Encora partners with fast growing tech companies who are driving innovation and growth within their industries
November 30, 2023
November 22, 2023
November 16, 2023
November 14, 2023
October 17, 2023
Leadership Team
Board of Directors
Corporate Leadership
Anand Birje
CEO
CEO
Anand Birjé is the CEO of Encora, with overall responsibility for the company’s growth, client service, and day-to-day operations.
Prior to this role, Anand was the President of Digital Business Services at HCL Technologies, where he drove the global growth of Digital Consulting, Applications & Platforms, and Data & Analytics, including strategy, practices, and service delivery. He also led its global corporate development, strategic partnerships, Next-Gen, ITO, and digital services.
Anand was instrumental in multiple acquisitions and investments across the US and Europe, building in-house capabilities and establishing a strong foundation for Digital Consulting and UX Design Practices. As a founding member of its Infrastructure Services Division in North America, he helped galvanize the business to $2.5 billion+ within a decade.
Before joining HCL Technologies, Anand was a founding member of Atesto Technologies, a SaaS tools provider of application monitoring tools acquired by Infovista, and held various positions in Emerson Electric Company's MES and Process Control divisions.
Anand's passion for technology and business is a driving force in his work. He collaborates with Columbia Business School and UC Irvine to develop industry-level strategies around digital execution, transformation, and connected ecosystems. He is a regular attendee at the World Economic Forum in Davos and is a Strategy Officer with its Industry 4.0 and digital workforce groups. He continues to drive engagement in Silicon Valley, forging partnerships within the ecosystem of technology firms, startups, and venture funds. He served on the governance team at Morado Venture Fund, an early-stage investor in enterprise technology startups.
Anand lives in Silicon Valley and is involved in philanthropic outreach that includes music and art education for children, and exploring the impact of technology on the future of society.
Vikas Tiku
CFO
CFO
Vikas leads Encora's Group Finance, global operations, risk management, and strategic transactions. He brings over 30 years of experience with large, global businesses in the US, Asia Pacific, and Africa to the role.
Prior to joining Encora, Vikas served as Representative Director, Head of Transformation, Chief Financial, and Strategy Officer for Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Holdings Inc., successfully leading post-merger integration and transformation, modernizing operations in manufacturing, logistics, route-to-market, financial and HR systems. He was voted as the ‘Best CFO in Japan’ (Food & Beverage sector) by Investor Weekly publication in 2018.
Vikas started his professional career with The Pillsbury Company. He subsequently served as COO and CFO for Source Precision Medicine, a start-up medical technologies company based in Colorado. He joined The Coca-Cola Company in 2005 as M&A Lead for Asia Pacific before going on to serve as CFO Africa (2006-2008), CFO Japan (2009-2014), and CFO Asia Pacific (2015-2016).
Vikas has a Bachelor of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering degree from Punjab University in India and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. He attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in Spring 2019.
Melissa Ribeiro
Chief People Officer
Chief People Officer
Melissa Ribeiro has 20+ years of progressive HR leadership experience across a variety of industries and organizations, including broad international roles and significant depth in Latin America.
In her role as Encora’s Chief People Officer, Melissa provides strategic leadership to the People & Culture and Talent Acquisition functions to support the business through a period of progressive transformation.
Before Encora, Melissa was Chief People Officer at Actian Corporation, an onsite and cloud data management organization. Prior to Actian, Melissa was the Global Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Deluxe Entertainment, a private equity-owned entertainment firm. Earlier in her career, Melissa served as the Global Vice President of Human Resources at Opera Mediaworks. Before Opera, Melissa was the Head of HR for Yahoo U.S. and Latin America.
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Northern Parana University in Brazil and a Master of Science in Management from Parana State University. She also has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The Georgia School of Professional Psychology.
Joshua Kanter
CMO
CMO
Joshua Kanter is an accomplished marketing leader with extensive experience in leading the marketing and customer experience functions across B2B and B2C businesses, including all aspects of the company's customer engagement strategy, direct marketing strategy, digital consumer engagement, loyalty marketing, marketing technology, customer analytics, and brand creative strategy.
In his role as Chief Marketing Officer at Encora, Joshua oversees the company’s marketing, experience design, and brand communications across all service lines and geographies. Prior to joining Encora, he served as the Chief Marketing Officer at PetSmart and International Cruise & Excursions and Senior Vice President of Marketing Strategy at Caesars Entertainment. Earlier in his career, Joshua was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he focused on the loyalty strategy and customer lifecycle management practices in several service industries, including hospitality, financial services, telecommunications, and retail.
