Our Leaders

Rahul Shinde is the Managing Director at Compass Group India, responsible for steering the organisation’s strategic direction, growth agenda and market leadership across India. He leads the business with a focus on accelerating sustainable growth, strengthening client partnerships, fostering a high-performance culture and advancing Compass Group’s position as the partner of choice for food and support services in the region.

With extensive leadership experience spanning Asia, Europe and North America, Rahul brings deep expertise in strategy, operations, business transformation and growth. Prior to Compass Group, he held leadership positions with Yum! Brands and Devyani International, where he led large-scale growth, market expansion and transformation initiatives across multiple international markets.

He began his career at McKinsey & Company, advising Fortune 100 companies on growth strategy and operational excellence. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering and a Master’s degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from COEP Technological University. His leadership style combines strategic thinking, operational excellence and a strong focus on people and customer experience.

Joel holds a dynamic career spanning over three decades, he has been instrumental in driving the vision, strategy, and growth for many organisations in start-up and exponential growth environments.

Prior to Compass, Joel was the Director of Business & Operations at Sodexo where he managed an extensive commercial real estate portfolio in India’s IT / ITeS sector. His professional endeavours include various leadership roles at LG Electronics, General Electric and Philips India.

An Economics Honours graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and a postgraduate from IMI, Delhi, Joel is active in various industry and professional bodies and is a member of ISLE, ISHRAE, IFMA and CoreNet.

Hardhik Sheth is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SmartQ (Bottle Lab Technologies Pvt. Ltd.), where he leads the India Aggregation and Technology business with a singular vision, to fundamentally reimagine how the B2B food service industry operates. Under his leadership, SmartQ is redefining workplace dining through technology, operational excellence and a relentless focus on scale.

An investment banker by training, Hardhik began his career at HSBC and KPMG, working across M&A and Private Equity transactions. After nearly five years in financial services, he made a deliberate transition into entrepreneurship, driven by a clear conviction to solve the problem of food monotony and operational inefficiency in corporate cafeterias.

In 2016, he co-founded NextUp alongside Keshav Meda, a food-tech venture that brought variety and quality to corporate dining through a curated vendor ecosystem. The business scaled rapidly, serving over 16,000 meals daily and laid the foundation for a larger transformation in the sector.

In 2019, NextUp merged with SmartQ, combining strong operational capabilities with a robust technology platform. Since then, Hardhik has been instrumental in scaling SmartQ into a global enterprise, now operating across 400+ client locations, 45+ cities in India, 14 countries and serving over 4 million orders every month.

Hardhik continues to focus on building resilient, data-driven operations, deepening client partnerships and pushing the boundaries of what modern workplace dining can achieve through continuous innovation.

Debashish is a seasoned leader in the service industry with over a decade of expertise in food and beverage operations. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, USA, with an MBA from a renowned institution, he has honed his expertise through roles at prestigious establishments like Kimpton Hotels in Boston and the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai. Since founding the business in 2007, Mr. Yadav has been the driving force behind its strategic vision and growth. His leadership emphasises building a team of dedicated professionals and setting new standards for service excellence and innovation.

Munish Sharma is a seasoned professional with over two decades of leadership experience spanning operations, business development, and team management.
At Compass, he oversees complete operations of food services and drives operational excellence. Prior to his current role, Munish held several key positions at Compass Group India, including Director of Operations—National Accounts, Senior General Manager—Operations, and General Manager—Mobilisations. During his tenure, he played an instrumental role in planning and launching new sites, managing key accounts, and cultivating high-performing teams. His focus on customer-centric solutions, cost controls, and efficient workflows has consistently translated into successful client partnerships and sustained business growth.
Passionate about developing people-centric cultures and maximising operational efficiency, Munish adopts a hands-on leadership style paired with a strategic vision—driving measurable value for stakeholders at every level. He continues to champion innovation, collaboration, and service excellence, remaining at the forefront of transforming the food services landscape.

Jayanta Guha is the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Support Services (SuS) at Compass Group India. Having previously led the Centre of Excellence, SuS (CoE), Jayanta takes on an expanded leadership mandate to drive the next phase of growth, operational excellence, and transformation for the business. His role brings together his deep operational expertise with a strong focus on innovation, capability building and creating sustainable business value.

Jayanta brings over 31 years of experience across India, Southeast Asia and West Asia, with leadership roles at JLL, Tyco Fire & Security and Honeywell Fire Safety. He has built and scaled service businesses, led large-scale transformation, strengthened strategic client partnerships and delivered strong outcomes across growth, customer satisfaction and cost optimisation.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree, Electronics and Communication Engineering from Bangalore University. His leadership approach combines strategic thinking with operational rigour, alongside a strong focus on customers and people, to drive growth, transformation and operational excellence across Support Services.

Ashish Kathariya is the Chief Financial Officer of Compass Group India. He brings over 25 years of global finance leadership experience and a strong track record of driving growth, transformation and value creation across diverse and complex markets.

