Richard de Souza

About Richard de Souza

Richard de Souza, Ex-CEO at Mahindra Business Solutions, a Charismatic, Tech Evangelist, endowed with unique cross functional skills, A Digital MasterChef. Four decades of experience, 3 prominent leadership roles within the Mahindra Group, each contributing to transformative growth and innovation.CFO –Over a 25-year career in Finance and Accounts, managed financial operations across manufacturing, domestic marketing, and international business in the automotive sector.Also served as the CFO of a subsidiary NBS International,CIO - Vice President & Head Business Solutions. Managed the entire software application stack for 84 companies across the group. CEO – of Mahindra Business Solutions- A Subsidiary of M&M Ltd. I specialise in uniting Finance, Technology, and Enterprise Transformation to achieve impactful strategic results. A defining milestone in my career was leading one of the world’s largest Big Bang SAP implementations: As Vice President and Head of Business Solutions for the Mahindra Group. Building on this foundation, I transitioned to lead Mahindra Business Solutions as CEO, steering the KPO/BPO arm of the Mahindra Group. Few of my major achievements are. a. Led one of the world\'s largest Big Bang SAP Projects, 50 companies went live in 8 months in April 2010. A world record not surpassed till date. b. Conceptualised and deployed Me-Connect, it\'s not only a unique app, but a first of its kind \"Employee Mobile App\" It won the NDTV digitization award in 2013 c. Redefined \"Real time\" to mean \"In the Moment\" and transformed dashboards to actionable analytics. Mahindra - Won the Hana Global Innovation Award in 2017. d. Led the team which worked closely with SAP Labs to help develop the GST application for SAP India.e. In 2006, I led the streamlining of accounting processes and successfully transitioned them to SAP Business One for a newly established M&M subsidiary in South Africa. Fuelled by a deep love for technology and its transformative power, I continue to harness my cross-functional expertise to reimagine business processes through the lens of innovation. With a keen eye for emerging technologies—AI First, Blockchain, Mobility etc. I focus on seamlessly integrating these tools to enhance, not replace, human potential. For me, automation is not about substitution; it’s about empowerment. I bring to the table a bold, adventurous spirit strong-willed, high-energy, and unafraid to take risks. I thrive on solving complex problems, pushing boundaries, and charting new paths where others see roadblocks.

Experience

1. Head i t Projects & Central Support

   Mahindra Group

   Aug 1983 — Present

   Project Management - SAP - Mahindra Group

Education

• St Paul's High School

  SSC

  1963 — 1974

• ITM Group of Institutions

  MBA

• Mumbai University Mumbai

  Bachelor of Commerce - BCom

Skills

• Business Process Improvement
• Lean Manufacturing
• Process Engineering
• Business Planning
• Operations Management
• Program Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Automotive
• Strategic Sourcing
• Kaizen
• Erp
• Project Management
• Six Sigma
• Automobile
• Sap R/3
• Logistics
• Management
• Product Development
• Team Management
• Vehicles
• Sap
• Procurement
• Change Management
• Business Process
• Business Development
• Key Account Management
• Business Strategy
• Manufacturing
• Sap Erp