Joshua holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Harvard University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Asaf Kharal
EVP & General Counsel
EVP & General Counsel
Lalit Wadhwa
CTO
CTO
Lalit Wadhwa is an accomplished engineer with over 25 years of wide-ranging experience in modern and emerging technologies. He is a recognized thought leader and frequent speaker on a wide range of important technology topics, including platform modernization, cloud adoption, data science, AI and predictive analytics & digital services.
As Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Lalit will strengthen the use of advanced technical tools and methods in Encora’s client services while raising awareness of the company’s thought leadership through external speaking engagements. In collaboration with the leadership team, he will create and co-lead Encora’s Technology Practices Areas, in support of the company’s sustained growth. Previously, Lalit was Vice President of Advanced Analytics at Wesco Distribution, where he was responsible for building the company’s data, advanced analytics & digital capabilities across supply chain & operations.
Lalit holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree with Honors from the Delhi College of Engineering, specializations from the University of California and Johns Hopkins University, and over 20 technology related certifications.
In his free time, his passions include reading & discussing quantum physics, cosmology, quantum computing, and following the sport of cricket
Deepak Bhandari
Head of Corp Dev
Head of Corp Dev
Deepak Bhandari is a strategy and corporate development professional with extensive experience in all aspects of the finance function, including investment banking & strategic capital advisory, investment funds structuring, and mergers & acquisitions. Within the tech sector, his focus has been on building relationships with founders of high-growth companies across several global markets and providing strategic advice in their quest to seek successful exits through mergers and acquisitions.
In his role as Head of Corporate Development at Encora, Deepak is responsible for providing strategic leadership to drive the company’s inorganic growth strategy to expand the company’s presence in Latin America and India, and enter new markets such as Central and Eastern Europe.
Before joining Encora, Deepak was the founder and owner of Marylebone Capital Advisors Pvt. Ltd., an M&A advisory firm focused on tech services. Deepak has also worked with global Investment Banks and MNCs across Asia and Europe, and across the entire spectrum of Strategy, Finance, and Corporate Development functions in several industries including Telecommunications, Natural Resources, and Technology Services.
Deepak is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary from India and holds an MBA from the London Business School.
Krish Anand
EVP & CIO
EVP & CIO
Business Leadership
Rohit Nichani
Chief Growth Officer & President
HiTech, Retail & CPG, and
Energy & Utilities
Chief Growth Officer & President
HiTech, Retail & CPG, and
Energy & Utilities
Rohit Nichani has been a key member of Encora’s leadership team since its inception. He has contributed to the significant growth of the OPD business at the company.
Rohit is responsible for managing several key client relationships and programs. He plays a critical role in helping shape the company's core focus areas, go-to-market strategy, innovation & product management, and client engagement. Rohit is the creator of our Test Automation products, AutomationNG and ManageNG. Additionally, he is responsible for the eLearning offerings in the US, with primary focus on Platforms and Managed Learning.
He brings with him over 20 years of solid IT experience, which includes delivery management, executive relationship management, technology thought-leadership, sales, and business development. Rohit is considered an authority in the areas of software product design, architecture definition, and engagement process definition.
Augusto Cavalcanti
President
Telecom & Media, and
Automotive
President
Telecom & Media, and
Automotive
Mr. Cavalcanti is an accomplished business executive and technology leader with 30+ years of experience. Mr. Cavalcanti has been the co-founder of four successful companies. Underscoring the success of all of Mr. Cavalcanti’s ventures has been the development of innovative technologies, defining strategies for sustainable growth and solid execution. His most recent company, Daitan, was acquired by Encora in 2021.
Mr. Cavalcanti is the President, Americas for Encora’s Brazil Division where he provides the visionary guidance for the company’s future and drives management’s execution of Daitan’s technology, financial, operational, and market objectives. Across the organization, his leadership instils a deep loyalty to a culture based on Principles & Values that build trust, industry-recognized expertise, quality, and reliability. Since 2004, Mr. Cavalcanti has scaled the Brazil-based business into a profitable and thriving global organization that serves leading global customers.
Roberto Martinez
President
Travel, Transportation & Logistics
President
Travel, Transportation & Logistics
Roberto Martinez has been working in the software nearshoring industry for 20+ years. As a senior executive, he is familiar with the needs, obstacles, and challenges faced by small startups as well as big teams.
As a leader at Encora, Roberto has helped the company acquire important clients such as OpenTable, Siemens, ZED Connect (Cummins), MDLive, Choice Hotels, Points International and others. His focus has been on helping companies to innovate, and not just perform the required task. This has helped his clients improve their output and increase their revenue.
Roberto gives great importance to the empowerment of talent and fostering of a great work culture; this has led to the company being listed as a Great Place to Work in Mexico for the last 8 years.
Roberto has a software engineering background from the prestigious Tecnologico de Monterrey and strategic direction from IPADE.
