D. Sundaram is an Indian businessman who is serving as the Managing Director and Vice Chairman at TVS Capital Funds (P) Limited. Sundaram was appointed as the lead Independent Director of Infosys on 23 March 2023 after the retirement of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw as an independent director of the Board.
Wiki/Biography
Sundaram Damodarannair was born in 1956 (age 67 years; as of 2023) in Chennai. He attended Chennai University, Chennai, to pursue his graduation. He holds a post-graduate degree in management studies. Sundaram is a fellow of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI). Following his post-graduation, Sundaram attended Harvard Business School to pursue an Advanced Management Programme (AMP).
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Hair Colour: Grey
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Not much is known about his family.
Career
D. Sundaram started his career as a management trainee at Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) in June 1975. Until 1990, he served the firm in various capacities including corporate accountant, commercial manager, and treasurer. He was seconded to Unilever, London, as a Finance Officer for Africa and Middle East Region from 1990 to 1993. He then served as the commercial manager of the TOMCO integration team for around a year. From 1994 to 1996, Sundaram served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Board Member of Brooke Bond Lipton India in Bangalore. In 1996, he was appointed as Senior Vice-President (Finance, IT, and Strategy) at Unilever London for South Asia and the Middle East. He assumed the post till 1999 and later returned to HUL as Finance & IT Director. In April 2008, Sundaram was promoted to the position of Vice Chairman of HUL, handling finance functions in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. After serving the organisation for around 34 years, Sundaram resigned from the position in July 2009.
D Sundaram during a business event
On 13 June 2009, Sundaram was appointed as the vice chairman and managing director of TVS Capital Funds Ltd in partnership with Gopal Srinivasan (TVS family) in a growth capital Private Equity Fund (TVS Shriram Growth Fund.) Assets under Management Rs. 1200 Cr. ($175m). While working there, Sundaram brought deep financial expertise and a significant understanding of consumer-related businesses to the PE operations. From January 2009 to June 2014, Sundaram served as an independent director on the Board of the State Bank of India. He also served on the Board of SBI Capital Markets from 2002 to 2014. Since 2005, he has been serving as a member on the Board of Governors of the Institute of Financial Management and Research, Chennai. In 2017, he became a member on the Board of Infosys. Since then, he has been serving on various committees at Infosys including Audit Committee, Risk Management Committee, Stakeholders Relationship Committee, Nomination & Remuneration Committee, and Cybersecurity Risk Sub-Committee. With his expertise and extensive experience in finance and strategy, Sundaram has played a crucial role in the company to realise its vision for the future. On 23 March 2013, the Board of Infosys appointed D. Sundaram as the lead independent director based on the recommendation of the company’s nomination and remuneration committee. He replaced Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who retired from her services on 22 March 2023. Sundaram’s experience stretches from corporate finance, business performance, monitoring operations, governance, mergers & acquisitions, talent/people management to strategy. He has served on the boards of various organisations including SBI General Insurance, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited, TVS Capital Funds (P) Limited, 9.9 Group Private Limited, Maxivision Laser Centre Private Limited, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited, ACC Limited, and Schneider Electric India Private Limited.
Facts/Trivia
- D Sundaram is residing with his family in Mumbai.
- Having more than 34 years of experience with Hindustan Unilever Limited, Sundaram has been awarded the prestigious “CFO of the Year for FMCG Sector” award by CNBC TV18 twice, first in the year 2006 and then in the year 2008.
- Sundaram has delivered guest lectures on finance and management at various educational institutions like SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai.