IAN Group Appoints Chintan Thakkar as Group CEO
Chintan Thakkar, an industry veteran, has been named Group CEO by IAN Group, in an effort to strengthen and expand the Group in order to support future expansion.
As a Senior Managing Partner, Thakkar will also offer crucial direction to the recently established IAN Alpha Fund.
Thakkar, a seasoned leader in finance, governance, and strategic growth, was formerly the Group CFO and full-time director at Info Edge India. He adds more than thirty years of expertise, vision, and leadership to the IAN Group. In addition to helping to execute historic capital market and M&A transactions, Thakkar was instrumental in Info Edge's transition from a small-cap to a large-cap company with an 18x market capitalization growth. Thakkar was also heavily involved in the company's investments in early-stage companies and the launch of AIFs for startup investments.
"With the addition of Chintan, our management team—which consists of Rajnish Kapur, Madhav Sikka, and Sarika Saxena—is greatly strengthened, giving us the management bandwidth to achieve our vision of Rs. 5000 Crore investment, spawning 500 startups, and creating 500,000 jobs," stated Padmaja Ruparel, co-founder of IAN Group.
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"Today is a historic day for the Group as we enter the next phase of our evolution," stated IAN Group Founder Saurabh Srivastava. For more than 16 years, I have known Chintan on a personal and professional level. He is an exceptional professional, and IAN will be able to advance with his addition.
Upon his appointment, Thakkar stated, “IAN is one of India’s most respected names in the investment world. Its commitment to investing in innovation that addresses real problems or meets national strategic imperatives truly excites me".
"I look forward to making a significant contribution alongside the IAN Board and the team".
Following the company's announcement of Thakkar's resignation, Info Edge's stock fell almost one percent in the early hours of August 20. At Rs 1,365 each, the parent company of the job search website Naukri's shares were trading.
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Ambarish Raghuvanshi was named by the company's board of directors as the Interim CFO and key managerial staff following Thakkar's resignation. His appointment took effect on November 20 and lasted until a new CFO was chosen. Prior to 2014, Raghuvanshi was the company's CFO from 2001 until 2014.
Chintan Thakkar was acknowledged by Info Edge for his time serving as the company's CFO. The Board of Directors expressed its profound gratitude for Thakkar's priceless services. He was instrumental in advancing the company's strategic ambitions throughout his time as director and chief financial officer, including investor relations, fund-raising, and capital market transactions. He strengthened stakeholder trust and regulatory compliance by upholding the highest standards of corporate governance and financial reporting transparency. His direction has had a long-lasting effect on the company's financial management and growth trajectory.
"In my pursuit of empowering experiences and enriching growth, I will transition into a career in Investments as Group CEO of IAN Group and Senior Managing Partner at IAN Alpha Fund. IAN is one of the pioneers, and today, it is the country's largest platform for early-stage investing, with both Angel and VC Funds," Thakkar added.