Rajesh Kumar Raju
Hyderabad
Summary
Driving enterprise transformation and delivery excellence through strategic PMO leadership, governance frameworks, and operational optimization with over 22 years of experience, aligning business strategy with execution, building global PMOs, and delivering measurable value through structured governance, collaboration, and performance-driven execution.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
General Manager - Strategy, PMO & Delivery Governance
Exela Technologies
07.2024 - 01.2025
- Architected and executed the PMO strategic vision, aligning delivery portfolios with organizational and people strategies to drive high-impact HR transformation; established enterprise governance frameworks standardizing project planning, execution, and performance management across strategic and client-facing programs.
- Directed enterprise-wide PMO operations, leading a multi-program portfolio across business and technology; optimized portfolio health (scope, cost, risk, dependencies, timelines, resources, utilization, billability) and ensured compliance through rigorous, audit-ready documentation (SOWs, charters, reports, forecasts, risk logs).
- Led cross-functional delivery governance, implementing milestone-based delivery, client satisfaction checkpoints, and structured release management with version control to ensure quality, predictability, and delivery integrity; aligned workforce planning, compliance, and transformation outcomes with corporate strategy.
- Partnered with legal, finance, and business development to align contracts, compliance, and resourcing with demand forecasts and opportunity pipelines; maintained transparent stakeholder communication to manage risk and sustain delivery confidence.
- Enhanced PMO maturity and delivery excellence by mentoring project managers and coordinators, embedding Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, and Hybrid practices, advanced continuous improvement through scalable frameworks, process optimization, and full accountability for program success.
Associate Director - PMO & Operational Effectiveness
IQVIA
Coimbatore, India
10.2019 - 04.2024
- Led and institutionalized global PMO governance and reporting frameworks for healthcare delivery units (RCM, PCA, PQI), tracking portfolio performance, risk, and KPIs; led CMMI (V1.3) certification as Process Champion, ensuring audit readiness and delivery excellence compliance.
- Directed site operations as Site Head for 500+ staff across India and MENA, administering delivery, compliance, training, and infrastructure while aligning regional teams to standardized project management and operational frameworks.
- Engineered process optimization and performance review programs that achieved a 35% EBITDA increase and $500K profit improvement, enhancing resource utilization, capacity forecasting, and cross-functional efficiency.
- Developed advanced executive dashboards for portfolio health, workforce productivity, attrition, and strategic KPIs, enabling data-driven decisions, transparent performance tracking, and improved contract management and client satisfaction.
- Administered enterprise-wide change management, digital enablement, and culture transformation initiatives, including rebadging and process harmonization across healthcare payer-provider-government operations in India and MENA, ensuring seamless adoption.
- Strengthened organizational capability through strategic planning, risk management, and talent development, optimizing processes, mitigating high-impact risks, and fostering innovation, autonomy, and continuous improvement across business lines.
Service Delivery Manager
Cognizant Technology Solutions
Coimbatore, India
04.2017 - 10.2019
- Led a $30M delivery portfolio supporting US-based mortgage operations with 1,800+ FTEs, ensuring strategic alignment, SLA compliance, cost optimization, and sustained delivery excellence with zero service credits.
- Orchestrated large-scale transformation, automation, and compliance programs (T&M and Fixed Price), modernizing end-to-end processes and driving measurable gains in efficiency, utilization, and profitability.
- Governed enterprise-wide risk, audit, and performance frameworks through CXO-level reporting, MIS dashboards, risk registers, and Business Continuity Planning (BCP), reinforcing transparency, compliance, and operational resilience.
- Optimized workforce and financial performance through forecasting, capacity planning, pyramid rationalization, and budget realignment, improving billability, margin control, and delivery predictability.
- Cultivated high-impact client partnerships and executive stakeholder engagement while institutionalizing performance management, talent development, and continuous improvement to embed a culture of accountability and service excellence.
Senior Associate Manager - Global Workforce Planning
Sutherland Global Services
07.2014 - 04.2017
- Administered global workforce planning and strategic resource allocation for a U.S.-based tech and e-commerce client with 8,500+ employees across the U.S., India, the Philippines, and Jamaica, ensuring optimal capacity utilization and scalability.
- Collaborated with Finance, HR, Talent Acquisition, Training, Service Quality, and OPEX teams to align hiring plans with business forecasts, deploy data-driven models and dashboards, and enhance operational visibility and cost efficiency.
- Improved resource utilization by identifying redundancies, automating planning processes, and optimizing headcount distribution, achieving an 8% increase in contribution margin and strengthening overall financial performance.
- Supported new site launches in India and the Philippines through tactical workforce strategies, KPI governance, and performance management, driving operational excellence and sustainable growth.
Manager - Delivery & Projects
String Information Services
02.2013 - 04.2014
- Managed U.S. mortgage servicing operations, ensuring SOP, quality, and compliance adherence while managing real-time dashboards, project pipelines, and weekly governance across delivery, client support, and MIS to sustain service excellence and client satisfaction.
- Established SLA frameworks and KPIs for resource performance, contract support, and operational scalability, strengthening project governance and driving measurable performance improvements.
Process Leader
Firstsource
10.2006 - 02.2013
- Managed multi-geography healthcare and life insurance operations, processing over 2 million claims monthly with strict SLA compliance, vendor governance, capacity planning, and regulatory adherence (HIPAA, SOX).
