Kiran Rao
Chief Delivery Officer
Hyderabad
Summary
Digital Transformation Leader for over 8 years, with an overall of 25+ years in IT Leadership. Experience in leading innovation in startups as Chief Architect, setting up Delivery Centers, Pre-Sales, Project Transition, driving delivery excellence, Championing Agile Processes, Digital Strategy, Revenue growth, and Product Management. Has played customer facing roles based out of Africa, Europe, Middle East, Japan and China, and managed Delivery out of India and China.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
42
42
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Chief Delivery Officer
Business Studio Pvt. Ltd.
05.2022 - 02.2023
- As the Chief Delivery Officer of Gravity iLabs, Kiran established strategic, operational, and global experience to lead the transformation journey to make Gravity the next-generation Product company customers across Australia and the Middle East in the Strategy vertical
- Introduced Workload and process efficiency measures, bringing in a 40% efficiency in Sprint velocity
- Agile Transformation brought in on-time delivery up to 80%
- Enhanced testing process improvement and test automation reduced defects and regression issues by 30%.
Independent Consultant
Delivery and Process Management
10.2020 - 04.2022
- Kiran provides strategic consulting to organizations and startups for Project and Product Delivery
- Accelerated product development and Customer service response by 40% for a Fintech company based out of Mumbai specializing in Cross border payments for Banks and NBFC's
- Reduced process redundancy and moved the organization to an Agile model resulted in 50% improvement in delivery timeliness and quality for a transport logistics major
- Agile framework and team restructuring vis-a-vis customer alignments and improved customer satisfaction by 40%.
- Streamlined business processes for clients by identifying inefficiencies and implementing effective solutions
Head, Technical Product Management
Kobo360
05.2020 - 09.2020
- Kobo360 is an award-winning African tech-logistics logistics platform that aggregates end-to-end long-haul trucking operations to help cargo owners, fleet/ truck owners, drivers, and cargo recipients achieve an efficient supply chain framework
- Key achievements: Product backlog reduced by 30% by streamlining and getting rid of unimportant issues
- Created Product Roadmap for Mobile and Web for the next 3 quarters.
- Moved the org process to an Agile framework resulted in turnaround time improvement by more than 50%
- Introduced GPS tracking on the truck fleet which resulted in 80% of the fleet being tracked on a real time basis.
- Automated onboarding of customers, Transporters, Marketplace and Truck drivers reducing admin overheads by 30%
- Worked effectively in fast-paced environments
- Identified issues, analyzed information and provided solutions to problems
- Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills while managing multiple projects
Chief Delivery Officer
Neobric Inc.
08.2019 - 04.2020
- Neobric is a US based product company with Neobric’s flagship products being Unytalk and Unycast. Unytalk is an omni-channel communication platform enabling multi-channel communications with voice, video and chat and monetizes customer interactions while Unycast is a largescale, interactive broadcasting platform currently being piloted for TEDx World Theater
- Optimized delivery excellence giving a 40% increase in efficiency
- Championed the Agile framework in the product development process.
- Improved overall department efficiency by streamlining processes and implementing new policies
- Developed and implemented strategic plans to meet organizational goals, ensuring alignment with company objectives
India Delivery Head
Tagit India
08.2015 - 06.2019
- Tagit is a Singapore based Fintech organization into Omni Channel Solutions for the Retail and Corporate Banking segment across India and Asia
- Grew the Professional Services team from 80 to 150 FTE
- Process improvement and Delivery excellence measures ensured customer’s App store rating from 3.9 to 4.5
- Achieved Top-line growth of 20% through Account Farming, Bottom-line improvement of 17% YoY through productivity improvement
- Championed Agile Process adoption ensuring a 30% increase in productivity
- Led and established a Joint Development Center for a key banking customer in Mumbai and Chennai.
- Managed and oversaw projects across India, SEA, Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
- Implemented innovative solutions to overcome obstacles and deliver results in challenging situations
- Reduced operational costs through strategic resource allocation and process optimization
- Collaborated with sales teams to ensure smooth handover of projects from pre-sales to delivery phase
Vice President, Global Delivery
Kony IT Services
01.2012 - 03.2015
- Grew the Kony Professional Services from a team size of 150 to 350 in 2.5 years
- Key team member for the committee on Strategy, Delivery Excellence, P&L, Process improvement
- Managed engagements across the US, Europe, Middle East, and SEA
- Ensured regulatory compliance at all times by implementing robust internal controls systems coupled with proactive monitoring mechanisms
- Led cross-functional teams for the successful completion of major projects, resulting in increased efficiency and client satisfaction
- Transformed customer experience by designing and executing comprehensive service improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing satisfaction levels
- Built high-performance teams through effective recruitment practices focused on competency alignment coupled with ongoing performance management processes
- Established a culture of continuous improvement, fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth across the organization
- Identified and resolved issues between employees, promoting better collaboration and mutual respect
Delivery Head, Greater China
Tech Mahindra
05.2007 - 01.2012
- Turned the region’s profitability around from a negative EBITDA to +30%
- Setup Practices for newer technologies, renegotiated existing deals, replaced low EBITDA engagements with those with higher growth, and margin potential
- Strategized and helmed a key account growth by more than 150%
- Received the Vendor Excellence award by Huawei for being among the top 3 IT vendors.
