About Metis

Founder's Desk

Metis – named after the Greek Goddess of Wisdom and Prudence – was born in 2010, and we are proud to state that we are one of the first to start the concept of family office in India under this unique model.

Over a decade, we have played a pivotal role in over 50 prominent business families in South India, present in diversified industry segments with each of them being in business for over 25 years.

The journey in the last 10 years has been a fulfilling experience and we embark on more eventful years ahead. We will live up to your Trust and strive to Create Value for Generations.

Vision
Vision

To be the trusted adviser and custodian for business families providing integrated and unbiased advisory on the business, family, wealth and legacy aspects to enhance family well-being and harmony.

Mission
Mission

To build the practice on the foundations of client trust, transparency, confidentiality, integrity and innovation.

Beliefs & Values

Beliefs & Values
Beliefs & Values

Suresh Ramanujam – Managing Director

Suresh Ramanujam, is the Co-Founder of Metis Family Office based in Chennai. Suresh has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry where he has been dealing with family businesses in terms of providing banking credit facilities, managing wealth, helping them raise private equity, structuring JVs, mergers & acquisitions etc.

He has worked in organizations like Murugappa group, Citibank and Deutsche Bank. Over these years he has been an integral part of many growth stories in terms of helping business families to organize their business, personal wealth, new venture ideation, succession and legacy planning etc.

Metis was a calling for him in 2010!

He loves to connect with the Next Generation budding leaders and currently mentors over 10 Gen Next members from prominent business families. Suresh is an MBA graduate and is passionate about mentoring and loves to promote entrepreneurism.

Visalakshi L – Director

Visalakshi, with an experience spanning over 24 years in Corporate Finance, possesses deep expertise in guiding companies through strategic initiatives, including business planning, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, capital market transactions, and comprehensive financial management. Her specialization in Manufacturing and Retail sector is complemented by her profound acumen in Investment and Budgeting Analysis, Forecasting, Risk Assessment and Mitigation, Treasury Management, Cost Optimization, and Business Process enhancement.

She has a distinguished track record of steering companies towards sustainable growth and profitability, even in challenging market conditions. She is recognised for her forward-thinking approach driven by commitment to excellence.

Before joining Metis Family Office, Visalakshi served as the Group Chief Financial Officer of Indian Terrain Fashions Limited, a leading Men’s wear apparel brand. At Metis, she spearheads the Business Advisory practice, where she provides clients with strategic guidance on growth, operational efficiency and capital transactions.

Visalakshi is a Qualified Cost Accountant and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce.

Gupta TGS – Director

With over 25 years of comprehensive experience in finance, Gupta TGS has expertise across diverse industries, including manufacturing, retail distribution, service industries, and startups. His career has spanned listed and large privately held organizations with significant global presence in the US, Europe, MEA, and SEA. After working in corporates for over 22 years, offered consultancy services to MSME’s and startups in the areas of helping in Strategic initiatives, business expansions / plans, and funding from banks / NBFC’s / VC Firms.

His corporate and advisory roles have provided him with invaluable insights into various sectors, including traditional manufacturing sectors like textiles, apparels, specialty chemicals, and agri/food products, as well as technology-oriented startups in aviation, logistics, insure-tech, and agri-tech. He has excelled in pivotal leadership roles, demonstrating proficiency in orchestrating large-scale projects, enterprise expansion, intricate restructuring, and executing mergers and acquisitions.  He has a proven track record in handling Board matters, including presentations to audit committees and reporting on financials and internal controls, as well as in building and leading high-performing finance teams, introducing Management Information Systems, and integrating advanced data analytics etc.,

Ashok Sharma – Director

Ashok Sharma is a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience across the textiles, retail and distribution, chemicals, mining, real estate, and start-up sectors. His expertise includes business strategy and analytics, financial and corporate structuring, cross-border fund raising, taxation, governance, risk management, and treasury management. He is recognized for his ability to meet financial, statutory, and regulatory commitments in listed and unlisted companies, guided by strong values of honesty, integrity, and sincerity.

