Leadership Team

Ashok is seasoned entrepreneur and a visionary thinker. Over the last 30 years, Ashok has been involved in recognizing impactful discontinuities in the technology business landscape. Apart from Mastech, Ashok also co-founded IGATE Corporation that spearheaded the outcomes-driven IT services model. As the Managing Partner of SWAT Capital, Ashok has been an angel investor in over 50 early stage technology and financial services businesses and takes keen interest in PIPE and Co-investments. Winner of the “E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year” Award, Ashok has also founded Ashoka University in India, a private, nonprofit University offering multidisciplinary courses in liberal education. Ashok holds an MBA from the Ohio University and a Masters in Physics from the Delhi University.

Sunil co-founded Mastech and also led the company as its CEO. Under his leadership, Mastech evolved from a start-up IT staffing firm into one of the country’s leading IT staffing companies and was listed four times by Inc. magazine as the fastest growing company in the U.S., named among the Top 100 Hot Growth companies by BusinessWeek, and recognized in the Technology Fast 50 by Deloitte. In addition to Mastech, Sunil co-founded and till recently was Chairman of IGATE Corporation, which provides a broad range of Information Technology services. With over 34,000 employees on four continents, IGATE has been ranked among the world’s largest leading consulting firms. In July 2015, IGATE was sold to Capgemini of France for over $4 billion. Sunil has also angel-funded over 40 tech startups and has served on the boards of large innovation-based organizations. Sunil has authored articles for a variety of publications such as Business Week, The Wall Street Journal and Information Week.

Vlad is the EVP & Chief Technology Officer, DICK’s Sporting Goods. He joined Mastech Digital as an independent member of the company’s Board of Directors in 2022. He brings to the Board over twenty-four years of technology experience, including senior leadership roles at some of the premier organizations in the world, namely Nike, Disney, and Merck. As the Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Dick’s Sporting Goods, Mr. Rak is currently leading the company’s technology efforts, including product management, design, and engineering.

Mr. Nayar currently serves on the board of directors of GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE: GFL), and Amcor PLC (NYSE: AMCR). He is also a Senior Advisor to McKinsey and Company and serves on the Global Advisory Council of ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE: NOW). Previously, Mr. Nayar served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Tyco International, an $10 billion+ fire protection and security company, where he was responsible for managing financial risks and overseeing its global finance functions, including tax, treasury, mergers and acquisitions, audit and investor relations.

Dr. Srinivas Kandula is an author, educator, business leader, and transformative innovator leading strategy and operations at the Centre for Organization Development (CoD), Hyderabad, India. He was formerly the Chairman of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer of Capgemini India, responsible for leading the Company’s operations across India and building leadership quotient globally. Previously, Kandula held the roles of Chief People Officer, Executive Vice President, and Member of the Executive Council at IGATE.

Bonnie K. Smith is a seasoned global business leader with three decades of experience spanning manufacturing, distribution, consulting, and services. She excels in crafting and delivering digital transformation strategies and has led major integrations, including a Fortune 65 merger. Her expertise covers IT, AI, Cybersecurity, Digital, and Big Data, alongside a deep understanding of business operations. As CIO of TD SYNNEX, the leading IT equipment and services distributor, Bonnie oversees IT strategies across 90 countries. Her previous roles include driving marketing communications for a $5B B2B business and delivering a $1B e-commerce platform for a top lab supplies distributor. She is skilled in risk management, diversity development, and optimizing capital investments. Bonnie has held IT leadership roles in six Fortune 250 companies, served Fortune 100 clients at McKinsey & Company, and led global transformations across industries. A strong advocate for cybersecurity, she has successfully navigated complex threats. An MBA graduate from the University of Chicago and a Computer Science graduate from Indiana University of PA, Bonnie also contributes as a Director for Mentors International and the Rhonda Walker Foundation.

Nirav Patel is the CEO of Mastech Digital, leading its growth with a customer-centric approach, innovative technologies, and high-performance teams. A seasoned technology leader with over two decades of experience, he has built and scaled multibillion-dollar businesses globally.

Before Mastech, Patel was President and CEO of Bristlecone, where he transformed it into a Data and AI-led supply chain powerhouse, achieving significant growth. Earlier, he scaled Cognizant’s Communications, Media, and Technology business to $2 billion in annual revenue as Senior Vice President.

A recognized thought leader, Patel is part of the CNBC CEO Council and Forbes Technology Council. He holds a computer science degree from Madras University and is an HBS Advanced Management alumnus. Based in Dallas, he mentors young leaders and champions STEM education and innovation.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Mastech Digital Nirav Patel is the CEO of Mastech Digital, leading its growth with a customer-centric approach, innovative technologies, and high-performance teams. A seasoned technology leader with over two decades of experience, he has built and scaled multibillion-dollar businesses globally.

Before Mastech, Patel was President and CEO of Bristlecone, where he transformed it into a Data and AI-led supply chain powerhouse, achieving significant growth. Earlier, he scaled Cognizant’s Communications, Media, and Technology business to $2 billion in annual revenue as Senior Vice President.

