LGT Wealth India :: Our People

Our People

Our people have extensive experience gained at some of the world’s leading financial institutions. By working closely together, we can draw on our varied skills and knowledge, allowing us to treat each portfolio individually and meet the unique needs of every client.

While our backgrounds might be different, we share a few beliefs and values in common. A friendly, open attitude to client relationships, a willingness to embrace new ways of working, and a desire to work towards our clients’ best interests.

Rajesh Cheruvu

Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer

Rajesh Cheruvu

Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer

Rajesh Cheruvu is the Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer at LGT Wealth India

He began his career in Wealth Management as a Research Analyst at Kotak Mahindra (erstwhile ING Private Banking) before moving to Axis Bank where he was Head of Research and Portfolio Management.

Subsequently he began his stint with HSBC Private Banking where he focused on equity research and portfolio management. Later at Coutts, the private banking division of RBS Bank India where he headed the Investment Strategy, Asset Allocation, Security Research and Portfolio Management.

Prior to LGT Wealth India, he was the Chief Investment Officer of Validus Wealth. He also served at Aditya Birla Capital where he was responsible for research from the products and industry perspective.

He holds a Masters in Economics from Gitam University and an MBA from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University.

Nimish Shah

Managing Director, Family office & Portfolio Analysis

Nimish Shah

Managing Director, Family office & Portfolio Analysis

Nimish Shah is a Managing Director, Family office & Portfolio Analysis at LGT Wealth India

Nimish has extensive experience in Capital Markets across asset classes, investment products and platforms. His experience in providing Investment advise and financial planning through strategic and tactical asset allocation has been the forte. He has over 2 decades of experience in investments for Family Offices, Ultra Wealth Individuals, HNI's, Institutions, Funds and Corporate Treasury platforms.

He has worked with large MNC Private Bank, Wealth Advisory, Institutional and HNI Brokerage (both Equity & Fixed Income), PMS and Corporate Pension organisations.

He has been a regular contributor to media both TV & print and educational institutes through interviews, articles, and guest lectures. He firmly believes that an entrepreneurial spirit brings forth the best and helps achieve client and personal goals.

Prior to joining us, he was with Waterfield Advisors as a Chief Investment Officer – Listed Investments. Prior to Waterfield Advisors he was with BNP Paribas Wealth as Head – Investments, SBI Wealth as Head – Investments, Research & Products, Citi Private Bank as Director & Head – India Investments, Tata AIG Life Insurance as Profit Centre Head - Corporate Pensions and Parag Parikh Fin Adv Ser Ltd.as Director & CEO.

He has done his MBA, Finance from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) and is a Certified Wealth Manager from American Academy of Financial Management. In his spare time, he contributes to the cause of increasing Financial Literacy, especially amongst children and women.

Zohra Hajiani

Managing Director – Private Clients

Zohra Hajiani

Managing Director – Private Clients

Zohra is the Managing Director – Private Clients at LGT Wealth India

Zohra, with her judicious visionary approach, is an all-round ‘You-Centric’ Wealth Management Subject Matter Expert, creating winning wealth stories for the past two decades. She currently manages the investments of Entrepreneurs, NRIs, and Corporates.

She started her career at HDFC Bank, managing private banking clients. She then moved to DSP Merrill Lynch (later acquired by Julius Baer) as an Executive Director and continued her role with Julius Baer (after acquisition) under the same designation, for over a decade and a half. In her previous role, she was the Managing Partner _ Private Clients at Validus Wealth

She holds an MBA in Finance from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.

Maneesh Kapoor

Managing Director

Maneesh Kapoor

Managing Director

Maneesh Kapoor is a Managing Director at LGT Wealth India

Maneesh Kapoor is an astute leader with a rich career spanning 18+ years across banking & financial service Industry. Maneesh holds an MBA from Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD, Pune and a B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

Maneesh started his career with Hindustan Motors, after his engineering. His financial services journey started with a broking consultancy firm, Darashaw, at the Corporate Bond Dealing Desk and then with HDFC Bank as a part of their SME Corporate Banking.

He joined the ICICI Bank's Wealth Management team, leading their Delhi business for around 5 years and followed that by spearheading Aditya Birla Group's foray into Wealth Management in Delhi. Prior to joining LGT Wealth India, Maneesh was a Senior Regional Head at ICICI Securities Private Wealth Management where he joined as a founding member and spent 7.5 years in building market leadership as well as gaining reputation & goodwill for the company. In his previous role, he was the Senior Executive Director - North & East at Validus Wealth

Sailesh Balachandran

Managing Director

Sailesh Balachandran

Managing Director

Sailesh Balachandran is a Managing Director at LGT Wealth India

Sailesh Balachandran is a seasoned wealth management expert with over 18 years of experience in the industry. An economics post-graduate, Sailesh started his career in core banking with HDFC, Bangalore.

