Dan Sandhu
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Dan Sandhu
Dan has extensive experience in leading portfolios in business consulting, project, media and technology businesses across Asia, Europe and the United States. He has been involved in a number of start-ups both in the UK and India, being instrumental in institutional fund raising rounds and managing investor relationships while building the businesses.
Dan started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he qualified as a chartered accountant, based out of the UK and Hong Kong. He moved to Mitsui Babcock as a Commercial Manager overseeing capital projects in China as well as managing relationships with financial institutions in Europe, Asia and the US.
Later he joined a media company managing commercial contracts as well as scouting new business opportunities in Russia, Poland, Romania and Greece. He met the founding team of a UK startup outsourcing business, 7C during this period. As Finance Director at 7C, he was part of the executive team that led this startup to a 2,500 strong organization. After leading the financial and commercial functions in 7C, where he was instrumental in raising seed and venture funds, he was also responsible for setting up BPO operations for 7C across the UK, Italy and India.
Dan moved to India as the India CEO for 7C in 2001 where GE Equity was a strategic investor. 7C was acquired by Vertex in December 2002. As the CEO of Vertex India, he led the business from startup to a team of more than 2,700. He travelled extensively between the UK, US, India and S.E. Asia, liaising with clients and partners. He stepped into the role of Chairman in 2006. Vertex was acquired by a Private Equity consortium led by Oak Hill Capital, in 2007. Dan remained as chairman until 2008. During this period Dan played a key role as an industry opinion maker being a member of the BPO Forum of Nasscom and the National ITES Committee of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and as a regular speaker at Industry conferences in India and the UK.
Dan is currently CEO at ACIS, a UK based technology products business providing real time location based information to the travel sector. ACIS is the market leader in the UK with operations in the US, Europe and Middle East.
He is a Charter member of TiE Delhi and an active member of the Indian Angel Network.. Dan sits on the board of a number of businesses where he is also an investor, in the media and mobile-retail sectors. He is also mentoring a number of start-up technology businesses. He is currently Regional Ambassador of UK India Business Councils (UKIBC) Next Generation Initiative.
Over recent years he has been a regular guest lecturer at some of the top Indian Business Schools, such as, FORE School of Management, IIPM and MDI Gurgaon as well as being regularly quoted in the press and media. He was profiled by CNBC and was on the Q&A session with Bill Gates on his visit to India. He was also a regular columnist for the Financial Express.
In the past, Dan has managed to promote rock bands (while at Leeds Business School) and has also launched a Radio Station in London! He is married with three children and spends any free time traveling with them.
He is also an alumnus of the Indian Business School Executive Management Programme.
Email: dan@sandhu.com
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