Alvaro Lang
EVP
Banking, Financial Services & Insurance
EVP
Banking, Financial Services & Insurance
With more than 20 years of experience in leading organizations, Alvaro Lang has proven his expertise in business strategy, business development, start-ups growth and consolidation of operations in Latin America.
Currently, Alvaro is in charge of generating business for Encora, by working in coordination with Sales, Marketing and the rest of the organization. He joined the company in 2017 and since then, has generated a historic increase in sales with his team of specialized software engineering services for Latin America and the United States.
Previously, Alvaro stood out as the first Microsoft employee in Central America. As part of his efforts, he grew the operation and managed to open offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador and Honduras.
He was also responsible for opening offices in Central America for Sun Microsystems and Unisys, one of the world's largest technology companies in the early 1990s. In addition, he served as general manager of the companies Teksol and Fusionet Corporation.
Alvaro has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Systems Engineering, as well as in Electromechanical Engineering (Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica).
Nick Sharma
President
Healthcare & Life Sciences
President
Healthcare & Life Sciences
A creative, seasoned business leader with exceptional technical, commercial and motivational skills focused on innovative change to deliver results, drive growth and profitability. He has extensive experience delivering creative information technology solutions to both government and commercial HealthTech, FinTech& Insurtech and EntrepriseTech) sectors. Nick has been a successful CEO in multiple companies and recently was the CEO of Excellarate which was acquired by Encora. Nick has been successful in managing acquisitions and has a strong background working with P/E firms and has been on several Boards.
Nick is the President of the newly formed Digital Application and Platform business Unit and will be responsible for DAPs financial, operational and market objectives. Nick will continue his unwavering focus on people and clients which has led to tremendous growth for excellarate over the past two years and has set up a base platform for future growth. He will continue to provide support to the leadership in shaping the strategies and driving growth
Nick has a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and Masters in Industrial Engineering from University of Texas and completed Certificate of Special Study in Business Management from Harvard University. He is married with two children and lives in the New England area.
Aditya Srivastava
President
Asia Pacific & Middle East
President
Asia Pacific & Middle East
Aditya Srivastava has an extensive track record of creating and establishing successful technology services companies in the Asia-Pacific region. He brings in strong experience of delivering software & technology services in various domains; ranging from Logistics & Transportation to Financial Services and Manufacturing.
Under his leadership, Encora has grown steadily year on year and added new locations and lines of business in APAC. Prior to Encora, Aditya served as Associate Director at Apar Infotech (Ness Global).
Aditya is an engineering graduate from the University of Nagpur and has a Post Graduate Diploma from Henley Management College (UK).
Adrian Blidarus
EVP
Europe
EVP
Europe
Adrian has played a pivotal role in driving the growth of data-centric digital transformation enterprises by leading the strategy, methodologies, and service delivery. With 20+ years of experience in digital transformation, he has gained a profound understanding of several industries and sectors, such as Insurance, Banking or Telecom, leading companies to harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to accelerate its clients’ business and technological progress on a global scale.
As a leader, Adrian believes in leading by example and spending as much time as possible with his team. He believes visionary leaders have the ability to see the silver lining in every situation and determine what really matters.
Adrian has always emphasized the significance of the human element in the success of digital initiatives, recognizing the crucial role of culture and community in driving success. To that end, he has been a proponent of several educational pursuits, such as supporting Romania’s national robotics team or acting as an Associate Professor in the Romanian Academy of Economic Studies.”
Venu Raghavan is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Encora. Since founding the company in 2005, he led Encora’s growth and evolution through an unwavering commitment to client value creation, unmatched quality of delivery, and a people-first culture. During Venu's tenure as CEO, Encora delivered industry leading performance, driven primarily by organic growth, and augmented by a series of strategic acquisitions, expanding the company's technical capabilities and geographic footprint.
Encora is now an established leader in Digital native services, core product engineering and digital experience services industry. Encora's unrivaled digital engineering capabilities include Data Science & AI, Analytics on the Cloud, Edge computing, Platform Modernization, Digital Experience and DevOps. In December 2021, the company joined the portfolio of Advent International, a leading global private equity firm with a successful track record of backing growth-focused businesses in the high-tech and next-generation IT space. Encora's previous private equity sponsor, Warburg Pincus, retains a minority share of the company and remains active on Encora's Board.
Venu has over 25 years of experience in the Information Technology industry in both operational and advisory roles. Venu's keen interest and accomplishments in innovation, M&A, leadership, and strategy have won him numerous accolades. He was awarded the Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year® Award in 2008 in the Emerging category in Orange County/Desert Cities. He won 'CEO of the Year Award 2018' and one of the 'Most Admired Leaders in 2022' by the Phoenix Business Journal for his contributions to Encora and the region’s growth in technology.
