Rohit Sahai | IT Governance Leader & Independent Director

About

IT Governance Leader —
30 Years Making Technology Accountable

"Operations done right is governance in action — every SLA, every vendor contract, every escalation path is a governance decision made at operational speed."

My first job was teaching people to code. Not syntax — but problem-solving from first principles. How to decompose a challenge, question assumptions, and design a solution that addresses the root rather than the symptom. That thinking has been the constant thread across three decades of technology leadership.

Most recently at Persistent Systems, I governed a $15M+ IT portfolio of 60+ strategic projects as GM IT Planning and PMO — introducing IT Financial Management disciplines that delivered $1.39M in annualised savings and turned an opaque IT budget into a board-readable, value-visible capability.

Before that, across nearly a decade at Accenture, I led client-facing IT service delivery across banking, pharma, utilities, and ISP sectors with full P&L accountability — achieving 98.5% patch compliance and 30% year-on-year cost reduction by building governance into the operating model from the ground up.

I have recently cleared the IICA Independent Director Proficiency Assessment (DIN: 07196191) as the natural next expression of a career spent making technology accountable to business outcomes.

Expertise

IT Governance, ITFM &
Digital Transformation Expertise

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IT Governance & Risk

Policy frameworks, GRC readiness, compliance architecture. ISO 27001, COBIT 4.1, CBCI. Governance built into the operating model, not layered on top.

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ITFM & FinOps

IT Financial Management from zero to board-visible. Budget lifecycle, BU charge-back, licence optimisation, spend visibility. $1.39M annualised savings delivered.

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IT PMO & Portfolio

Programme governance, delivery predictability, VMO setup. 60+ strategic projects, $15M+ portfolio, 90%+ on-schedule delivery at Persistent Systems.

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Digital Transformation

End-to-end transformation governance across listed and unlisted organisations. MS 365, CRM, ERP, AI-assisted reporting, greenfield and brownfield environments.

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Cybersecurity & Compliance

ISMS implementation, patch governance, vendor risk (TPRM), cybersecurity in regulated environments. 98.5% MS patch compliance maintained across a 7-year tenure.

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Managed Services & IMS

Full P&L ownership of client-facing IT service delivery across multi-sector, multi-geography environments. 1,000+ servers; 15,000+ network devices; 25,000+ users.

Career

Technology Leadership Career —
Persistent Systems · Accenture · Satyam

2023 – 2025

Persistent Systems

General Manager — IT Planning, PMO & ITFM

Persistent Systems Ltd (NASDAQ: PSYS) · Pune

Reported to CIO. Governed IT strategy, portfolio management, and financial discipline across the enterprise.

$1.39M annualised savings through ITFM and licence optimisation
60+ strategic projects, $15M+ annual portfolio, 90%+ on-schedule delivery
30% reduction in pre-procurement TAT via workflow automation
Introduced AI-assisted CIO dashboards, VMO, and Vendor QBR framework

2021 – 2023

SEEDS

Consultant — Technology & Digital Transformation

SEEDS (Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society) · New Delhi

Part-time technology leadership for a leading disaster-resilience NGO — digital maturity assessment, GRC readiness, and enterprise-wide MS 365 adoption.

Conducted digital maturity assessment across all departments
Led Microsoft 365 and CRM adoption in liaison with Microsoft and its partners
Drafted IT policies and prepared the organisation for GRC compliance

2019 – 2021

Simplex eSolutions

Vice President — Technology

Simplex eSolutions (P) Ltd · Gurugram

End-to-end IT governance for a domestic and international e-governance software company — remote IMS, IT security compliance, and software delivery.

80% improvement in incident resolution time through ITSM implementation
40% reduction in unplanned outages
35% increase in client satisfaction scores
Turned around unmanaged software delivery by streamlining infrastructure and monitoring

2015 – 2019

Sri Krishan IT

Director / Founder

Sri Krishan IT & Education Services LLP · New Delhi

Greenfield setup of an IT education and services company — full P&L, statutory, and compliance accountability. Parallel technology consulting for NGOs.

₹75L revenue in Year 1; 200+ students enrolled; 100% placement rate
Received Jetking Fastest Growing Franchise Centre Award — recognising exceptional growth across the franchise network
Achieved highest placement volume in the region
Enabled Gurugram-based NGOs to leverage technology as a pro-bono contribution

2008 – 2015

Accenture

Vice President — Technology

Accenture Service Pvt Ltd · Gurugram

Client-facing IT service delivery with full P&L ownership across banking, pharma, utilities, and ISP sectors. Multi-geography; 24×7×365 operations. Progressed from Service Delivery Manager (2008–2012) to Vice President (2012–2015).

30% YoY cost reduction through vendor benchmarking and contract governance
98.5% MS patch compliance; 100% anti-virus compliance with zero outbreaks
7/7 CSAT across all client engagements; secured multiple renewals and scope extensions
80% enhancement in team satisfaction through directed engagement initiatives
Published case studies for Microsoft and Trend Micro platform implementations

Outperform Award Innovation Award — Cost to Serve Annual Ace Award — People Developer & Guiding Star Drives to Add Value

2004 – 2008

Satyam BPO

Deputy General Manager — Network & Systems

Satyam BPO Ltd · Hyderabad

Internal IT governance across multi-location BPO operations. Progressed from Manager IT Operations (2004–2006) to DGM (2006–2008).