- Implemented innovative solutions to overcome obstacles and deliver results in challenging situations
- Improved delivery efficiency by streamlining processes and implementing best practices
- Enhanced customer satisfaction with timely deliveries, clear communication, and proactive issue resolution
- Reduced operational costs through strategic resource allocation and process optimization
- Built a high-performing team through effective recruitment strategies tailored specifically towards attracting top talent within the field
- Cultivated a positive work culture promoting open communication channels among employees at various levels throughout the company hierarchy
- Managed resources effectively to avoid unnecessary delivery delays
Bid Project Manager
Tech Mahindra
01.2009 - 01.2010
- Headed the Due Diligence and Pre-Sales activities, to address a US$ 110 million RFP bid for an automotive giant in Japan
- Estimated the scope for 350+ Applications across multiple technologies for service delivery, prepare a Transition Plan, and model the Offshoring Plan to India showing value and savings to the customer over a 5-year period.
- Set up an Offshore Delivery Center in Chennai, India for cost arbitrage that was passed on to the customer
Transition Manager
01.2008 - 01.2009
- Transitioned application maintenance and Delivery for their Web Content Management from multiple incumbent vendors for a Telecom major in the Netherlands and Setup offshore unit in Chennai reducing costs for the customer by 50%.
- Led change management efforts by providing training, support, and guidance to affected employees throughout the transition process
- Identified potential risks and developed mitigation strategies to ensure smooth transitions with minimal impact on business continuity
- Fostered a positive work environment by addressing employee concerns promptly and proactively managing resistance to change
- Established performance metrics to track progress and measure success of transition initiatives
- Collaborated with stakeholders to define objectives, scope, and deliverables for each transition project
- Cultivated relationships with key stakeholders across various departments to facilitate collaboration on strategic initiatives during transitional periods
Delivery Head, ECM Practice
Tech Mahindra
05.2007 - 01.2008
- Delivery Head for the Electronic Content Management (ECM) practice for all projects out of Hyderabad & Bangalore
- Overall responsibility for Revenue fulfillment, Profitability and Customer Account growth for a portfolio of US$ 12 million.
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery of all tasks and milestones
- Conducted regular reviews of ongoing projects to identify potential risks and implement mitigation strategies accordingly
- Built a high-performing team through effective recruitment strategies tailored specifically towards attracting top talent within the field
Education
Master of Science -
Nagpur University
Nagpur, India 06.1986 - 05.1988
Bachelor of Science - Statistics
Mumbai University
Mumbai, India 06.1982 - 07.1985
Strategic Management
Indian Institute of Management
Rohtak 04.2001 - 12.2019
Digital Transformation
MIT Sloan School
Chennai 04.2001 - 12.2019
Skills
Delivery Management
Agile Transformation
Service Delivery
People Management
Setting up Offshore Centers
Program Management
Operational Excellence
Digital Transformation
Customer Focus
Software Development Lifecycle
Adaptability
Decision-Making
Websites
Timeline
Chief Delivery Officer
Business Studio Pvt. Ltd.
05.2022 - 02.2023
Independent Consultant
Delivery and Process Management
10.2020 - 04.2022
Head, Technical Product Management
Kobo360
05.2020 - 09.2020
Chief Delivery Officer
Neobric Inc.
08.2019 - 04.2020
India Delivery Head
Tagit India
08.2015 - 06.2019
Vice President, Global Delivery
Kony IT Services
01.2012 - 03.2015
Bid Project Manager
Tech Mahindra
01.2009 - 01.2010
Transition Manager
01.2008 - 01.2009
Delivery Head, ECM Practice
Tech Mahindra
05.2007 - 01.2008
Delivery Head, Greater China
Tech Mahindra
05.2007 - 01.2012
Strategic Management
Indian Institute of Management
04.2001 - 12.2019
Digital Transformation
MIT Sloan School
04.2001 - 12.2019
Master of Science -
Nagpur University
06.1986 - 05.1988
Bachelor of Science - Statistics
Mumbai University
06.1982 - 07.1985