Having worked with organizations such as Himatsingka Group and Aron Universal, Ashok co-founded a financial advisory firm specializing in board advisory, family transitions, and digitization advisory. He has driven various initiatives during his career which include Cross Border restructuring, Brand Acquisitions, Family holding restructuring, Capital Structure and Cost Rationalisation. As a director in US and European subsidiaries, he was instrumental in restructuring an Italian subsidiary, merging US operations, and enhancing corporate treasury and credit ratings. His excellence in treasury management earned him the “One among the Top 20 Treasurers of India” award by CFO India in June 2014. 

Ashok is currently a member of the Economic, Finance & Taxation Committee of CII and has served on various industry body committees such as FKCCI and BCIC. He holds qualifications as a CA, CWA, and CS, and a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce.

Vipin

Vipin Palrecha – Associate Director

Vipin is an investment banker, entrepreneur, angel investor and business advisor with 15 years of cross functional experience in Consulting, Corporate Finance, Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions, Fund Raising, Joint Ventures and project management/integrations. He has deep industry knowledge in Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals. He has also assisted companies in FMCG, Retail, Industrial services, Technology and Manufacturing. Prior to joining Metis, he worked with Deloitte Investment Banking and Co-Founded Financial Advisory firm focussing on investment banking, strategy and growth. At Metis, he advises clients on business matters and strategies besides crafting transactions.

Vipin is a Chartered Accountant and did his Masters in Sydney. He is member of several associations including JITO. He loves tracking global financial markets, going for long drives and teaching non-academic subjects to kids. He is also part of NGOs focussing on healthcare and his dream is to complete Kailash Mansarovar yatra at earliest.

Jagadesh Kumar Badiga – Vice President

Jagadesh has over two decades of diverse experience in financial services, Human resources and real estate. He has predominantly worked on the retail banking side. He has handled country level responsibility for debt recovery, created policies, control systems, audit, He has also handled Pan India responsibility for setting up the internal control mechanism for Gold loan and Warehousing loan portfolio in ICICI Bank. 

He has developed a passion for Real Estate as an asset class and has been developing his depth of knowledge in Real Estate over a decade.  He has advised on many large real estate transactions over this period.

He has worked in organizations like Murugappa group, ICICI Bank & Archean Group

At Metis, He is responsible for Real Estate Vertical to provide comprehensive advisory to business families on real estate assets.

Jagadesh is a product of Vivekananda College and has completed his MBA in HR.

His hobbies include 

  1. Long distance cycling – he is a PBP 2019 finisher, RAAM qualifier and has 7 Super Randoneur titles. He has done many long distance rides of over 1000 kms. 
  2. Runner – Has been a consistent runner and has participated in marathon events regularly. He has also represented Chennai District in State meet for masters conducted by the Tamil Nadu Athletic Association.
  3. Cricket and travelling.

Puja – Associate Vice President

Puja has over 9 years of experience in financial services industry with strong expertise in Financial Reporting & Analysis and Statutory Audit. She has worked in leading corporations such as Barclays and Shell and supported the management to take informed business decisions.

At Metis, she supports the business and transaction advisory function. Puja is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary. She has also completed her diploma in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) from ACCA(UK). In her free time, she loves reading on political history of Nations and fictional novels. She also enjoys playing badminton and long drives.

Maheshvasan – Asst Vice President

Maheshvasan (Mahesh) is a seasoned family office professional with 18 years of experience in portfolio management, private transactions, and real estate. He did Post Graduation Diploma in International Business from Symbiosis University.  At Metis, he oversees wealth management, acting as the custodian of clients’ financial assets and advising UHNIs and family offices on diverse investment opportunities. Mahesh excels in evaluating innovative investments, selecting the best suited for clients, and conducting periodic reviews of asset managers from a risk and reward perspective.