Ashish spent more than two decades with Unilever, where he held senior finance leadership roles across supply chain, commercial, category and transformation finance. Prior to joining Compass Group India, he served as CFO, Enterprise Markets at Lipton Teas & Infusions, leading financial strategy and performance across a portfolio of more than 70 countries.

Known for building high-performing teams and fostering strong business partnerships, Ashish is recognised for translating strategy into execution and delivering sustainable business outcomes through disciplined financial leadership.

His collaborative approach, commercial acumen and focus on value creation continue to play a key role in supporting Compass Group India’s growth ambitions.

Yudhishter Shringi is a transformative business leader with over two decades of leadership experience across consumer products, retail, FMCG, healthcare and diagnostics. Known for his deep consumer insight and strong growth orientation, he has led complex P&Ls, scaled national portfolios, modernised legacy businesses, strengthened supply chains and delivered sustained growth across India and global markets.
He brings a rare ability to convert consumer behaviour and channel dynamics into sharp, outcome-driven strategies. At Britannia, he was instrumental in accelerating the growth of the Fresh Bakery, Rusk, and Cake categories. His global roles across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia further shaped his expertise in category development, market execution, and operational excellence.
As Chief Growth Officer at Compass Group India, Yudhishter leads enterprise-wide growth initiatives focused on customer solutions, channel expansion, portfolio innovation and future-ready propositions. His leadership philosophy centres on simplifying complexity, building high-performing teams and designing scalable, repeatable models that create long-term value.
His earlier stints at SC Johnson, Quest Diagnostics, Subhiksha, Perfetti Van Melle and Pidilite strengthened his understanding of go-to-market models, commercial levers and operational discipline. Yudhishter holds an MBA (PGDBA) in Marketing from NMIMS Mumbai and a Bachelor’s in Economics from Hindu College, Delhi University.

Amit Maheshwari, boasts an impressive 26-year tenure in the food and beverage sector. Widely recognised for his prowess in enhancing operational excellence, Amit consistently delivers substantial business returns through strategic planning and innovative problem-solving methodologies. With a proven track record of orchestrating successful brand launches and optimising operational workflows, Amit has been instrumental in establishing and expanding leading food and beverage brands across India.

In his capacity as COO, Amit Maheshwari leads Partnership & Retail Operations with distinction, drawing upon his extensive expertise and forward-thinking approach to navigate the dynamic landscape of the industry.

Manika brings over two decades of global and local HR expertise. Leading the human resources function, she oversees culture, employee experience, talent management, diversity, equity, inclusion, acquisition integration, and organization development.  With a diverse career history at GE, Sapient, and IndiGo, where she served as Vice President Human Resources, Manika has excelled in leading HR for various businesses, setting up HR Shared Service Centres, and driving talent management initiatives. Recognised with the Women’s Leadership Achievement Award and HR Leadership Award, she’s been pivotal in leading women’s leadership networks and mental well-being agendas.

Manish possesses over 2.5 decades of extensive experience in driving business transformation through technology and data. Leading digital product development, implementing innovative service delivery models, and designing robust IT infrastructure, Manish is a dynamic, performance-driven leader. Prior to Compass, he served as Senior VP & Head of IT Governance, PMO at Bharti Airtel Limited, managing strategic IT partners globally and leading a major change in the IT service delivery model. Manish’s leadership roles at Genpact and GECIS highlight his proficiency in overseeing end-to-end IT setups for prestigious clients, implementing IT infrastructure projects, and driving operational excellence. His strategic approach to technology has consistently generated true business value, marking him as a visionary CIO in the industry.

Ashish holds over two decades of illustrious experience, Ashish brings forth a wealth of expertise garnered from numerous leadership roles in both national and global procurement & supply chain operations.

Within his current role, Ashish shall spearhead the Procurement & Supply Chain function, serving as an integral member of the esteemed India Execom. Leveraging his exceptional leadership acumen, Ashish will drive the group towards crafting a visionary procurement strategy, fostering robust supplier relationships, ensuring seamless delivery of products and services, overseeing procurement projects and teams, adhering to compliance and regulations, and an array of other crucial responsibilities.

Under Ashish’s guidance, the group shall flourish, poised to navigate the intricate landscape of procurement and supply chain management, all while embracing a long-term vision for sustained growth and excellence.

Ankit Sharma is the Chief Culinary Officer, Compass Group India, bringing over two decades of global F&B and culinary leadership experience across 40+ markets. His “Head & Heart” leadership approach combines commercial rigour with a strong focus on people, innovation and culinary craft.

Ankit’s career spans Taj Hotels, Marriott, Taco Bell APAC, The Coca-Cola Company and HelloFresh DACH. He has built Taco Bell’s APAC menu and supply chain from the ground up, led Costa Coffee’s EMEA transformation and shaped global menu experiences. His achievements include the Yum! Global CEO Award, three Taco Bell President’s Awards and recognition among Condé Nast’s Top 80 Plates.