A recognized thought leader, Patel is part of the CNBC CEO Council and Forbes Technology Council. He holds a computer science degree from Madras University and is an HBS Advanced Management alumnus. Based in Dallas, he mentors young leaders and champions STEM education and innovation.

Kannan Sugantharaman is an accomplished global finance and operations leader with deep expertise in scaling and transforming complex business environments. As the Chief Financial and Operations Officer, he oversees global Finance and Operations functions. Prior to joining Mastech Digital, Kannan held key leadership roles at Omega Healthcare and Cognizant Technology Solutions, where he played a pivotal role in driving operational transformation, enhancing executional rigor, and delivering strong financial outcomes across international markets. Known for his collaborative leadership style and practical mindset, he brings a track record of aligning cross-functional teams toward shared business goals. Kannan is a qualified Chartered Accountant from The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Madras. He also earned his MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

VV, as he is called, is responsible for managing all facets of HR at Mastech – including Talent Acquisition, Employee Care, and Organizational Development. VV brings with him 20 years of experience in global people management. Prior to Mastech, he had a successful tenure with NESS Technologies where he spent over five years as Vice President – Human Resources & Professional Services. Prior to joining NESS, VV ran his own HR services company, IntellQuest as an entrepreneur. VV has spent almost 10 years with Mastech/IGATE before that. VV has also held senior HR positions working for TCS and Syntel in Mumbai, India. VV is an E-MBA graduate from Katz School of Business, University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management and is also associated with ‘Real Men Wear Pink’, a charitable cause toward breast cancer awareness.

As the General Counsel, Jenna heads the legal as well as the admin functions at Mastech Digital. Jenna has around 15 years of experience including 13 years at Mastech Digital. She was earlier the Corporate Counsel and was also part of IGATE Clinical Research – a former subsidiary of Mastech Digital. Jenna played a key role in the divesture of the subsidiary. Jenna holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Jefferson College. She is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management and TechAlliance. Jenna is associated with the Faith Formation at Mother of Sorrows as a teacher of kindergarten children.

Philippe Bourdon is a seasoned IT executive with a strong focus on cybersecurity, digital transformation, and infrastructure management. As the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Mastech Digital, he spearheads efforts to secure the company’s digital assets and lead its technological innovation. Philippe’s expertise extends across disaster recovery, vendor management, infrastructure, and the software development life cycle (SDLC), making him a versatile leader in the IT landscape.

Philippe holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor’s degree from Western Connecticut State University. He has further honed his global business skills with certifications from the Yale School of Management.

Outside of his professional career, Philippe is dedicated to philanthropy. He was honored with the 2013 Leadership Award from the March of Dimes for his volunteer efforts and continues to support organizations like Doctors Without Borders and CHADD.org,, which focus on global health and ADHD awareness.

Mike has over 19 years of experience in successfully running sales and revenue functions for staffing and technology companies. He spent 16 years in Hudson IT – a company acquired by Mastech Digital in 2015. At Mastech Digital, Mike leads and manages the company’s US-based sales teams and is responsible for sales strategy and increasing revenue and profitability across Mastech Digital’s sales divisions. Prior to this, Mike was the Director of Sales at Hudson IT and Director of Recruiting at TMP Worldwide. Mike has also worked with SystemOne and Orlando Magic and is currently associated with the Leadership Orlando – America’s largest community leadership program. Mike holds an MBA from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida. Mike loves pop culture and is also a coach for youth sports in Orlando.

Babu Venkatachalapathy is a seasoned IT industry leader with over 20 years of experience, currently serving as Vice President and Head of the Offshore Business Unit at Mastech Digital. As part of his role, he consults with global organizations on digital transformation program optimization, driven by setting up and running resources and teams at offshore locations. He leads teams at Mastech Digital that help identify, onboard, and deliver ongoing technology programs to customers. Babu holds a Master of Business Administration from California Coast University and an Advanced Management Program certificate from The Wharton School.

With over 15 years of experience, all of which is at Mastech Digital, Shipra Sharma is a young achiever in the company. She has successfully led the recruiting practice servicing the direct sales teams and over the years, has brought in significant operational efficiencies in her function. She has increased the profitability of her function consistently during her tenure in the company as a recruiting leader. Shipra holds an MBA in HR and is part of the industry groups such as SIA, Techserve and The Table group. Shipra is a certified Predictive Analyst and enjoys traveling.

Jacob Samuel comes to Mastech InfoTrellis as Senior Vice President and leader of the Integrated Digital Transformation practice, where leads the efforts in shaping clients’ digital transformations with a systematic and strategic perspective. Jacob brings unique strategic insights and a successful track record of connecting customer-centric outcomes with business goals and approaching product development with an ingenious touch. He has cultivated an innovative outlook toward problem-solving, combining design, service, and systems thinking.

Kishalay, or “KG,” commonly known, is a strategic leader with 16 years of experience across various technology roles. He began his career at Infosys leading engineering and consulting teams and then joined Mastech InfoTrellis as a Principal. Over time, KG has moved up the ranks to become the Vice President of our North American Operations and deliver complete digital transformation solutions to clients across numerous industries.