NAVEEN ATHRESH
Bengaluru
Summary
Dynamic Senior Product Management and Platform Builder with over 25 years of experience in developing and scaling innovative platforms, achieving remarkable success from inception to $25M ARR. Proven track record of training over 20,000 students across India, including those from prestigious IITs and IIMs, demonstrating a commitment to knowledge sharing and mentorship. Instrumental in launching India’s first IMPS product capability for Flipkart, enhancing customer satisfaction for cash-on-delivery orders. Led product teams at major e-commerce and fintech firms such as PayU and MatchMove. Expertise includes digital payments, embedded finance, and AI/ML applications for international trade, complemented by significant achievements in building high-scale transaction systems and merchant platforms across Southeast Asia. Results-driven business professional prepared for high-impact roles. Extensive experience in shaping business strategies and fostering innovation. Strong focus on team collaboration and achieving results, adapting to changing needs. Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning and team leadership.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Co-founder
SKILL AGENTS AI
05.2025 - Current
- Company Overview: AI Education Platform democratizing artificial intelligence learning. Creating community of skilled AI practitioners with focus on practical applications. Industry-leading curriculum with hands-on projects and real-world implementations.
- AI Education Platform democratizing artificial intelligence learning. Creating community of skilled AI practitioners with focus on practical applications. Industry-leading curriculum with hands-on projects and real-world implementations.
Board Member (EPIC Council)
INSTITUTE OF PRODUCT LEADERSHIP
03.2024 - Current
- Company Overview: Nurturing India's product management community. Contributing to growth of product leadership community in India. Mentoring next generation of 10K+ product leaders.
- Nurturing India's product management community. Contributing to growth of product leadership community in India. Mentoring next generation of 10K+ product leaders.
Builder, CEO, CPO
LIQUIDMIND AI
02.2017 - Current
- Company Overview: AI Agent Marketplace for International Trade & B2B Commerce. Building AI-powered workflows for international trade documentation and financial processes. Part of NVIDIA Inception Program, Microsoft for Startups, and Amazon for Startups ecosystem, Lambda AI.
- AI Agent Marketplace for International Trade & B2B Commerce. Building AI-powered workflows for international trade documentation and financial processes. Part of NVIDIA Inception Program, Microsoft for Startups, and Amazon for Startups ecosystem, Lambda AI.
Vice President of Product Management & Design
MATCHMOVE
07.2022 - 06.2023
- Company Overview: Singapore based Southeast Asian Fintech - Card Issuance/Cross border Remittance | Digital Payments & Embedded Finance.
- Led product strategy for Banking OS enabling embedded banking across 6 SEA markets.
- Built comprehensive Spend|Send|Lend|Defend|Ascend capabilities within client applications.
- Managed product development across Singapore, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines.
- Integrated Shopmatic acquisition combining digital commerce with embedded finance for SMEs.
- Collaborated with regulatory teams ensuring compliance with local banking regulations.
- Key Impact: Enabled non-bank companies to offer banking services, expanding financial inclusion across Southeast Asia.
- Singapore based Southeast Asian Fintech - Card Issuance/Cross border Remittance | Digital Payments & Embedded Finance.
Senior Director of Product Management, SMB+Partnerships
PAYU
12.2020 - 07.2022
- Company Overview: India's Largest Fintech (Prosus/Naspers - $200B conglomerate).
- Led entire SMB banking charter for PayU serving 450K+ merchants across India.
- Built comprehensive merchant banking suite: payments, treasury management, working capital solutions.
- Collaborated with neobanking teams on embedded finance products for startups and SMBs.
- Partnered with traditional banks and banking operations to expand payment infrastructure.
- Managed cross-functional teams across risk management, data science, and enterprise banking.
- Led organic merchant acquisition through hunting/farming teams and strategic bank partnerships.
- Delivered payment gateway solutions across 100+ payment methods for enterprises, SMBs, startups, government.
- Key Impact: PayU became preferred payments partner for 60% of India's e-commerce merchants, including all leading e-commerce companies and majority of airline businesses.
- India's Largest Fintech (Prosus/Naspers - $200B conglomerate).
Associate Director/Group Product Manager
RAKUTEN
09.2018 - 12.2020
- Company Overview: Global E-commerce & Fintech Ecosystem (Multi-billion $ profitable company).
- Built competitive intelligence platform contributing millions in increased Gross Merchandising Sales (GMS).
- Led AI/ML initiatives across global data science teams in Tokyo, Seattle, San Mateo, Bengaluru.
- Managed product matching initiative delivering double-digit million USD annual uplift during peak shopping seasons.
- Worked across Rakuten's fintech ecosystem including payments, travel, messaging (Viber), carrier services.
- Handled billion+ item catalog and Product Master entities for global marketplace operations.
- Key Impact: Direct contribution of millions in revenue increase during critical holiday seasons (Black Friday/Cyber Monday).
- Global E-commerce & Fintech Ecosystem (Multi-billion $ profitable company).
