Raj Santhanam

About Raj Santhanam

Global finance and business services leader with over 25 years of experience across Fortune 100 and high-growth technology companies, building and scaling world-class finance organisations, strengthening corporate governance, and enabling strategic growth.I currently serve as Senior Director, Finance at ServiceNow, where I lead the company’s Global Finance Capability Centre (GCC) in India. I built the organisation from the ground up to over 100 professionals, now representing nearly half of ServiceNow’s global controllership, audit, risk, tax, and FP & A operations. My mandate spans global close, revenue and commission accounting, SOX, statutory reporting, finance operations, including AP, T&E, payroll and advanced finance analytics, with a strong focus on automation, AI, and digital finance transformation. I also serve on the Board of ServiceNow’s India entities, contributing to governance, compliance, and strategic oversight.Previously, I spent over a decade at NVIDIA, holding leadership roles across FP & A, Investor Relations, and Global Shared Services. I co-led NVIDIA’s Investor Relations function during a critical transition, supporting earnings communications, analyst engagement, and capital-market positioning. As India Controller and Shared Services Head, I established NVIDIA’s first global finance centre and led major initiatives, including the financial integration of a European acquisition and large-scale cost and governance programs. Earlier in my career, I held senior finance roles at Intel, Dell, and Infosys, gaining deep experience across accounting, compliance, revenue recognition, and financial systems.My professional focus lies at the intersection of finance leadership, governance, and global operating models — building resilient, compliant, and insight-driven finance organisations that partner closely with CEOs, CFOs, and Boards. I am particularly passionate about developing future finance leaders, designing scalable global capability centres, and embedding analytics and technology into the finance function.I hold an Executive MBA from the Indian School of Business, am a US CPA and Indian Chartered Accountant, and am currently pursuing a PhD at IIM Indore, deepening my engagement with corporate governance, ownership structures, and financial decision-making in emerging markets.Always open to meaningful conversations on global finance transformation, governance, controllership, and leadership development.

Experience

1. Senior Director, Finance

   ServiceNow

   Jul 2018 — Present · Hyderabad, IN

   Founder and leader of ServiceNow’s Global Finance Capability Centre, scaled to 100+ finance professionals, supporting nearly 50% of global controllership, audit, risk, tax, and FP & A.Strategic Impact• Built end-to-end global finance operations covering revenue close, commission accounting, AP, travel & expense, statutory reporting, tax compliance, and SOX.• Expanded India-based corporate accounting to 60% of global close, significantly improving efficiency and control.• Co-created Finance Analytics & Automation Centre using AI, ML, and advanced data platforms to modernise finance decision-making.• Serve on the Board of ServiceNow India entities, providing governance, statutory, and risk oversight.• Member of the Global Accounting Leadership Team, shaping long-term finance strategy.• Lead finance participation in strategic customer and partner engagements, strengthening enterprise credibility.• Built strong leadership pipelines through competency frameworks, mentoring, internship programs, and talent strategies in partnership with HR.• Head of India CSR, aligning local initiatives with ServiceNow’s Global Impact platform.

Education

• CPA,Colorado State

  CPA, Finance

  2010 — 2010

• Indian Institute of Management, Indore

  PhD, Accounting and Finance

• CA,ICAI

  B.Com,CA, Finance & Accounts

  1996 — 1999

• Indian School of Business

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Business Administration and Management, General

  2017 — 2019

Skills

• Finance
• Team Leadership
• Managing Start-Ups
• Accounting
• Financial Control
• Internal Audit
• Tax Compliance
• Gaap
• Management
• Us Gaap
• Communication Skills
• Financial Analysis
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act
• Mis
• Management Information Systems (Mis)
• Corporate Finance
• U.s. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (Gaap)
• Audit
• Financial Audits
• Auditing
• Building Relationships
• Internal Controls
• Ifrs