Managing Director – India

Location: Bengaluru, India ( Full time, Onsite Role)
Reports To: EVP of Investments (US)

Role Overview

Stronghold is seeking an exceptional Managing Director- India to lead and elevate our Global Capability Center (GCC) in Bengaluru. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving excellence across a diverse set of global functions - including product, investments, petro-technical, GIS, finance and accounting, operations, HR, and IT - within a highly collaborative matrix structure.

The ideal candidate brings deep GCC leadership experience, outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills, and a track record of transforming offshore teams into high-value, strategic partners. This leader will strengthen, mature, and continuously improve an already well-established office while driving innovation, cohesion, and impact across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Serve as the senior-most leader for Stronghold India, providing direction, clarity, and strategic alignment with US leadership.
• Evolve and enhance the Bangalore office’s operating model, strengthening capabilities, expanding value contribution, and enabling high-performance global collaboration.
• Shape India’s long-term strategic roadmap in partnership with Dallas-based leadership, ensuring the Bangalore office remains a strategic advantage for Stronghold.

Product & Strategy Integration

• Develop a deep understanding of Stronghold’s business model, strategic priorities, and product roadmap, and translate them into clear direction and alignment for all India-based teams.
• Bring cohesion across engineering, GIS, petro-technical, operations, finance, and other Bangalore office functions ensuring they are synchronized, collaborative, and collectively driving innovation and measurable value for the organization.
• Bridge the gap between operational teams and Product and Engineering teams to translate understandings of processes and Firm's vision into concrete guidance for product development. 

Operational Excellence

• Lead day-to-day operations across multiple functions with a focus on quality, timeliness, discipline, and continuous improvement.
• Drive operational rigor through process optimization, standardization, and data-backed decision making.
• Oversee local compliance, regulatory requirements, and governance associated with managing a global delivery office in India.
• Manage budgets, financial planning, and P&L performance for the Bangalore office, ensuring efficient and responsible stewardship of resources.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

• Operate as a trusted partner to global leaders, ensuring seamless integration between US and India teams.
• Navigate a matrix structure effectively aligning cross-functional priorities, resolving friction points, and enabling high-quality execution.
• Demonstrate strong executive presence and transparent communication.

People Leadership & Culture Building

• Inspire, mentor, and lead Bangalore-based teams while upholding Stronghold’s high standards of performance, integrity, and accountability.
• Foster a culture that values ownership, bias for action, analytical rigor, operational excellence, and a commitment to exceptional outcomes.
• Develop and nurture leadership talent across functions; implement processes that enhance performance management and career progression.
• Continue shaping a collaborative office environment that embodies Stronghold’s values and mission.

Minimum Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive professional experience, including 2+ years leading or managing a India-based global capability center or major sub-function within such an environment, with cross-functional visibility.
• Experience in technology/product organizations or investment/financial services with exposure to global teams.
• Demonstrated success operating in a complex matrix organization, managing multiple functional stakeholders across time zones.
• Proven capability in P&L management, budgeting, and financial governance.
• Strong knowledge of India’s regulatory, compliance, and governance requirements for running a global delivery or capability office.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and partner with senior executives.
• Deep people leadership expertise with a track record of building, scaling, mentoring, and retaining high-performing teams.

Preferred Attributes

• Business-first mindset with the ability to connect strategic priorities to execution.
• High integrity, transparency, and a leadership style that inspires trust.
• Analytical thinker with the ability to break down complexity, solve problems, and make sound decisions.
• Demonstrated bias for action and passion for operational excellence.
• Ownership mentality-drives outcomes, raises the bar, and holds teams to high standards.

Why This Role Matters

This is a rare opportunity to lead a strategically important Bangalore-based office that has been thoughtfully built and is performing well. The Managing Director- India will have a meaningful, long-term impact on Stronghold’s global success, playing a key role in shaping how our teams innovate, execute, and collaborate across geographies.