Syed Rashad — CX & Operations Leader
Bengaluru, India  ·  2025
CX & Operations Leader  ·  Bengaluru, India

I build systems that retain,
scale & grow.
10+ years in the founding trenches
across CX, ops & growth.

I'm Syed — a senior operator who builds customer experience and operations infrastructure at fast-moving startups. I work close to founders, own cross-functional outcomes, and build systems that outlast any individual.

Scroll to explore
Where I've worked
Mighty Fisdom smallcase Livspace Treebo Hotels A.D.A.M Health
10+
Years experience
40+
People led
94%
Peak CSAT
6
Companies
4
Products built
My Story

Bengaluru built me.
Startups shaped me.

I grew up watching Bengaluru shift from a BPO city to a startup ecosystem. Reading YourStory and TechInAsia late at night, I could feel a new era arriving — and I wanted to be inside it, not watching from the outside.

I started in customer operations and what kept me sharp wasn't the tickets I resolved — it was the patterns I noticed. The gap between what customers experienced and what leadership believed they were delivering. I've been closing that gap, at scale, ever since.

"The best operators aren't process managers. They're builders who happen to be systematic."

Over the past decade I've led teams of 40+, owned CX and operations across multiple verticals, built infrastructure that gives founders confidence, and worked shoulder-to-shoulder with CEOs through growth, crisis, and everything in between.

I've never been drawn to the structure of a large corporation. What motivates me is ownership — being trusted to build something from scratch, make decisions that matter, and see the results show up in the numbers.

My family has been the constant through all of it — through layoffs, through COVID, through every high and low that comes with betting on fast-growing companies.

The turning point · 2015
A café in HSR Layout that changed everything.

I applied for a customer support role at Treebo Hotels. My final interview was with Rahul Chaudhary, co-founder, at a café in HSR Layout.

I had done my research — competitor landscape, customer experience gaps, how Treebo was positioning itself. Rahul noticed. He offered me a Senior Operations Executive role instead of the support position I had applied for.

That moment — of being seen not for my title but for my thinking — shaped how I approach every role since. I show up prepared, with a point of view, regardless of what the job description says.

The longer arc · 2013–now
Fast-moving companies. Real decisions. Real stakes.

Working in fast-growing startups means wearing many hats — and sometimes bearing the weight of hard moments. I've been through layoffs as a manager, supporting teams through uncertainty while keeping operations steady. I led through COVID, balancing personal and professional pressure at the same time.

Startups test you differently. The speed, the ambiguity, the expectation that you figure it out — that's the environment I've always performed best in.

What I've built across these years: systems that scale, teams that stay, customers that return, and metrics that compound. That's the thread running through every chapter.

What I do best

Where I create
the most impact.

Head of CX · VP Customer Experience
Own the full customer experience function.
I design and scale CX from the ground up — journey architecture, SOP development, QA, escalation governance, and CSAT improvement. I connect the customer function directly to retention and revenue outcomes.
→ Best for growth-stage startups that need a serious CX leader, not just a manager.
Business Operations Leader
Build the operational backbone of the company.
Processes, team structures, tooling, compliance, and cross-functional rhythms that let the rest of the business move faster and with more confidence. I make the invisible infrastructure visible.
→ Best for founders who need someone to own the operational layer while they focus on growth.
Founding Team · Chief of Staff
Work directly with the founding team.
I've worked with founders from day one — shaping decisions, hiring teams, designing systems, and executing across functions without needing hand-holding. I understand the founder's office because I've lived in it.
→ Best for Seed to Series B companies building their leadership layer for the first time.
Customer Growth & Retention
Connect CX to revenue and retention.
From lifecycle campaigns and lead nurturing workflows to conversion funnel analysis and churn reduction — As part of the strategy and execution team, I contributed to campaigns that generated 25K+ leads and measurably improved customer retention.
→ Best for fintech or subscription businesses where customer lifetime value is the core metric.
At a glance

The quick version,
for busy people.

Experience
10+ years
Based in
Bengaluru, India
Team size led
Up to 40 members
Industries
WealthTech · Fintech · Hospitality · Healthtech · Marketplace
Peak CSAT delivered
94%+ (from 46%)
Functions owned
CX · Ops · Growth · Compliance · Product Collaboration
Company stage
Seed · Series A · Series B
Seniority target
Head of CX · Ops Lead · Chief of Staff · Founding Operator
Open to
Full-time · Advisory · Fractional
Where I've been

Six chapters.
One thread.

Each role was a higher-stakes version of the one before.