Mahesh is adept at personalized financial plans tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals, ensuring long-term growth and sustainability. Skilled in risk management and asset allocation, Mahesh maintains transparent communication with clients, providing regular updates and insights for informed decision-making.

With 18 years in the industry, including roles at Citibank N.A., HSBC Bank Plc, and Deutsche Bank A.G., Mahesh brings a wealth of knowledge to his clients. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys billiards, pool, badminton, and cricket. He has a passion for photography and travel and lives with his lawyer wife and their two children.

Kalash J Shah – Sr. Relationship Manager

Kalash is a chartered accountant and proudly continues the family legacy as the third generation to attain this qualification. With over a decade of post-qualification experience, he embarked on his professional journey at KPMG. He served their corporate tax practice, advising clients on the direct tax and regulatory implications of cross border transactions, tax efficient business structuring and reorganization. His responsibilities extended to ensuring compliance with various tax regulations, managing assessments, and handling related matters. He then transitioned to Shell to gain industry exposure. In his role, he handled the quarterly tax reporting and filing procedures for Shell US’ holding and subsidiary entities, which gave him valuable insights into both US corporate tax laws and the operational systems in place at Shell.

Despite intermittently practicing at his family firm, Kalash’s passion for consultancy lingered. His desire to contribute to a boutique firm offering specialized advisory services and transaction support led him to discover Metis. At Metis, he supports the business and transaction advisory function.

Outside of his professional life, Kalash enjoys venturing to offbeat destinations, savouring local cuisines, indulging in dark genre movies, and listening to music with profound lyrics.

Rajasekhar A J – Manager

Rajasekhar is a qualified lawyer with over 10 years of experience in various sectors. He began his legal career with a clerkship under a judge at the Madras High Court, where he gained valuable experience in legal proceedings and judicial processes. He then spent over 7 years at EY, developing expertise in personal tax, expat tax, social security, and immigration. During his time at EY, he handled and coordinated work with teams across various locations. Rajasekhar then started his own law firm, where he handled corporate and civil matters across various courts in Chennai for 2 years before joining Metis.

Rajasekhar graduated from the School of Excellence in Law and holds a Post Graduation Diploma in Information Technology Law. He is also a half-qualified Chartered Accountant, bringing a diverse skill set to his professional work. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, swimming, playing badminton, and taking long drives. He also likes to binge read and watch content in the thriller and comedy genres.

Sandeep

Sandeep Sareen – Mentor & Coach

Sandeep was an Executive Vice President at IndusInd Bank and has over 27 years of overall experience across multiple roles in various organizations. In his last role, he was Head of Corporate Operations for the 1400+ branches of IndusInd Bank. Throughout his corporate career, Sandeep played a key role in identifying potential future leaders and managing and retaining talent. He is passionate about employee engagement, coaching and people development. Sandeep has over 900 hours of coaching experience and he continues to pursue opportunities for further learning. He has also completed two programs Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence and Conversations that Inspire: Coaching, Learning, Leadership and Change from Case Western Reserve University, USA.

Sandeep holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab and a Master’s in Business Administration from Texas A&M University, USA. He has also completed certifications in Project Management, 6 Sigma and Lean Manufacturing.

Anand

Anand Kartikeyan – Mentor & Coach

Anand has over 22 years of corporate and leadership experience across leading organizations such as HSBC, Deutsche Bank, ICICI Bank, ABN AMRO and IndusInd Bank. Over his career span, he has been extensively involved in leading businesses and geographies, owning the P&L responsibility and managing teams. In his various corporate roles, Anand has also played an active and significant role in organizational initiatives such as recruitment and training, retaining and nurturing talent, mentoring & coaching , building & developing teams.

Anand has been an executive coach since 2014. He holds various Certifications in the field of coaching . In addition to his certifications, Anand is also a specialist in a number of psychological and behavioral assessment tools.

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