Sushmita Maharana
Hyderabad
Summary
Strategic IT leader with 18 years of experience in global service delivery and IT operations. Expertise in leading enterprise-wide support transitions and implementing ITIL-aligned processes. Proven success in leveraging automation and AI to modernize technical support and manage large-scale service desk transformations. Demonstrated ability to improve KPIs and align IT strategy with business objectives.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
IT Director
Intouchcx
India
05.2024 - Current
- Directed global IT Service Desk and Service Operations, managing over 100 L1/L2 resources and regional vendors to deliver high-quality, cost-effective services.
- Act as internal Service Owner for end-user IT services, accountable for service strategy, approvals, access governance, and operational decision making.
- Design and govern ITIL-aligned service frameworks (Incident, Problem, Change, Major Incident), ensuring SLA/OLA compliance and consistent global delivery.
- Define and monitor service KPIs (SLA, MTTR, uptime, CSAT, and NPS), driving continuous improvement and customer experience excellence.
- Oversee service transitions and onboarding of new solutions, ensuring minimal business disruption, and operational readiness.
- Drive automation, AI-enabled insights, and self-service initiatives to improve efficiency, scalability, and user satisfaction.
- Manage service financials including budgeting, demand forecasting, capacity planning, and cost optimisation, delivering an 18% cost reduction.
- Serve as escalation authority for critical service issues and ensure compliance with security, regulatory, and audit requirements (SOC 2, PCI, HIPAA, GxP).
- Partner with business leaders and cross-functional teams to align service strategy with enterprise objectives and digital roadmaps.
- Build and lead a high-performing global team through hiring, coaching, succession planning, and talent development.
- Developed and implemented IT policies and procedures, aligning with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.
Senior Manager
Intouchcx
03.2022 - 04.2024
- Led managers and team leads across India, Manila, and Tegucigalpa, delivering 24x7 Service Desk operations and workforce planning.
- Managed incident, outage, and escalation processes, ensuring SLA adherence and high service availability.
- Drove continuous improvement through KPI analysis, customer feedback, and ticket trend insights (FCR, MTTR, and reopen rates).
- Standardised ITIL-based processes, SOPs, and audit-ready documentation across onboarding, upgrades, and maintenance.
- Strengthened knowledge management and tiered support models, improving first-call resolution, and customer experience.
- Oversaw service communications, planned maintenance, and emergency notifications to business stakeholders.
- Established performance metrics, driving accountability and recognising outstanding achievements.
IT Manager
Bank of America
India
02.2018 - 03.2022
- Led a team of Incident Controllers managing 5,000+ incidents per month, including abandoned and orphaned incidents, in close coordination with Global Service Desk (GSD) teams.
- Defined and executed service desk strategies, policies, and operating procedures to ensure timely incident resolution and service request fulfillment.
- Monitored and enforced SLA and KPI compliance, consistently meeting or exceeding performance targets in a high-volume, regulated environment.
- Implemented ITIL-based ITSM best practices across Incident, Change, and Request Management to improve service stability and customer satisfaction.
- Acted as escalation lead for complex and high-severity incidents, collaborating with cross-functional technology and operations teams.
- Drove automation, self-service, and knowledge management initiatives to reduce manual effort, improve first-time resolution, and increase operational efficiency.
- Provided leadership through hiring, coaching, performance management, promotions, and conflict resolution, maintaining strong team engagement and retention.
- Conducted gap analysis and risk assessments to identify control weaknesses and implement corrective actions to improve service reliability.
- Supported Change Management activities related to customer support, ensuring risk mitigation and minimal service disruption.
- Ensured compliance with SOX, internal controls, audit requirements, and BCP, participating in audits and transition risk reviews.
- Built strong partnerships with stakeholders, vendors, and internal teams, ensuring effective communication and issue resolution.
- Delivered executive-ready service performance reports, highlighting trends, risks, cost-saving initiatives, and continuous improvement outcomes.
- Drove operational improvements resulting in cost savings and improved operational efficiency while maintaining service quality.
Senior Specialist
PAREXEL INT PVT. LTD
India
12.2014 - 01.2018
- Supervised Global Service Desk teams in India and Argentina, providing technical support for desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices.
- Managed P1, P2, and P3 incident queues and addressed SLA-breached service requests/incidents, ensuring timely resolution.
- Ensured adherence to Severity 1 and Severity 2 SLAs, effectively managing and monitoring critical incidents.
- Led Major Incident Management, facilitating bridge calls for triaging and resolution.
- Issued global outage communications for Major Incidents, coordinating with departments and senior management on critical issues. Conducted Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and shared findings with leadership.
- Collaborated with business groups and technical teams to identify and implement technical solutions.
Support Engineer II
SONETEL IND PVT LTD
India, TG
02.2013 - 11.2014
- Resolved complex issues related to IP telephony, VoIP, SIP, and network devices, ensuring high customer satisfaction.