Shweta Jalan is Managing Partner and India Head for Advent International. She has over 21 years of experience in Private Equity. She joined Advent in 2009, having previously worked at ICICI Venture, the largest private equity firm in India at the time. Prior to ICICI Venture, she worked at Ernst & Young in their corporate finance division. She has been recognized by the Economic Times and Spencer Stuart as one of “India’s Top 40 Under Forty,” and has earned numerous recognitions as one of India’s most influential women in business. Shweta has experience working across a wide range of sectors including consumer, healthcare, FIG and IT/BPO. She currently serves on the Boards of several companies, including Quest Global Services, Modenik Lifestyle and Manjushree Technopack.
Shweta earned an MBA from the National Institute of Management, Calcutta (NIMC) and a BSc Economics from St Xavier's College, Calcutta.
Michael Sutcliff is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Cherish Health. Prior to this, Mike was Group Chief Executive of Accenture Digital and a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee. Before that, Michael was Senior Managing Director of Accenture’s financial services business in North America, with broad responsibility for the group’s strategy, client relationships, and financial performance. Between 2000 and 2005, he led Accenture’s finance & performance management global service line. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Business from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Anand Birje is the CEO of Encora, with overall responsibility for the company‘s growth, client service, and day-to-day operations.
Prior to this role, Birje was the President of Digital Business Services at HCL Technologies, where he drove the global growth of Digital Consulting, Applications & Platforms, and Data & Analytics, including strategy, practices, and service delivery. He also led HCL's global corporate development, strategic partnerships, Next-Gen, ITO, and digital services.
Birje was instrumental in multiple HCL acquisitions and investments across the US and Europe, building in-house capabilities and establishing a strong foundation for Digital Consulting and UX Design Practices. He continues to drive HCL's engagement in Silicon Valley, forging partnerships within the ecosystem of technology firms, startups, and venture funds. He serves on the governance team for HCL's investment in Morado Venture Fund, an early-stage investor in enterprise technology startups.
As a founding member of HCL’s Infrastructure Services Division in North America, Birje helped galvanize the business to $2.5 billion+ within a decade. Before joining HCL Technologies, he was a founding member of Atesto Technologies, a SaaS tools provider of application monitoring tools acquired by Infovista, and held various positions in Emerson Electric Company's MES and Process Control divisions.
Birje’s passion for technology and business is a driving force in his work. He collaborates with Columbia Business School and UC Irvine to develop industry-level strategies around digital execution, transformation, and connected ecosystems. He is a regular attendee at the World Economic Forum in Davos and is a Strategy Officer with its Industry 4.0 and digital workforce groups.
Birje lives in Silicon Valley and is involved in philanthropic outreach that includes music and art education for children and exploring the impact of technology on the future of society.
Viraj Sawhney joined Warburg Pincus in 2005 and evaluates investment opportunities across TMT and Business Services. The sectors covered by him include logistics, telecom, technology services and BPO. Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, Viraj was an Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company where he spent five years serving clients across India, S.E. Asia and Australia. He is a Director of Indecomm Digital Services, Vivtera Holdings, Bharti Telemedia, Princeton Digital Group, Ecom Express, Rivigo, and Stellar Value Chain Solutions. Viraj holds a B.A. degree in Mathematics from St. Stephens College (Delhi University) and a Post-Graduate diploma in Management from IIM Ahmedabad.
Atin is a Director at Advent International and covers Technology Investments across US & India and Healthcare investments in India. He joined Advent in 2019 from Bain Capital, where he spent over three years working across Technology and Healthcare investments. Prior to that, he has worked at Bain & Company (Consulting) and Accenture (Technology). Atin has worked on numerous investments during his time at Advent and Bain Capital including Encora, Tredence, Brillio, QuEST Global, Bharat Serums & Vaccines, Cohance Lifesciences, Suven Pharma, amongst others. He currently serves on the Boards of Encora, Tredence, and Avra Laboratories.
Atin holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India & M.Sc in International Management from Bocconi, Italy and a B.E. in Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering from Mumbai University, India.
Encora is devoted to making the world a better place for clients, for our communities and for our people.
Encorians live up to the highest standards of business ethics. We make sure that every person who joins our team embodies the following principles:
At Encora, we seek to enhance people's quality of life and general wellbeing, whether they belong to our internal communities or our external ones. While our CSR activities vary by country, the scope of our actions addresses a range of important issues, including food insecurity, primary and vocational education, gender equality, and environmental sustainability.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As a global organization, we recognize and appreciate the many nationalities and backgrounds of our people. We foster a culture of respect to diversity, actively promote inclusion and afford equal employment opportunities without regard for race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We are committed to creating a safe workplace environment in which every Encorian can perform their roles and responsibilities without concern for the wellbeing of themselves or others.