Mahesh Rao
Pune
Summary
Strategic operations and governance leader with 22+ years of experience across shared services, procurement operations, vendor management, governance risk & compliance (GRC), and enterprise transformation within global insurance and professional services organizations.
Proven expertise in leading large-scale service delivery teams, strengthening financial controls, implementing global governance frameworks, and driving operational excellence across finance and procurement functions.
Experienced in partnering with CFOs, Global Process Owners, Procurement Leaders, Risk & Compliance teams to deliver data-driven insights, regulatory readiness, and operational transformation initiatives.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director – Vendor Operations, GRC & Transformation, Procurement Services
Marsh
Pune
03.2025 - Current
- Currently leading vendor lifecycle governance and third-party risk management initiatives and supporting global sourcing and shared services operations
- Established Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) framework and process health assessments, leading development and implementation of compliance monitoring program that improved oversight by 25%
- Implemented supplier risk scoring model enabling proactive monitoring of financial, cyber, and operational risks
- Conduct quarterly third-party risk governance reviews with Procurement, Risk, Legal, and Compliance stakeholders
- Achieved 87% on-time resolution of vendor tickets by automating processes and enforcing SLA governance
- Improved supplier data accuracy by 30% and reduced duplicate supplier records by 40% through vendor master data governance framework
- Developed Power BI and Qlik Sense dashboards to enhance leadership visibility into vendor performance, SLA adherence, and compliance metrics
Senior Group Manager (AVP) – Operations, Transformation & Governance
WNS Global Services
Pune
09.2018 - 02.2025
- Managed 50+ enterprise transformation initiatives, driving technology migrations, process redesign, and M&A integrations to align operations with strategic goals
- Directed shared services operations for 100+ FTE in procurement, accounts payable, O2C, and R2R processes, enhancing operational efficiency and service delivery
- Led offshore transition initiatives across BCM, O2C, and fiduciary operations expanding offshore capacity by 25 FTE
- Delivered process optimization initiatives resulting in 8 FTE capacity savings.
- Program managed SOX 404 Internal Controls over Financial Reporting ensuring audit readiness across finance operations
- Developed executive analytics and governance reports for CFO and global process owners, providing insights for informed decision-making and performance tracking
Senior Manager – O2C & R2R Operations
Sopra Steria
Pune
07.2017 - 08.2018
- Led global Order-to-Cash and Record-to-Report operations, ensuring seamless execution and compliance
- Implemented process improvements that enhanced financial controls and increased operational productivity
- Led cross-functional teams to enhance project delivery and client satisfaction.
- Developed strategic plans aligning with organizational goals and client requirements.
- Managed resource allocation to optimize operational efficiency across multiple projects.
Previous Roles
Mphasis, TopSource, HealthLink Technologies
- Led ISO certification initiatives and implemented quality management systems, improving operational consistency and quality assurance.
- Served as ISO 9001 Lead Internal Auditor, conducting audits for 14 global accounts to ensure compliance and quality standards.
- Held leadership roles in operations management, quality assurance, and governance functions, enhancing organizational effectiveness.
Education
B.Sc. -
Mathematics
Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration -
(Finance)
Skills
- Source-to-Pay procurement
- Vendor Lifecycle Management
- Third-party risk management
- Governance risk compliance
- SOX 404 Internal Controls
- ISAE 3402 Compliance
- Operational Risk Management
- Financial governance
- Shared Services Leadership
- Business transformation
- Enterprise Program Management
- Stakeholder Governance
Certification
- PMP (Trained)
- PRINCE2 Practitioner
- ITIL Foundation
- ISO 9001 Lead Auditor
- ISO 31000 Lead Risk Manager (PECB)
- Six Sigma Green Belt
- Six Sigma Black Belt (Trained)
Websites
Additional Information
Passport valid until June 2029 | US B1 Visa valid until January 2030
Timeline
Director – Vendor Operations, GRC & Transformation, Procurement Services
Marsh
03.2025 - Current
Senior Group Manager (AVP) – Operations, Transformation & Governance
WNS Global Services
09.2018 - 02.2025
Senior Manager – O2C & R2R Operations
Sopra Steria
07.2017 - 08.2018
Previous Roles
Mphasis, TopSource, HealthLink Technologies
B.Sc. -
Mathematics
Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration -
(Finance)