Yale School of Management - Alumni Leaders

"Most Indians have a strong foundation in the sciences and quantitative methods. I chose to come to Yale SOM specifically because I wanted to get rounded out, and because while I wanted to succeed in a global setting in the private sector, I also wanted to do something more meaningful — addressing larger public issues — at some unknown point in the future. Yale SOM was an extraordinary experience for me on all these levels and I’m sure that I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now without it."

After graduating with an M.Sc.(Hons.) degree in physics from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) in Pilani, India, and doing odd jobs, including running a small specialty steel trading firm, Ramesh got an MBA degree from the Yale School of Management. He also has a certified financial analyst (CFA) degree from the Association for Investment Management and Research.

Ramesh spent eight years in the banking industry, in New York and London. His career path at Citibank was one of the fastest to rise from a management associate to his last position as managing director & European head of corporate derivatives. Ramesh was also a member of the bank’s Global Markets Leadership Team.

Both Ramesh and his wife decided to return to India in 1998, to "give something back." Since then, Ramesh’s interests have been in two areas: urban poverty alleviation and public governance. Ramesh is the campaign coordinator of Janaagraha, a citizen movement for participatory democracy. Janaagraha’s approach is distinguished by its focus on constructive engagement with government, and an emphasis on practical patriotism and professional voluntarism. He is also the vice-chairman of Sanghamithra, a micro-finance institution, spearheading their urban microfinance program. Ramesh is also the co-author of the book, Urban Poverty Alleviation in India.

Ramesh is a member of the Bangalore Agenda Task Force, a public-private partnership initiative of the chief minister of the state of Karnataka, and has been an advisor to the Government of Karnataka on local government finances, in its interactions with the Twelfth Finance Commission of the Government of India.

Married to Swati, they have two children — Shunori and Rishab.