Cactus Partners helps its portfolio companies through a four-pronged Growth Acceleration Playbook (GAP).
Shailesh Kekre
B2B SaaS
Shailesh Kekre is a seasoned management consultant with over two decades of experience, specialising in technology and digital transformation. As the founder of Budhyati Ventures, he advises technology companies and investment firms on growth strategies, operational efficiency, and business transformation. Shailesh also holds leadership roles as a Non-Executive and Independent Director at several prominent firms, including Protean eGov Technologies and eClerx, where he contributes to strategy, governance, and digital public infrastructure initiatives. Previously, he served as a Managing Partner at McKinsey, where he established and led the Bangalore office.
Kunal Bajaj
Technology – Enablement Strategy
Kunal Bajaj is the CEO & Co-Founder of CloudExtel, India’s pioneering full-stack Network as a Service (NaaS) provider. With over two decades of expertise in telecom, internet, and technology, he has played key roles in shaping India’s digital landscape, including leading Reliance Jio’s pre-launch strategy, and advising the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on critical telecom policies. A seasoned entrepreneur, angel investor, and mentor to startups, Kunal also worked at McKinsey’s New York office.
Rahul Rana
Talent Management
Rahul Rana leads Egon Zehnder’s Financial Services Practice in India, focusing on executive search, board advisory, and leadership development within the Banking, Insurance, FinTech, and consumer-tech sectors. As the former CEO and Managing Director of PAYBACK India, and CFO at American Express Banking Corp. in India and having handled key roles at ICICI Bank and GE Consumer Finance in India, Rahul brings extensive expertise in financial services and strategic growth initiatives.
Sameer Kamboj
Leadership / Life Coach
Sameer Kamboj is a Conscious Entrepreneur and the founder of SKC World, a company dedicated to integrating consciousness into entrepreneurship. With over 24 years of experience, he specialises in change management, business efficiency, and strategic roadmaps. Sameer holds several board positions, including at Orient Bell Ltd, and is a mentor devoted to helping entrepreneurs live and work consciously.
Krishnan Gopalakrishnan
Financial Operations
Krishnan Gopalakrishnan is the Chief Compliance Officer at Tyger Capital, with extensive experience in finance and risk management. He has held leadership roles such as COO at Tyger Capital, Chief Risk Officer at Arthmate, Pine Labs and Reliance Home Finance Ltd. Krishnan’s expertise spans Retail Lending Operations, credit underwriting, policy formulation, and strategic leadership, having also served as Group Credit Head and CFO at Reliance Commercial Finance.
Terrie Lloyd
Japan Expansion
Terrie Lloyd is a seasoned entrepreneur with a remarkable track record of founding over 17 start-ups in Japan. He specialises in business development, problem-solving, talent recruitment, sales, and networking. Currently, Terrie co-leads Japan Travel and MetroWorks whilst also providing cross-border consulting services for tech start-ups. His recent ventures include co-founding Akiya 2.0, a project focused on preserving Japan’s heritage buildings, and O2OStays, a global online marketplace for trading stay nights.