Lead Product Manager - Commerce Platform/Monetization
EBAY
04.2016 - 12.2016
- Company Overview: Global E-commerce Marketplace - Financial Infrastructure.
- Managed $10B annual revenue processing platform serving 14M+ global sellers.
- Led global tax compliance initiative (VAT/GST) across 30+ countries with complex regulatory requirements.
- Built seller billing and monetization infrastructure processing $90B+ in gross merchandise sales.
- Implemented real-time payment systems handling 12,000 transactions per second.
- Collaborated with financial operations teams on seller onboarding, KYC, and payment reconciliation.
- Project Blackbird: Led indirect taxation compliance for international sellers.
- Key Impact: Enabled eBay's global expansion while maintaining regulatory compliance and financial security.
- Global E-commerce Marketplace - Financial Infrastructure.
Sr. Product Manager - Commerce/Supply Chain Platform
FLIPKART
10.2014 - 04.2016
- Company Overview: India's Leading E-commerce Platform (Acquired by Walmart for $21B).
- Led end-to-end commerce platform: Product page → Cart → Checkout → Order Management → Returns.
- Built high-scale transaction systems handling 25K+ QPS with multiple payment capabilities.
- Improved customer satisfaction (NPS) by 20-30% across forward and reverse supply chain.
- Reduced fraud/leakages by 90% through innovative product design constructs.
- Delivered 6 high-visibility customer delight features (many first-in-Indian e-commerce).
- Key Impact: Enhanced bottom line by millions while significantly improving customer experience.
- India's Leading E-commerce Platform (Acquired by Walmart for $21B).
Director, Product Management/UX
CAPILLARY TECHNOLOGIES
01.2013 - 10.2014
- Company Overview: Omni-channel Commerce Platform (Sequoia Capital, Norwest Ventures backed).
- Built product team with A+ hires from premier business schools.
- Delivered 5-10% ROI for omni-channel retailers through marketing campaign optimization.
- Focused on end-to-end product portfolio through extensive customer development.
- Managed global operations across Singapore, India, London, UAE, USA, Australia, New Zealand.
- Omni-channel Commerce Platform (Sequoia Capital, Norwest Ventures backed).
Product Manager - Auth Platform/Commerce
iPASS
06.2010 - 01.2013
- Company Overview: Telecom/Networking (NASDAQ: IPAS).
- Engaged with carrier partners globally (North America, EMEA, J/APAC) for enterprise solutions.
- Delivered products through iterative 6-week Agile Scrum release cycles.
- Built authentication and commerce platforms for global telecom infrastructure.
- Telecom/Networking (NASDAQ: IPAS).
Managing Director - Product Center
IDrive Inc./IDrive Ventures
04.2001 - 06.2010
- Company Overview: Online Backup/Sync/Collaboration Platform.
- Employee #1 in Bangalore division - scaled from 5 to 250+ team members.
- Built profitable $25M ARR business in online backup/sync/collaboration from scratch.
- Managed product management, marketing, engineering, design (UX/IXD) for 9+ years.
- Directly involved in CXO-level decision making and operational strategy.
- Scaled IBackup.com, IDrive.com, RemotePC.com to industry-leading positions.
- Key Impact: Grew revenues from negligible (2001) to $25M ARR (2010) in under 5 years.
- Online Backup/Sync/Collaboration Platform.
Product/Systems Engineer
TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES
11.1999 - 01.2001
- Company Overview: Oracle Products Group - Enterprise Database Solutions.
- Managed customer pre-sales and development for enterprise-scale database operations.
- Implemented massive-scale DBA operations using Oracle 8, 8i for major clients.
- Key clients: BESCOM, ITC Infotech, Ashok Leyland.
- Oracle Products Group - Enterprise Database Solutions.
Product Research Trainee
DEFENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION (DRDO)
01.1998 - 01.1999
- Company Overview: Center for Aeronautical Systems Studies and Analysis.
- Complex product development from inception to implementation.
- Underwater acoustics/sonar simulation for navigation systems.
- Advanced study of Oceanographics and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) techniques.
- Center for Aeronautical Systems Studies and Analysis.
