

Core Executive Competencies

Strategic Planning & Execution · Operational Excellence & Process Standardization · Cost Optimization & Financial Efficiency · Cross-Border Vendor & Stakeholder Management · Workforce Planning & Team Leadership (300+) · Data-Driven Decision Making · Client Relationship Management · Change Management & Business Continuity · Innovation & Automation · Cross-Functional Collaboration

Education

  • Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGPX), UCLA Anderson School of Management, USA — 2024
  • Executive Program in Business Analytics (EPBA), SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, Mumbai — 2017
  • PGDBA – Finance (Major), Marketing (Minor), Institute for Technology & Management, Navi Mumbai — 2005
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Piping Technology, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune — 2003
  • Bachelor of Engineering – Mechanical, Finolex Academy of Management & Technology, Ratnagiri — 2002

Certifications

  • Financial Accounting and Corporate Finance, Harvard Business Publishing Education (2024)
  • FinTech and Transformation in Financial Services, Copenhagen Business School / Coursera (2019)
  • Digital Transformation, BCG & University of Virginia / Coursera (2019)
  • Career Development Mentor Certification, Dheya Career Mentors (2018)
  • International Project Management Associates Level D (IPMA – Level D) (2008)

Awards

  • Value Champion — 2016, 2018, 2019
  • Service Excellence Award — 2011