Rakesh Singh joined the non-banking finance company (NBFC) as chief executive officer earlier this month after a 15 year stint with Standard Chartered Bank.
“I make it a point to visit the gymnasium every day. I’m a keen cricket lover and used to play the game. Now, I hardly have time to play and prefer to spend time with my family when I’m not working,” Singh said.
He started his career with Standard Chartered Bank and worked in the capital markets, wealth management and mortgage lending divisions of the bank in various capacities. His most recent assignment was as the general manager of small and medium enterprises (SME) business of the bank.
Known to his former colleagues for his hard work, Singh is credited with the success of making the SME business one of the fastest growing within the bank in India in recent years. He was also part of the global leadership team of the foreign bank.
“I could not resist the opportunity I saw when this role at Aditya Birla Finance was offered. India has become a fast growing economy and NBFCs have a huge role to play in sustaining the growth momentum. The opportunity in this space is massive,” Singh said while explaining why he decided to shift jobs.
Born and brought up in Lucknow, Singh did his post graduation in international relations and business management from the local university. He has also done a one-year executive business management course from Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata.
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“For the group, Aditya Birla Finance is a core area of growth and a number of strategic initiatives have been planned to significantly enhance its revenue streams. The appointment of Rakesh is a crucial step in that direction,” Ajay Srinivasan, chief executive of financial services at Aditya Birla Group said.
Singh will be responsible for day to day management of the company and build scale in areas where the Aditya Birla Finance operates. Based in Mumbai, he will report to Srinivasan.