Led ISO 27001 ISMS implementation from the ground up
Key contributor to eSCM Level 5 certification achievement
Led IT transition support for GSK–GPM project; Windows 2000→2003 platform migration
Devised robust patch management achieving zero virus outbreaks
Successfully managed SAS70, SOX, and BS7799 IT security audits

CEO Special Achievement ICON Award — Extra Miler Client Appreciation — Exceptional Contribution (Major Pharma) Inducted into CEO's Strategic Forum 'Foresight'

2001 – 2004

GTL Limited

Assistant Manager — Project Management

GTL Limited · New Delhi

Enterprise IT services and project management within GTL's Enterprise Services division. Progressed from Technical Specialist → Senior Technical Consultant → Assistant Manager.

Planned, designed, implemented and commissioned NORTEL Passport 74xx multi-service backbone network across 12 locations for the Indian Army (Central Command, Lucknow)
Presented solution overview to the Signals Officer-in-Chief at project launch; trained Army personnel for ongoing operations
Led technology blueprint consultancy for Bank of America's captive offshore BPO in Hyderabad — RFP development, vendor selection, SLA design, contact centre budgeting
Account management across Wintel and Nortel platforms for call centre and corporate IT clients

1998 – 2001

IDS Infotech

Technical Head — IT-Enabled Services

IDS Infotech Limited · Chandigarh

Led the technology function for a pioneering IT-enabled services operation — medical transcription, web helpdesk, and BPO services for US clients.

Set up and led the medical transcription unit for Heartland Information and Consultancy Services
Technical operations for web helpdesk supporting Expertcity.com via SITEL Corporation
Medical accounting and billing services for American Medical Accounting and Consulting, Inc.

1993 – 1998

NIIT

Senior Faculty → Senior Systems Associate

NIIT Ambala Cantt & NIIT Chandigarh

Five years building the foundations — technology education, curriculum delivery, and systems management at two of NIIT's northern India centres.

Senior Faculty at NIIT Ambala Cantt (Aug 1993 – Apr 1996): curriculum delivery, student mentoring, placement support
Senior Systems Associate at NIIT Chandigarh (Apr 1996 – Mar 1998): systems management and advanced technical instruction
Achieved Honours Diploma in Systems Management during this period

Engage

Senior Leadership · Independent Director ·
Expert Network · Professor of Practice

Senior Leadership Roles

Immediately available for Senior Technology Leadership roles — VP / GM Technology, Head of IT Governance, Head of IT, and equivalent mandates. Open to relocation across India. Bringing 30 years of operational depth and governance credibility to the right organisation.

Discuss a role →

Independent Director
IICA Certified · DIN 07196191

IICA-certified Independent Director (DIN: 07196191). Available for Technology, Risk, and Audit Committee roles in listed and unlisted companies. Operational-governance background — an active contributor, not a passive observer. View board profile →

Board enquiries →

Expert Network Consulting

Available for paid expert calls through AlphaSights, Guidepoint, Dialectica, Infollion, and similar platforms. Topics: ITFM / FinOps, IT PMO governance, enterprise software optimisation, vendor risk, India market technology dynamics.

Schedule a call →

Professor of Practice

Interested in bridging practitioner experience and academic rigour in IT governance, ITFM, and digital transformation. Available to business and technology schools for guest lectures, curriculum input, and Professor of Practice appointments.

Academic enquiries →

Recognition

Awards & Professional Recognition

Satyam BPO

CEO Special Achievement
ICON Award

Awarded for going beyond the expected — recognised personally by the CEO as an "Extra Miler" for outstanding contribution to operations and client outcomes.

Satyam BPO

CEO's Strategic Forum
'Foresight'

Inducted into the CEO's extended management forum and Organisational Development Focus Groups — reserved for leaders identified as having strategic potential beyond their function.

Satyam BPO

Client Appreciation —
Exceptional Contribution

Formal client recognition for enabling on-time Go Live for a major pharmaceutical client — a high-visibility, high-stakes delivery milestone.

Accenture

Annual Ace Award —
People Developer & Guiding Star

Dual recognition for developing talent and guiding teams through complex, high-pressure service delivery environments. Reflects a leadership style built on mentoring, not just managing.

Accenture

Innovation Award —
Cost to Serve

Project recognised as an Innovated Project in the Cost to Serve category — for finding structural efficiencies in service delivery that others had not seen.

Accenture

Outperform Award &
Performance Factor Recognition

Team-level Outperform Award plus individual recognition under 'Drives to Add Value' and 'Builds and Sustains Client Ownership' — Accenture's core performance leadership factors.

Jetking

Fastest Growing Franchise
Centre Award

Awarded to Sri Krishan IT & Education Services LLP for achieving the fastest growth rate across the Jetking franchise network — recognising commercial performance, operational excellence, and student outcome quality during the 2015–2018 period.

Kurukshetra University

National Merit Scholar &
University Rank Holder

Ranked 2nd and 7th in Kurukshetra University in B.Sc. Electronics. National Merit Scholarship holder — academic foundation that preceded a career in technology leadership.

National Cadet Corps

NCC 'A' Certificate

National Cadet Corps 'A' Certificate — an early marker of discipline, structured leadership, and national service that has informed a career spent building high-performing teams.

Rohit
Sahai

IT Governance Leader —
30 Years Making Technology Accountable

IT Governance, ITFM &
Digital Transformation Expertise

Technology Leadership Career —
Persistent Systems · Accenture · Satyam