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Management
 
 

Business Managers
 

Sanjay Arte
- Business Manager

Sanjay joined IVF Advisors in 2001 as the first Business Manager. In this role, he has translated IVF’s business philosophy of "Building Businesses" into practical, on-the-ground reality. Sanjay has been deeply involved with the portfolio companies and is recognised by their managements as having played a pivotal role in transforming these companies into leaders in their fields.The experience
   that Sanjay has gained through these interactions is now institutionalized in IVF’s approach.

Sanjay's engagement with portfolio companies is varied. In case of Shringar Films, he assisted a medium family run, western-India centered film distribution business migrate into a large, professionally managed, pan-Indian, multi-lingual film distribution company with a leading presence in the film exhibition segment as well. His engagement at Care Hospitals brought the unique business model of " physician as shareholder " out of theory and into practice; evolving consensus across the healthcare fraternity that coupled with institutionalized business practices this is perhaps the most viable private healthcare business model in India.
   At Epicentre Technologies, Sanjay helped create a world-class organization focused on collection oriented BPO with a roster of marquee international clients.

Sanjay is a Bachelor of Technology and a Masters' of Management Science. Prior to joining IVF Advisors, he had over 18 years of work experience. He was the President of Franke, Switzerland's Indian Operations immediately prior to joining IVF Advisors, and Managing Director with Sekurit Saint Gobain, India for 3 years before that. His previous work experience included assignments with Johnson & Johnson and Grindwell Norton as well.

He can be contacted at sanjay@ivfa.com



George Thomas
– Business Manager

George joined IVF Advisors in 2002 to strengthen the "Business Building" function. As a Business Manager, George has leveraged his turnaround and marketing experience to assist portfolio companies with merger integration, strategy, systems & process, recruitment, marketing, and branding. George has also assisted the Fund fine-tune its under-writing capability;
  supporting Fund Managers appraise pre-investment cases. He has a wide network of connections and an in-depth understanding of business segments and management teams.

In Trinethra, George strengthened operational controls and developed an annual operating plan with suitable management information systems. He used his vast expertise to reinforce the management team. On acquisition of Music Broadcast, George took direct oversight on operations of Radio City during an initial period of uncertainty caused by delay of the new licensing policy. He identified a leadership team for the business and inducted them into their new roles. George helped TTK Healthcare Services migrate to a centralized IT enabled delivery platform, 		  which he identified along with the management as a seminal initiative to scale the growing healthcare insurance claim processing and attract good quality international business.

George is a Post-Graduate in History from St Stephen's College, Delhi University with almost 20 years of work experience, prior to joining IVF Advisors. He was Whole-time Director and Chief Operating Officer at BPL Soft Energy Systems Limited. Before this, he spent 2 years as Director - Confectionery on a restructuring assignment with Warner Lambert India. Prior, he held positions in the Foods business of Unilever in India and the UK.

He can be contacted at george@ivfa.com


Pramod Kabra
– Business Manager

Pramod joined IVF Advisors in June 2007 as a Business Management Partner. Prior to joining IVF Advisors, he spent 23 years with Unilever. He has a wide-ranging global experience in Strategy, Finance, M&A, Supply Chain and innovations. He was last based in Singapore as Head of Treasury for Unilever’s Asia and Africa region, which is the fastest growing region of the company (turnover US$ 14Bn).

Prior to this, Pramod was the Finance head of Unilever’s Home Care Category (Turnover US$ 8.4Bn) based in London. 		  He was the member of the Global Home Care Category Leadership Team, responsible for Category Strategy, innovation portfolio management and the Category performance across the world. He also led the M&A strategy for the Category. Prior to his expatriation to London, he was Financial Controller of Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL), which is the Number 1 FMCG Company in India with turnover of US$ 2.5Bn. In addition to external / internal reporting and information management, he was responsible for Corporate Governance and management of talent in Commercial function. He set new standards of transparency and engagement in dealing with HLL’s statutory board, the audit committee and the wider investing community. He led the implementation of Financial Shared Services for HLL sales operations. Pramod also held several other positions including that of Commercial Head of HLL’s ice-cream business and Head of Chemical buying for its Home and Personal Care business.   Highlight of his experience in Ice cream business includes negotiating exit from onerous relationship with erstwhile ‘Kwality’ families, which came as a part of an earlier acquisition. Pramod has an in depth understanding of global business in its various dimensions.

He started his career as a management trainee in Hindustan Lever after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant. He has a solid track record of leading senior multicultural and multifunctional teams and managing talent in the organisation.

He can be contacted at promod@ivfa.com