He holds a Power MBA in Business Administration and Management and has completed Culinary Arts training from the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM). At Compass Group India, Ankit will bring his global culinary expertise to drive innovation, elevate food experiences and scale differentiated F&B propositions, creating greater value for clients and consumers.

Vishwak boasts two decades of legal expertise across diverse industries such as healthcare, consumer durables, electronics, and information technology. As a trusted advisor and experienced legal counsel, Vishwak has worked with multinational giants like Max Healthcare, HCL Technologies, Samsung Electronics, and Dell, shaping legal strategies for the India region, Southwest Asia, and APAC.

A result-oriented legal professional with a commercial focus, Vishwak excels in legal documentation, contract drafting, compliance, legal training, audits, and policy design. His leadership is marked by the implementation of best practices and streamlined systems, enhancing efficiency and ensuring timely, high-quality deliverables. A Law and Commerce graduate from Delhi University, Vishwak brings core competencies in contract management, corporate laws, compliance, and team management to his role.

Richa brings nearly 25 years of expertise in client solutions and strategy. A visionary leader, she has been instrumental in driving result-oriented initiatives that seamlessly align with the company’s business goals.

Under her leadership, Compass Group’s Food Services division—its largest footprint in India—has achieved exponential growth over the past five years, spanning corporates, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and HoReCa.

Richa’s approach centres on creating bespoke solutions tailored to the unique needs of each client, with a focus on future-proof solutions and contracts. With a relentless drive and a limitless growth mindset, Richa has built a framework of intent and excellence, ensuring long-term client relationships and transformative success.

Rohit is a seasoned sales and general management leader with over two decades of experience in the technology and services industry. As the Chief Growth Officer at Compass Group, he has been spearheading growth initiatives in the support services portfolio, focusing on innovation, people, and partnerships.

Rohit’s professional journey has been marked by his ability to blend tech execution with strategic growth, underpinned by a deep-rooted belief in the power of teamwork. Before joining Compass Group in July 2024, he served as Sales Director at Microsoft, leading digital sales teams in India and Korea, focusing on cloud and AI solutions.

A strong advocate for sustainability, Rohit integrates eco-friendly practices that ensure Compass Group’s services are not only efficient but also environmentally conscious, aligning with global sustainability goals.

Rohit holds an MBA from XLRI and an engineering degree from the College of Engineering, Pune. Beyond his professional achievements, Rohit is a passionate advocate for Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), actively promoting awareness and understanding in his circles. He is also an avid runner, regularly participating in various distance running events.

Pankaj Kejriwal has over 22+ years of leadership experience in driving profitable growth and innovation. He specialises in business finance, acquisitions & integration, working capital management, and brings in a deep understanding of financial planning & analysis, process simplification & automation, and enhancing enterprise productivity.

He facilitates profitable growth by optimising operational efficiencies and navigates evolving markets with agility. Known for his skills in finance, he emphasises risk mitigation and compliance to safeguard business interests. He is truly passionate about effectively developing high-performing teams, sharing knowledge, and embedding best practices for sustained success.

Nitasha brings 18 years of expertise in B2B Marketing & Communications. She leads enterprise marketing strategy, brand building, and corporate communications, focusing on integrated communication, business growth, and brand architecture to enhance Compass Group’s presence in India. Nitasha plays a key role in client communications, industry relations, and advocacy, partnering in business growth for increased market share and reach. Her work emphasises thought leadership and creating impactful, tailored solutions for client engagement. Before joining Compass, Nitasha held senior marketing roles with leading MNCs and start-ups globally, across various industries, specialising in brand strategy, corporate communications, and digital marketing. She has worked across various world areas. A mass communication graduate with a master’s in business marketing from Toronto, Canada, Nitasha is known for her passion for leadership and fostering team growth.

With over 20 years of experience across leading brands, Malabika is a staunch advocate of customer-centricity. She has been with Compass Group India for over 9 years. In her previous role at Compass, she was spearheading marketing and communications. She is now building Chartwells India as a leading sector brand in India. Collaborating closely with the innovation team, she designs and develops insight-driven value propositions and bespoke client solutions for the education sector. Her mission is to partner with leading institutions to transform and reimagine the campus dining experience across K-12 and higher education segments.

Guided by a passion for giving back to the community and an unwavering optimism, Malabika remains driven to make a meaningful impact.

Harish holds a robust professional background spanning over two decades. He has honed his expertise through notable stints at prominent companies such as Book My Show, Reliance Big Cinemas, Spring Leaf Retail, Reliance Retail, and Café Coffee Day.

Within his current role, Harish assumes the vital responsibility of spearheading the sector strategy in food services. His unwavering focus revolves around accelerating revenue growth through the implementation of client-facing solutions, refining operational development, overseeing proposal management, and ensuring seamless operational delivery.

Additionally, Harish embraces the task of driving effective account management in collaboration with the regional and corporate teams to further bolster the organisation’s success.  Through his astute leadership, he endeavours to elevate Medirest India as a prominent sector brand in alignment with the company’s long-term vision and strategic plan.