Education
Executive Masters in International Business (EMIB) -
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade
01.2006
Bachelor of Engineering - Electrical and Electronics Engineering
University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering
01.1999
Design Thinking and Innovation - undefined
Harvard Business School Online
07.2024
Certificate in Entrepreneurship And Innnovation - Entrepreneurial Studies
Harvard Business School Online
09-2023
Certificate in Negotiation Mastery - undefined
Harvard Business School Online
08.2023
Skills
Embedded Finance, BaaS, Digital Payments & Payment Gateways
Product/Platform Builder
AI/ML
Digital and E-commerce / platforms
- Cloud Infrastructure (AWS, Azure)
- API Development & Integration
Profile
https://naveenathresh.com
Executive Summary
Personally trained over 20000+ students pan India a/c IIT’s/IIM’s and regional schools in the last 8+ years. Senior Product Management/Platform builder with 25+ years of experience building and scaling ground up platforms from 0-to-$25M ARR. Built India’s first IMPS product capability for Returns->Refunds for Flipkart in 2015 achieving superior Customer satisfaction scores for Cash on delivery orders. Led product teams at India's largest Ecommerce co’s, Flipkart, India’s leading Fintech (PayU) serving 450K+ merchants and built embedded Finance/banking as a service (BaaS) solutions across Southeast Asia (MatchMove). Expert in Commerce platforms including payment integrations with Stripe/PayU like Shopmatic Pay, Shopify Pay, digital payments/UPI, merchant banking, regulatory compliance, and high-scale transaction systems processing billions in annual volume. Building AI Agents for various use cases including International Trade., AI/ML hands-on leader/coach, E-commerce/Digital Commerce Platform builder, Digital Payments, AI/ML for International Trade, Financial Inclusion, Embedded Finance Banking as a Service, Merchant Platforms, SMB Financial Services, Domestic/International Cross-border Payments, Built multiple product/platform startups from scratch to $25M+ ARR, Headed SMB product/platform strategy at PayU (India) serving 450K+ merchants (PayU) with $10B+ total payments volume (TPV) including Shopify Pay/Shopmatic Pay, Developed Embedded Finance banking as a service product capabilities including card issuance/remittances (domestic/cross border) across 6 Southeast Asian markets and India at MatchMove (ASEAN), Ran eBay Inc’s $10B seller indirect taxation (GST/compliance) monetization platform across 30+ countries, 2x TEDx Speaker, Top 0.1% Crunchbase profiles, Board Member - Institute of Product Leadership
Key Skills And Expertise
- Fintech & Banking
- Digital Payments & Payment Gateways
- Embedded Banking Solutions
- Merchant Banking & SMB Financial Services
- Cross-border Payments & Remittances
- Regulatory Compliance (KYC/AML, VAT/GST)
- Neo-banking & Banking-as-a-Service
- Financial Risk Management
- Treasury Management Systems
- Product Management
- 0-to-1 Product Development
- Platform Scaling (1-to-100M users)
- Product Strategy & Roadmapping
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Agile/Scrum Methodologies
- A/B Testing & Experimentation
- Customer Development & UX Design
- Technology & AI/ML
- High-scale Transaction Systems (25K+ QPS)
- AI/ML Model Development & Integration
- Competitive Intelligence Platforms
- Data Analytics & Business Intelligence
- Cloud Infrastructure (AWS, Azure)
- API Development & Integration
Achievements And Recognition
Top 0.1% Crunchbase profiles in fintech sector, 2x TEDx Speaker on fintech innovation and product strategy, Board Member - Institute of Product Leadership (EPIC Council), Keynote speaker at IIMs/IITs/NITs (25,000+ students reached), Patent: 'In-Store Customer Engagement Systems and Methods', Multiple press releases for breakthrough product/platform capabilities, Built multiple $25M+ ARR fintech businesses from scratch, Served 450K+ merchants through payment platform development, Managed $10B+ in annual payment processing volume, Implemented regulatory compliance across 30+ countries, Scaled teams from startup to 250+ engineers multiple times
Speaking And Thought Leadership
2x TEDx Speaker: Startup building, AI/ML, product strategy, Prolific Speaker: IIMs, IITs, NITs on fintech innovation and 0-to-1 product development, Industry Keynotes: Product management, artificial intelligence, machine learning, Reaching 25,000+ students across premier institutions in India, Fintech Innovation, Digital Banking Transformation, AI in Financial Services, 0-to-1 Product Building, Startup Scaling
Timeline
Co-founder
SKILL AGENTS AI
05.2025 - Current
Board Member (EPIC Council)
INSTITUTE OF PRODUCT LEADERSHIP
03.2024 - Current
Vice President of Product Management & Design
MATCHMOVE
07.2022 - 06.2023
Senior Director of Product Management, SMB+Partnerships
PAYU
12.2020 - 07.2022
Associate Director/Group Product Manager
RAKUTEN
09.2018 - 12.2020
Builder, CEO, CPO
LIQUIDMIND AI
02.2017 - Current
Lead Product Manager - Commerce Platform/Monetization
EBAY
04.2016 - 12.2016
Sr. Product Manager - Commerce/Supply Chain Platform
FLIPKART
10.2014 - 04.2016
Director, Product Management/UX
CAPILLARY TECHNOLOGIES
01.2013 - 10.2014
Product Manager - Auth Platform/Commerce
iPASS
06.2010 - 01.2013
Managing Director - Product Center
IDrive Inc./IDrive Ventures
04.2001 - 06.2010
Product/Systems Engineer
TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES
11.1999 - 01.2001
Product Research Trainee
DEFENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION (DRDO)
01.1998 - 01.1999
Bachelor of Engineering - Electrical and Electronics Engineering
University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering
Design Thinking and Innovation - undefined
Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Negotiation Mastery - undefined
Harvard Business School Online
Executive Masters in International Business (EMIB) -
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade
Certificate in Entrepreneurship And Innnovation - Entrepreneurial Studies
Harvard Business School Online
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