Pramod Bhandari has stepped into the position of Group Chief Financial Officer at Aureolis Group, which includes the group’s corporate business and investment entities such as Ivar Carbons, Smaart Water, Maritide, Aureolis Ventures, and Aureolis Capital. This appointment marks an exciting chapter for Pramod, who brings with him over two decades of diverse finance expertise, particularly in strategic finance management, fundraising, opex control, treasury management, and business transformation within multinational conglomerates and family office structures.
Prior to joining Aureolis Group, Pramod served as the Chief Operating Officer at Metro Brands Limited‘s Family Office. In this role, he distinguished himself by restructuring family office entities to optimize wealth management and tax planning across international borders. His tenure at Metro Brands also saw him spearhead significant portfolio investments and lead automation efforts for accounting and taxation processes. This strategic restructuring enabled the Family Office to achieve better cost-efficiency, improved post-tax returns, and streamlined compliance across geographies.
Before Metro Brands, Pramod held a key leadership role as Vice President of the Khaitan Family Office at NeoGrowth Credit Pvt. Ltd., where he managed an impressive portfolio, successfully navigating four rounds of equity funding. His role was integral in building a robust finance function for the group’s start-up ventures, handling corporate restructuring, wealth management, and tax planning. During his tenure, Pramod demonstrated his prowess in strategic finance by conducting long-term business forecasting, developing financial models, and facilitating end-to-end equity raising processes.
Earlier in his career, Pramod worked as Assistant General Manager for Reliance Retail, where he effectively bolstered revenue through an impactful revenue enhancement and recovery project, yielding a 25% increase in top-line income for other income verticals. His oversight of operations finance across the retail business was instrumental in implementing a management reporting system that tracked profitability by store, ultimately aiding Reliance Retail in identifying and capitalizing on new cost-control opportunities.
His early experience at Reliance Communications further fortified his expertise in financial reporting, revenue analysis, and Six Sigma methodologies. At Reliance Communications, he received the Enterprise Excellence Award for successfully identifying revenue leakages and recovering lost revenue. His background in high-level financial planning and revenue enhancement strategies highlights his commitment to efficiency and growth, skills that he brings forward into his role at Aureolis Group.
As the new Group CFO, Pramod will likely be at the helm of Aureolis Group‘s finance strategy, navigating complex financial landscapes, and contributing to the group’s long-term financial health. His wealth of experience in strategic finance, family office management, and large-scale financial structuring is expected to drive Aureolis Group’s continued expansion and fiscal strength across its diversified business units. He will be instrumental in setting up a robust supply chain and achieving cost leadership for the activated carbon business. Additionally, he will act as a strategic advisor to the founders, playing a pivotal role in creating and implementing strategic business plans for the water business, other start-ups, and the family office’s investment portfolios.