PROFILE SUMMARY
- Senior program leader with 24+ years’ experience driving cross-functional initiatives in complex environments across Financial Services and Defence.
- Skilled in program governance, defect reduction, and scalable delivery. Adept at aligning tech and non-tech teams using data-driven insights (Excel, Power Query, Power BI, Python) to enable high-impact outcomes.
- Demonstrated capability in leading cross-functional teams and collaborating with business stakeholders and SMEs to design scalable, client-centric platforms and standardize business processes.
- Skilled in applying structured tools and delivery governance frameworks to manage cross-functional initiatives and ensure compliance with enterprise standards.
- Recognized for driving enterprise-wide change, PMO governance, and managing multi-disciplinary teams to successful outcomes.
- Tools & Tech: Power BI, Tableu, Excel, Power Query, SharePoint
- Programming & Automation: Power Apps, Python (basic), SQL (basic), JIRA, Confluence
- Collaboration: MS Teams, Trello, Visio, Miro
WORK EXPERIENCE
2023-Till Now | Bank of New York, Pershing | Senior Vice President, Strategic Programs
• Drove large-scale process optimization and analytics-driven initiatives to improve customer experience and operational quality across multiple business functions.
• Led initiatives across onboarding and service operations by creating root-cause diagnostics, implementing preventive controls, and building stakeholder alignment to reduce cycle time and error rate by over 20%.
• Provide PMO oversight including project tracking, milestone monitoring, stakeholder reporting, business cases, and delivery risk mitigation for multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Designed and implemented data-driven governance dashboards using Power BI, Power Apps, and SharePoint, enabling monitoring and decision-making for leadership.
• Partnered with cross-functional stakeholders (Technology, Compliance, Operations, Product, Client Executives) to define requirements and deliver business-aligned solutions under tight timelines.
• Translated business requirements into functional specifications and user stories for workflow automation, POCs, and MVP rollouts using Power Platform.
• Identified systemic bottlenecks across process touchpoints and implemented corrective mechanisms.
• Delivered process redesign and standardization initiatives that eliminated delays and accelerated lead-to-revenue cycles, with measurable impact on customer experience.
• Standardized delivery governance and reporting frameworks to ensure consistency across programs and alignment with enterprise PMO standards.
• Some key initiatives led since 2023 are – Lead to Ledger, Client Enablement, Change Management, Payment Standards, One Transition Team, Client Sentiment Tracker.
2019-2022 | Indian Army | Director, Strategic Planning
• Led multi-year transformation programs by coordinating 10+ OEMs, 15 user units, and 3 DRDO labs; implemented PMO-governed frameworks to standardize delivery, reporting, and issue escalation.
• Managed 7 concurrent cross-functional initiatives by aligning program milestones with operational goals, capacity constraints, and resource availability.
• Executed enterprise-wide process mapping to identify inefficiencies and introduced governance models that drove $10M in cumulative savings.
• Oversaw $2M infrastructure modernization programs, achieving 15% efficiency gains in logistics, communications, and data workflows.
• Collaborated with key vendors (L&T, BDL, VECV) to deliver 200,000+ hours of technical training across geographically dispersed teams.
• Designed a unified software architecture for asset tracking, inventory forecasting, and maintenance planning across 15 operational units.
2017-2019 | Indian Army | Senior Technical Program Manager
• Managed end-to-end program delivery across 7 technical units and 685 personnel operating in 5 high-risk, remote locations along India’s northern borders.
• Implemented a Scaled Agile model and PMO tracking mechanism to coordinate concurrent initiatives; improved delivery velocity and achieved 97% operational readiness.
• Oversaw $100M in parallel development efforts; improved team output by 30% via structured resource planning and milestone tracking.
• Acted as Chief Technical Advisor to senior leadership, driving adoption of standardized operating models and enhancing resource utilization across teams.
• Managed a $9M annual operations budget with improved cost discipline through time-series forecasting and monthly performance dashboards.
• Maintained uninterrupted support operations in extreme environments through robust risk frameworks and proactive scenario planning.
2013-2017 | Indian Army | Senior Manager (Procurement)
• Served as Chief Procurement Officer, leading high-value, ex-import procurement of mission-critical equipment across 8+ global vendors.
• Executed 22 international contracts (Israel, Finland, Sweden, UK, Egypt, etc.), achieving $5M+ in cost savings through strategic negotiations and market analytics.
• Partnered with Ministry of Defence, embassies, and regulatory bodies to ensure early delivery, full compliance, and vendor accountability.
• Re-engineered procurement lifecycle processes, reducing delays and enhancing visibility and governance of revenue-based acquisitions.
2009-2012 | Senior System Engineer – Drones
• Served as Senior Systems Engineer providing technical and logistics support for Israeli drones in forward operational areas, collaborating with OEMs and apex logistics establishments to maintain 24/7 operational readiness in high-risk environments.
• Oversaw vendor compliance with security, operational, and strategic standards, ensuring adherence to defence protocols and governmental outsourcing controls. Established SOPs and SLAs to safeguard timely delivery of goods and service obligations by OEM under AMC with Indian Army
• Extended security protocols and identity validation measures to contractors and third-party technicians operating within high-security installations mitigating operational and security risks in highly sensitive field areas.
2007-2009 | Operations Manager – Air Defence Missile Systems
2004-2006 | Deputy Director Training – Vehicle Technology
2002-2004 | Engineering Officer – Armoured Vehicle Workshop
2001-2002 | Team Leader, Combat Unit – Infantry Battalion
Pursuits & Interests
• Avid student of Behavioral Sciences and keenly interested in practical application of the same in Organizational Development and Individual Coaching. Attended several trainings, workshop, labs at Indian Society for Behavioral Sciences, Reflexive Lenses.
• Certified user of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) by Richard Brandler and Existential Universe Mapper (EUM) – Personality Mapping Framework & Tool by Reflexive Lenses.
• Trained Life & Executive Coach by ICF accredited AlphaStars Academy of Excellence. Pursuing PCC@ICF with currently 200+ hours of coaching experience.
• Jointly conducted four-part Leadership Development Workshop for mid-level people managers at Tech Mahindra.
• Enjoy writing on behavioral topics in my blog @ https://medium.com/@ankurjayakar.
• Active Steering Committee Member of the Veterans Network Group; championed veteran transition programs and diversity initiatives. Participated in multiple CSR activities for environmental drives and upliftment of underprivileged children.
• Led Early Talent Outreach and Hiring programs, including graduate recruitment, internships, and brand-building at premier institutes.
• Recognized with the Army Commander’s Commendation Card (Strategic Forces) for exemplary strategic contributions to national defence (2022).
• Attended prestigious Technical Staff Officers’ Course and earned Master of Science (Military Technology) and Instructional Grading from Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (2013)
• Awarded the MCEME Commandant’s Silver Medal and Instructional Grading for academic excellence in Officers’ Advanced Course (Electronics – Radar & Guided Weapons) (2007)
• Awarded the EME School Commandant’s Co-Curricular Training Activity Award and Instructional Grading for exceptional all-round performance in Young Technical Officers’ Course (2003).