- Applied advanced knowledge of networking protocols to troubleshoot and resolve technical escalations.
- Identified service gaps and provided feedback to enhance product performance and support quality.
- Promoted knowledge sharing through documentation, innovation initiatives, and best practice contributions.
Service Desk Specialist I/II
PAREXEL INT PVT. LTD
India, TG
11.2009 - 01.2013
- Delivered global IT support by resolving hardware, software, and network connectivity issues.
- Logged, triaged, and escalated incidents; ensured timely resolution and user communication.
- Supported IT asset management (ITAM) and system upgrade initiatives.
- Acted as SME, guiding junior analysts on complex issues and escalations.
- Improved service desk processes across incident, problem, and request management.
- Maintained detailed documentation and knowledge base articles to support consistency.
- Trained new analysts, fostering a customer-centric and best-practice-oriented culture.
Senior Tech Support Expert
DELL INTERNATIONAL
India
09.2008 - 10.2009
- Delivered Tier 1 support for desktops, laptops, printers, networks, and phone systems, minimizing downtime.
- Installed and maintained Windows OS, software, patches, and antivirus updates.
- Partnered with vendors to resolve complex hardware/software issues and procure replacements.
- Resolved multi-system issues across global time zones, promoting best practices and customer-first service.
Process Associate
GENPACT
India
12.2006 - 08.2008
- Resolved B2B billing issues, invoice disputes, and payment concerns to ensure smooth transactions.
- Acted as SME and SPOC for Canada accounts payable escalations.
- Monitored high-risk accounts and partnered with U.S. teams to mitigate financial risks and restore account health.
Education
Master of Business Administration -
Sikkim Manipal University
Bhubaneswar, IN01-2008
Bachelor of Commerce -
Uktal University
Skills
- ITIL and ITSM management
- Project and people leadership
- Strategic IT planning
- Incident, problem, and change management
- Command center operations
- Analytical and critical thinking
- Stakeholder and vendor relations
- Service design and improvement
- Budget and capacity oversight
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Risk and crisis management
- Problem solving and decision making
- Cost optimization and forecasting
- IT service delivery
- Compliance oversight
- Performance monitoring strategies
- Customer service excellence
Accomplishments
Efficiency Improvement - Recognized for leading Jira migration including Service Catalogue for Global Service Desk and Transitioning 38 projects to the new Jira DC Edition helping improve efficiency by 20%.
Collaborated with the Asset Management team to streamline and enhance the CMDB repository within the Jira platform, improving data accuracy and process efficiency
Cost Reduction Initiative - Successfully saved the cost of $75000 by bringing in automation for ticket assignment, resulting in significant budget savings.
Customer Satisfaction Excellence-Drove customer satisfaction ratings up 25% through effective client relationship management.
Forecast & effective Resource Management-Managed the Peak Ramp period in Intouchcx for consecutive 3 years ensuring Limited/Zero escalation and 100% accuracy in user
Certification
- ISO 27001 Lead Auditor - Information Security Management Services (ISMS)
- Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) Foundation
- Agile Prince 2 (Foundation & Practitioner)
- ITIL-Service Transition
- ITIL V3/V4
- COMPTIA Network +
Websites, Portfolios and Profiles
www.linkedin.com/in/sushmita-maharana
Tools & Technology
- ITSM & Ticketing: ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, BMC Remedy, Assyst, Zendesk
- Knowledge & Collaboration: Confluence, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace
- Access & Directory: Active Directory, Azure AD, LDAP
- Monitoring & Alerts: Splunk, PRTG, Insight
- Remote Support: Bomgar, TeamViewer, Citrix, Horizon
- Telephony & Communication: Avaya, Cisco Unified, WebEx, Zoom
- Asset & Configuration: CMDB, Lansweeper, ITAM tools
- Reporting & Analytics: Power BI, Excel, ServiceNow Performance Analytics
- Security & Compliance: ISO 27001 Tools, SOX Audit Tools
Languages
Hindi
Advanced
C1
English
Advanced
C1
Timeline
IT Director
Intouchcx
05.2024 - Current
Senior Manager
Intouchcx
03.2022 - 04.2024
IT Manager
Bank of America
02.2018 - 03.2022
Senior Specialist
PAREXEL INT PVT. LTD
12.2014 - 01.2018
Support Engineer II
SONETEL IND PVT LTD
02.2013 - 11.2014
Service Desk Specialist I/II
PAREXEL INT PVT. LTD
11.2009 - 01.2013
Senior Tech Support Expert
DELL INTERNATIONAL
09.2008 - 10.2009
Process Associate
GENPACT
12.2006 - 08.2008
Master of Business Administration -
Sikkim Manipal University
Bachelor of Commerce -
Uktal University