Over the next decade, he managed key projects in ABN, DCB, HSBC and ICICI Securities across multiple cities, building a strong reputation for leading teams with an unerring knack for overcoming challenges. In his previous role, he was the Senior Executive Director - South at Validus Wealth

Abhishek Khandelwal

Managing Director – Structured Lending

Abhishek Khandelwal

Managing Director – Structured Lending

Abhishek Khandelwal is a Managing Director – Structured Lending at LGT Wealth India

In his 17-year career, Abhishek has worked with organisations like Kotak, DSP Merrill Lynch and IIFL Group, where he played a key role in building their secured lending business.

Prior to LGT Wealth India, he was the CO-Head Structured Lending at Validus Wealth. Prior to that, he completed a 2-year stint with Julius Baer, India, where he was Executive Director & Head of Credit Business.

He holds an MBA in Finance from the Symbiosis Centre for Management and HRD.

Sameer Gupta

Managing Director

Sameer Gupta

Managing Director

Sameer Gupta is a Managing Director at LGT Wealth India

He is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience. Sameer has undertaken leadership roles at various foreign financial institutions, managing and leading a team of senior professionals for the Capital Markets Structured Lending and Wealth Management business in India.

Starting out at Merrill Lynch as a Vice President of Structured Lending Group, he later moved to Morgan Stanley, serving as an Executive Director.

Before joining LGT Wealth India, he was Managing Partner & Co-Heads Structured Lending at Validus Wealth. Previous to that he held the position of a Director for Private Banking at Credit Suisse Finance and a Senior Director for NBFC Credit Sales at BNP Paribas

He holds a PGPMAX from the Indian School of Business; studied – Corporate Strategy (M&A) & Competitive Marketing Strategy from the Wharton School; and Global Strategy, Innovation & Entrepreneurship from the China Europe International Business School. He also holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from SCMS.

Nikhil Advani

Managing Director, International Business

Nikhil Advani

Managing Director, International Business

Nikhil Advani is Managing Director and Head of International Business at LGT Wealth India

Nikhil has over 25 years of experience in financial services, primarily in International Markets. He is a Singapore citizen and has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and India.

Before joining LGT, Nikhil held various leadership roles at Bank of Singapore. He was Managing Director and Chief Representative Officer of the bank’s Middle East Business; prior to that he was Managing Director and Market Head of the bank’s NRI business for South East Asia.

Nikhil has also worked at Merrill Lynch International Bank Singapore where he was the Head of NRI markets, South East Asia. Before joining Merrill Lynch, he was a private banker with Citibank and worked with the group for 11 years in India, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Gautam Sewani

Managing Director - Private Clients

Gautam Sewani

Managing Director - Private Clients

Gautam Sewani is a Managing Director - Private Clients at LGT Wealth India

Gautam has an overall experience of 21 years across India and Middle East with Banks like Citibank, HSBC and Kotak Private. In his last assignment, he was the Regional Head for distribution business with Kotak Wealth and Co-Head of Advisory business across North & East.

Prior to this, he has run large branches for Citibank and HSBC across Delhi & Mumbai for 8 years.

Abby Thomas

Head Human Resource

Abby Thomas

Head Human Resource

Abby Thomas is Head – Human Resources at LGT Wealth India. Prior to this he was with Validus Wealth, where he was responsible for ensuring effective delivery of the company’s people’s agenda and manages the overall Human Resources function. He is an active member of the management team, supporting them with human resources advice and counsel.

At LGT Wealth India, he is responsible for ensuring effective delivery of the company’s people’s agenda and manages the overall Human Resources function. He is an active member of the management team, supporting them with human resources advice and counsel.

A veteran HR professional with over 20 years of experience, he has held similar leadership positions in Julius Baer, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and ABN AMRO.

He holds an MBA in Human Resources from the University of Mumbai.

Atul Singh

CEO

Atul Singh

CEO

Atul Singh is the Chief Executive Officer of LGT Wealth India

With over two decades of experience in the wealth management industry, Atul heads LGT Wealth India, the next generation wealth advisory firm that holistically addresses the financial needs of Indian investors.

Prior to Validus, he was the Managing Director & CEO of Julius Baer, India, where he led the acquisition of its business from Merrill Lynch. Before the acquisition, he was the Managing Director of private businesses at Merrill Lynch, Singapore. Prior to Merrill Lynch, he spent 7 years at the Booz Allen Hamilton in New York, advising large financial services clients.

Atul holds an MBA from IIM Bangalore with a Director’s Medal and a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, with a Presidential Gold Medal.

He believes in the philosophy of client centricity, recommending only investments he would himself put his money in. Outside the office, he enjoys photography and exploring wines from around the world.

Surendhren Manayath

Chief Operating Officer

Surendhren Manayath

Chief Operating Officer

Surendhren Manayath is COO at LGT Wealth India

His illustrious career spans over two decades, starting his journey with Kotak Mahindra Bank as a Manager for the back-office functions of consumer finance business.

He then moved to the TAIB Bank in Bahrain as an AVP, later heading to the Arab Banking Corporation handling Risk Management. Soon afterwards, he moved back to Kotak, London, as a CFO. In 2012 he transitioned to the Private Banking division as EVP for Finance Accounts and back office functions. Prior to Validus, he was with Julius Baer, India, as the COO & Board Member.