01 / Now
2022–Present
3+ years
WealthTech
Mighty
Founding Team Member · Manager, CX & Business Operations
Joined as founding team — trusted to build the customer and operations layer from a blank canvas, directly alongside the founders
Owned end-to-end CX infrastructure: journey design, SOP development, QA frameworks, escalation protocols, and team culture — built from first principles
Designed Orion — internal ops platform integrating KYC, transaction data, portfolio analytics, and customer records; reduced tool fragmentation and improved response speed
Led mutual fund operations across 40+ AMCs and RTAs with full BSE and MFU integrations — regulatory compliance owned end to end
Contributed to the strategy and execution of launching the Retirement Planning vertical from the ground up, helping generate 25,000+ leads, enable 3,000+ advisory sessions, and support AUM growth
Built engagement workflows across WhatsApp and email — improved lead-to-client conversion by 14%
Managed high-value HNI client relationships in a lean, high-growth environment, delivering responsive, ownership-driven support and personalised service.
Partnered closely with the founder to support hiring across core functions, including CX, Engineering, Sales, and Analytics through recruitment firms, hiring portals, and end-to-end coordination—helping build a strong early-stage team.
02
2020–2022
2 years
Fintech
Fisdom
Senior Manager — Customer Experience & Operations
Led a 40-member CX team across Mutual Funds, Broking, NPS, Insurance, and Digital Gold — one of the broadest multi-product CX ownership scopes in the company
Redesigned core processes end-to-end — reduced TAT by 50%, lifted CSAT from 46% to 92% in under 12 months
Launched Customer Excellence Programme — contributed directly to ₹25 Cr+ AUM growth within 8 months
Delivered 15% operational cost reduction through CPaaS platform optimisation and process consolidation. Full team performance maintained through COVID with zero SLA breach.
03
2019
9 months
Investment Tech
smallcase
Product Specialist — CX & Broker Relations
Improved broker onboarding experience — reduced support volume by 12% through journey redesign
Embedded directly with product and engineering teams — translated CX insight into product decisions and UI improvements
04
2017–2018
1.5 years
Marketplace
Livspace
CX Consultant
Managed high-value HNI client relationships across B2B and B2C channels — quality of experience directly influenced project size and referrals
Designed partner onboarding programmes that reduced ramp time. Reduced cross-functional friction by mapping and eliminating key dependency bottlenecks.
05
2015–2016
Founding team
Hospitality Tech
Treebo Hotels
Senior Operations Executive — CX & Ops · Founding Team
Joined as a founding member of the Guest Experience function — built from zero across 70+ properties nationwide
Worked directly with co-founders and Director of CX to design the company's first customer service infrastructure: IVR, chat, email, and SMS
Created the SOP framework and escalation protocols that became the operational standard for the team
Reduced no-shows by 52% through a predictive engagement and pre-arrival communication programme. Managed OTA reputation at scale — ratings improved measurably within two quarters.
06 / Origin
2013–2015
First role
Healthtech
A
A.D.A.M Health
Executive — CRM
Managed global B2C and PAN-India B2B support operations — first exposure to the complexity of multi-market customer operations
Handled payment reconciliations across markets — attention to process accuracy developed early
"Seen enough? Let's find out if we're a good fit."
Say Hello →
Things I've built

From idea to live.
Built as an operator.

Not a developer. Someone who identifies real problems and finds the fastest, most credible way to solve them.

🔒
Privacy · Consumer Product
Picamanah
Personal images were being shared without consent in India's matrimony ecosystem — copied, forwarded, misused. No product existed that let people share photos safely with controlled access. I built Picamanah: a privacy-first platform with consent-based access controls. People decide who sees their photos, and under what terms. This wasn't a side project. It was a real problem I kept hearing about — and I built the solution.
🗳️
Civic Tech · Community Tool
VoterTrace
Ahead of elections, people in my community couldn't find themselves on electoral rolls — the data existed, but accessing it was opaque and slow. I built VoterTrace: an OCR-powered search tool that extracts and fuzzy-matches names against electoral roll datasets. It spread organically across Bangalore communities and was used for real voter awareness drives. One weekend. One real problem. One working solution.
Try VoterTrace → Community Tool
🧭
WealthTech · Internal Product
Retirement Engine
The challenge: how do you engage customers on retirement planning before they actively seek advice? As a side project, I built an internal AI-powered tool that assessed retirement readiness through a 12-point questionnaire, highlighting gaps and areas for improvement. It helped create more meaningful customer conversations and stronger engagement with the Retirement Planning vertical.
Internal Tool · Mighty Work Project
🏢
Real Estate · Client Work
Proprush
A legacy real estate developer had no online presence — no website, no credibility signals, no way to capture leads. They were losing business to competitors who'd simply figured out the internet. I designed and shipped their website, deployed it on GitHub Pages, and configured a custom domain through GoDaddy. First enquiry came in within the week.
Visit Proprush → Client Project
What people say

In their own words.

