Chandrasekar Thyagarajan Appointed as Chief Financial Officer – Birlasoft | Strengthening Financial Leadership, Strategic Transformation, and Sustainable Growth in the Digital Enterprise Era
In a defining leadership milestone for the global digital transformation landscape, Chandrasekar Thyagarajan has been appointed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Birlasoft, a part of the CK Birla Group. Based in Bengaluru, Chandrasekar steps into this pivotal role with a mandate to accelerate Birlasoft’s financial strategy, operational excellence, and long-term value creation for stakeholders across markets.
With over three decades of global financial leadership spanning technology, manufacturing, and mobility sectors, Chandrasekar brings to Birlasoft a rare blend of strategic foresight, fiscal discipline, and deep transformation experience — qualities that define resilient organizations in an era of rapid change.
Driving Financial Excellence and Strategic Agility at Birlasoft
As CFO, Chandrasekar will lead Birlasoft’s global finance organization — encompassing financial planning & analysis, capital allocation, investor relations, and risk management. His focus will be on driving sustainable profitability, operational efficiency, and digital-led transformation within the finance function.
He aims to strengthen Birlasoft’s fiscal agility through process optimization, technology integration, and data-driven decision-making — ensuring the company’s growth trajectory remains aligned with its innovation-first vision.
A key part of his mandate is to elevate Birlasoft’s financial governance and capital strategy, enabling the company to scale efficiently across geographies while delivering consistent shareholder value. His leadership reflects a commitment to financial transparency, people-centric culture, and performance with purpose.
Greaves Electric Mobility: Powering Financial Growth in the EV Revolution
Before rejoining Birlasoft, Chandrasekar served as Chief Financial Officer at Greaves Electric Mobility, where he played a central role in strengthening the company’s financial backbone amid India’s electric vehicle transformation.
At Greaves, he successfully optimized capital structures, enhanced financial controls, and drove profitability during a critical phase of growth and diversification. His contributions were instrumental in shaping Greaves’ sustainable mobility vision — ensuring financial robustness while investing strategically in innovation and future-ready technologies.
Under his stewardship, Greaves Electric Mobility emerged as one of India’s most trusted names in the EV sector, with a disciplined approach to growth and capital efficiency.
Birlasoft: A Return to Transform and Scale
Chandrasekar’s appointment as CFO marks his return to Birlasoft, where he previously served between 2020 and 2023. In his earlier tenure, he successfully aligned the finance organization with the company’s global digital transformation agenda.
His leadership was pivotal in enhancing enterprise-wide cost optimization, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening the company’s financial resilience during the post-pandemic era — a period marked by dynamic shifts in global IT services demand and delivery models.
IBM: Two Decades of Global Financial Leadership
Chandrasekar’s career at IBM spanned two transformative decades, where he rose through multiple leadership roles, culminating as VP Finance & CFO for IBM India/South Asia.
At IBM, he was responsible for steering financial strategy, governance, and growth across key emerging markets, overseeing multi-billion-dollar portfolios. His work involved leading finance transformation initiatives, integrating global delivery models, and driving business efficiency across operations spanning India, Singapore, and South Asia.
He also served as CFO for IBM Global Business Services (Growth Markets) and COO for IBM GBS India/South Asia, roles that honed his expertise in complex financial operations, cross-border compliance, and global transformation programs.
Chandrasekar’s journey at IBM exemplifies his ability to navigate scale with precision, lead through volatility, and enable growth through innovation — traits that continue to define his leadership style.
Early Foundations: A Journey of Consistent Growth and Integrity
Beginning his career as an Articled Clerk at Sundaram & Srinivasan, Chartered Accountants, Chandrasekar’s early grounding in accounting, audit, and financial management laid the foundation for his ascent in corporate finance.
Over the years, he held key roles at Royal Enfield, Pentafour Products, Karvy Consultants, and Kumaran Systems, where he developed a deep understanding of financial planning, treasury management, and enterprise risk frameworks.
His multi-industry exposure across manufacturing, technology, and services has shaped his ability to balance fiscal prudence with business innovation — a hallmark of his leadership journey.
Leadership Philosophy: Precision, Partnership, and Purpose
Chandrasekar’s leadership philosophy is built on three enduring pillars:
Integrity, Insight, and Impact.
He believes finance leadership today transcends traditional boundaries — it’s about creating value beyond numbers. His approach emphasizes collaboration across functions, leveraging analytics for foresight, and mentoring finance professionals to become strategic business partners.
Known for his calm, structured, and visionary approach, Chandrasekar is respected for transforming finance organizations into enablers of growth and innovation. His leadership style aligns performance with purpose — ensuring financial strategies drive both business outcomes and organizational culture.
A Vision for the Future: Strengthening Birlasoft’s Global Financial Core
As Birlasoft continues to expand its global footprint across digital transformation services, Chandrasekar’s vision is clear — to build a world-class financial organization that fuels innovation, growth, and long-term value creation.
He aims to position finance not merely as a control function, but as a strategic catalyst for digital transformation, integrating financial intelligence into every business decision.
His appointment underscores Birlasoft’s commitment to operational excellence and disciplined growth — hallmarks of the CK Birla Group’s legacy of trust and transformation.
CXO Gateway Reflection: Celebrating Financial Leadership in the Digital Age
At CXO Gateway, we celebrate leaders like Chandrasekar Thyagarajan, whose careers embody the convergence of strategic finance, technology leadership, and business transformation.
From building financial ecosystems at IBM to shaping the fiscal future of electric mobility and now steering Birlasoft’s next chapter, Chandrasekar’s journey represents the modern CFO — agile, analytical, and purpose-driven.
His appointment reaffirms Birlasoft’s commitment to financial excellence and strategic innovation — a testament to how leadership rooted in experience, integrity, and insight continues to redefine the future of enterprise growth.