He is a Chartered Financial Analyst from CFA, USA, holds an FRM from Global Association of Risk Professionals, USA, and a CA from the ICAI. He attended Management Development Program from IIM, Ahmedabad

He maintains a customer-oriented focus, taking extra care to maintain the client’s overall financial health apart from securing the investment at hand. When he is not working, he loves watching movies, football, cricket and exploring new continents.

Rajesh Cheruvu

Chief Investment Officer

Rajesh Cheruvu

Chief Investment Officer

Rajesh Cheruvu is the Chief investment Officer at LGT Wealth India

He began his career in Wealth Management as a Research Analyst at Kotak Mahindra (erstwhile ING Private Banking) before moving to Axis Bank where he was Head of Research and Portfolio Management.

Prior to LGT Wealth India, he also served at Aditya Birla Capital where he was responsible for research from the products and industry perspective.

He holds a Masters in Economics from Gitam University and an MBA from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University.

On his office wall, he hangs a set of rules he calls “things that matter”, which he firmly believes in. Some of his favourites are: ‘People First’; ‘Everyone is Included’; ‘Leadership Matters’. He believes in absolute integrity and excellence in driving innovation that creates a positive impact.

Outside of work, he enjoys giving back to the society. He runs a medical centre in his hometown and provides educational supplements to children from his village. He also enjoys an active lifestyle, is a practitioner of Isha Yoga, loves Carnatic music and loves to spend time with his kids.

Zohra Hajiani

Managing Partner, Private Client

Zohra Hajiani

Managing Partner, Private Client

Zohra is the Managing Partner, Private Client at LGT Wealth India

She holds an MBA in Finance from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.

She is known for her integrity, transparency and result-oriented approach in her professional life. Zohra is an avid dog lover. She likes to read for knowledge, exercise for overall wellbeing and trek for strengthening her analytical and decision-making skills.

Maneesh Kapoor

Senior Executive Director and Head of North & East

Maneesh Kapoor

Senior Executive Director and Head of North & East

Maneesh Kapoor is a Senior Executive Director and Head of North & East at LGT Wealth India

A dynamic team player with impeccable work ethics, Maneesh has built a highly experienced team poised to take LGT Wealth India into a high growth trajectory. Outside of work, he loves spending time with his family and friends.

Sailesh Balachandran

Senior Executive Director and Head of South

Sailesh Balachandran

Senior Executive Director and Head of South

Sailesh Balachandran is a Senior Executive Director and Head of South at LGT Wealth India

Abhishek Khandelwal

Co-Head, Structured Lending

Abhishek Khandelwal

Co-Head, Structured Lending

Abhishek Khandelwal is a Co-Head for the Structured Lending at LGT Wealth India

In his 17-year career, Abhishek has worked with organisations like Kotak, DSP Merrill Lynch and IIFL Group, where he played a key role in building their secured lending business.

Prior to joining LGT Wealth India, he completed a 2-year stint with Julius Baer, India, where he was Executive Director & Head of Credit Business. There he was responsible for originating lending deals and providing lending solutions to wealthy clients.

He holds an MBA in Finance from the Symbiosis Centre for Management and HRD.

Abhishek is a strong team player and a people person at work. He likes to run to stay focused and improve overall mental strength.

Abby Thomas

Head Human Resource

Abby Thomas

Head Human Resource

Abby Thomas is the Head of Human Resources at LGT Wealth India.

A veteran HR professional with over 20 years of experience, he has held similar leadership positions in Julius Baer, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and ABN AMRO.

He holds an MBA in Human Resources from the University of Mumbai.

His work ethic is simple, he believes in doing the right thing, always. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with friends and family and loves any kind of outdoor activity to re-energise.

Sameer Gupta

Managing Partner & Co-Heads Structured Lending

Sameer Gupta

Managing Partner & Co-Heads Structured Lending

Sameer Gupta is a Managing Partner and Co-Heads Structured Lending at LGT Wealth India

Starting out at Merrill Lynch as a Vice President of Structured Lending Group, he later moved to Morgan Stanley, serving as an Executive Director.

Before joining LGT Wealth India, he held the position of a Director for Private Banking at Credit Suisse Finance and a Senior Director for NBFC Credit Sales at BNP Paribas.

Sameer is passionate about capital markets and follows a client-centric work ethic, believing in adding value to the client’s financial goals. Outside of work, he loves to analyse global financial trends and loves to travel.

Rajesh Cheruvu

Nimish Shah

Zohra Hajiani

Maneesh Kapoor

Sailesh Balachandran

Abhishek Khandelwal

Sameer Gupta

Nikhil Advani

Gautam Sewani

Abby Thomas

Atul Singh

Surendhren Manayath

Rajesh Cheruvu

Zohra Hajiani

Maneesh Kapoor

Sailesh Balachandran

Abhishek Khandelwal

Abby Thomas

Sameer Gupta

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