A
Aakshat Paandey
Head of Product & Design · AI SaaS · Mighty
"His remarkable ability to empathize with users and transform their needs into actionable strategies played a pivotal role in driving the success of our product. His approach to bridging the gap between customer expectations and product outcomes was truly inspiring."
Mighty
B
Bhavya Joshi
Portfolio Manager · Ex-Mighty, BITS Pilani
"A true generalist and customer success expert — a key asset in building and scaling from 0→1 and 1→10. His vast experience across sectors helps him take a solution-driven approach in every situation. If I get a chance, I will definitely work with him again."
Mighty
V
Vaibhav Sinha
Accenture Strategy · Design & Digital Product
"A go-getter with a strong focus on growth, constantly thinking ahead to improve processes. His forward-thinking mindset and dedication to excellence made a significant impact on our operations. I highly recommend Syed to any organisation looking for a driven and innovative professional."
A.D.A.M Health
B
Bala Subramani NS
CX Leader · Flipkart, Urban Ladder, Slice
"Never shies away from additional responsibilities and always seeks ways to innovate and improve. His commitment to growth and customer excellence is evident in everything he does — not only a hard worker but a forward-thinker."
smallcase
J
Jayakanthan P
CX & Ops Leader · Escalation & Process
"Takes responsibility and ownership, ensuring all tasks are completed on time. I was impressed with his successful projects in creating CRM dashboards, SOPs, and CSAT frameworks."
Livspace
Core competencies

What I bring
to a senior role.

CX Leadership
Customer Journey DesignVOC Programme DesignCSAT & NPS ImprovementEscalation GovernanceRetention StrategyComplaint Resolution SystemsService RecoveryCustomer Lifecycle Management
Operations Excellence
SOP Design & ImplementationService Ops ScalingQA FrameworksWorkforce PlanningKPI Dashboard DesignTAT ReductionProcess ReengineeringCompliance Operations
Growth & Revenue Support
Lead Nurturing WorkflowsLifecycle Campaign DesignCross-sell & Upsell JourneysConversion Funnel ImprovementEngagement AutomationRetention Campaigns
Product & Tech Collaboration
Product Feedback LoopsCX Tooling EvaluationCRM SystemsWorkflow DesignTool ConsolidationPlatform OptimisationInternal Product Design
Leadership & Founder Support
Team Hiring & CoachingCulture BuildingCross-functional InfluenceFounder Execution Support0→1 Function Building1→10 Team ScalingChief of Staff Execution
Domain Expertise
Mutual Fund Ops (BSE, MFU)KYC & ComplianceSEBI & AMFI RegulationsHospitality Guest ExperienceeCommerce & Marketplace Ops
Education & Credentials

Always learning.

🎓
BBA
ICFAI University
Degree
🏛️
Leading People
Harvard Business School Online
Certificate
🤖
Enhancing CX with Generative AI
Simplilearn
Certificate
📊
NISM VA — Mutual Fund Distributor
NISM (SEBI)
Certification
⚙️
Lean Six Sigma
White Belt
Certification
🌐
English · Hindi · Kannada
Professional Fluency
Languages
Beyond the job

What drives me.

I'm fundamentally curious about why things don't work the way they should — and compelled to close that gap. This shows up in how I approach work, but also in the things I build on my own.

"Building is how I think. When I encounter a problem, my first instinct isn't to complain — it's to sketch a solution."

I'm also deeply invested in community and civic tech. VoterTrace started because my neighbours couldn't find themselves on electoral rolls. That's the kind of problem I can't walk past.

And yes — I'm a genuine animal lover. That probably says something about the kind of empathy I bring to everything else.

🏙️
Startups & Bengaluru's ecosystem
Fascinated by how India's startup story keeps evolving. I've had a front-row seat for 10+ years and I'm still not bored.
🔐
Privacy & Digital Rights
Picamanah was built from a belief that everyone deserves control over their digital presence.
💰
Fintech & WealthTech
Democratising financial planning beyond the affluent. Technology making retirement and investing accessible to everyone.
🏗️
Building & Solving
Tools, workflows, products — I build things to think through problems. It's how my brain works best.
🐾
Animals
A deep love for animals — which probably says something about the empathy I bring to people and customers too.
Get in touch

If you're building something serious,
let's talk.

I'm open to senior roles in CX, Operations, and Founder's Office — at companies that care about getting the customer experience right. If you're a founder, hiring manager, or recruiter working on something genuinely interesting, I'd like to hear about it.

Currently open to full-time, advisory, and select fractional engagements.

Let's Talk ↗