- Led major transitions, cost optimization, and process excellence initiatives delivering significant savings, achieving COPC Gold certification, and advancing continuous improvement through the Enterprise Process Excellence Council.
Systems Executive
First Flight Couriers Ltd.
Chittoor, India
10.2002 - 10.2006
Education
Master of Business Administration - Operations Management
Ulyanovsk State University
Bachelor of Science - Chemistry
Sri Venkateswara University
Skills
- Enterprise PMO Strategy & Governance
- Business Transformation & Change Leadership
- Cross-Functional Leadership & People Development
- Program & Portfolio Management
- Client & Vendor Relationship Management
- Digital Enablement & PMO Automation
- Delivery Governance & Assurance
- Risk Management & Compliance
- Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Stakeholder & Executive Communication
- Performance Measurement & KPI Tracking
- P&L Ownership & Financial Governance
- Agile
- Waterfall
- Hybrid Delivery Models
- Organizational Strategy & Transformation Delivery
- Power BI
- Excel
- SQL
- SharePoint
- JIRA
- Confluence
- Smartsheet
- MS Project
- ServiceNow
- Strategic Visioning
- Enterprise Influence
- Change Leadership
- Governance Mindset
- Collaborative Leadership
- Talent Empowerment
Certification
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute (PMI)
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB), Exemplar Global
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), Exemplar Global
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Scrum Alliance
- COPC Certified Professional, High Performance Management Techniques (HPMT) - COPC Inc.
- Global Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Pursuing, 2025-12-31
Accomplishments
- PMO Governance Framework: Designed and institutionalized a comprehensive PMO Governance Framework from the ground up, driving standardized project delivery, greater accountability, and enhanced executive visibility across portfolios.
- Project Delivery Excellence: Consistently achieved 90%+ project success rate, ensuring delivery within defined scope, schedule, and budget through robust governance controls and stakeholder alignment.
- Cost Optimization Impact: Delivered $3.3 million in cost savings by introducing delivery rationalization models, optimizing resource deployment, and enhancing operational efficiency across programs.
- EBITDA Performance Growth: Elevated EBITDA margins by 30-35% year-on-year through integrated PMO governance, process optimization, and financial discipline within delivery operations.
- Client Delivery Satisfaction: Improved client experience and delivery predictability by aligning release planning, quality assurance, and milestone management with customer expectations and SLAs.
- Leadership & Governance Oversight: Acted as PMO Head and Site Leader, directing multiple cross-functional programs, ensuring synchronized delivery, compliance adherence, and performance governance across regions.
- Program Scalability & Replication: Accelerated implementation timelines by developing modular governance frameworks and reusable delivery models, enabling faster replication for similar client programs.
- Continuous Improvement Culture: Fostered a culture of performance discipline, continuous process enhancement, and proactive risk management across delivery and project management functions.
- Cycle Time Reduction: Reduced project cycle time by 22% by streamlining approval workflow, introducing milestone-based tracking, and implementing Agile-Scrum hybrid methodologies across critical transformation programs.
- Client Satisfaction Growth: Enhanced client satisfaction by 37% YoY by embedding analytics-led performance management and proactive service improvement frameworks.
- Operational Cost Reduction: Reduced operational costs by $3M annually through vendor consolidation, centralized procurement, and optimized capacity planning.
- Reporting Efficiency Gains: Boosted PMO reporting efficiency by 30% via implementation of automated Power BI dashboards, enabling real-time insights and faster decision-making.
Languages
English
Telugu
Tamil
Knowledge Purview
- Program Leadership & Governance: Project Oversight, PMO Leadership, Delivery Operations, Governance Control, Cost Optimization, ROI Tracking
- Operational Delivery Excellence: Change Management, Client Transitions, Global Ramp-Ups, New Site Setup, Business Continuity, PMO Setup, Audit Readiness, Workforce & Resource Planning, Capacity Modelling, Mentoring & Coaching, Performance Improvement
- Project Management Frameworks: PMO Framework Design, Process Optimization & Automation, Quality Assurance, Governance Controls
- Analytics, Reporting & Insights: PMO Dashboards, Portfolio Reports, SLA Trackers, Executive Scorecards, Reporting & Analytics, Resource Utilization, Billability Tracking
- Commercial & Business Support: RFP Management, Solution Design, Due Diligence, Vendor Oversight, Client Coordination, Forecasting, Budgeting, Financial Planning
Personal Information
Title: Global PMO & Transformation Leader
Timeline
General Manager - Strategy, PMO & Delivery Governance
Exela Technologies
07.2024 - 01.2025
Associate Director - PMO & Operational Effectiveness
IQVIA
10.2019 - 04.2024
Service Delivery Manager
Cognizant Technology Solutions
04.2017 - 10.2019
Senior Associate Manager - Global Workforce Planning
Sutherland Global Services
07.2014 - 04.2017
Manager - Delivery & Projects
String Information Services
02.2013 - 04.2014
Process Leader
Firstsource
10.2006 - 02.2013
Systems Executive
First Flight Couriers Ltd.
10.2002 - 10.2006
Master of Business Administration - Operations Management
Ulyanovsk State University
Bachelor of Science - Chemistry
Sri Venkateswara University