MY STRENGTH PROFILE

I lead with the Strategic Thinking Theme.

I have a knack for understanding complex business dynamics and presenting the big picture in a way that makes it easier for all parties to buy in and feel included.

Analytical
Relator
Ideation
Self-Assurance
Achiever

Murthy Kotikalapudi

EVP, OPERATIONS & ADMINISTRATION

he/him | Vizag, Andhra Pradesh

Certified in Lean Six Sigma, I excel at managing complexity. I approach scenarios in search of areas of weakness as well as potential synergies, and I am always in pursuit of new ways to add value to organizations, their customers, and their teams.

MY SIDE HUSTLES

For Impact:

Bike Riding
Parenting my two boys
Mentoring past colleagues

For Fun:

Watching Pro Soccer
Camping with friends
Luxury Cars

How I think:

MY MARK:

I will redefine what it means to build a global company.

Having spent over a decade working in the outsourcing industry, I've seen firsthand the difference in treatment of people based on their culture or geography. At Aggregate, I'm here to take all I've learned and use it to build the type of global company I've always wanted to work for: a people-centric, truly global team, where no team member is treated as a disposable resource, but rather an integrated member of the team, and a valuable asset; thereby leaving a footprint of compassion and willingness to help others by providing them with opportunities – the same type of opportunities that have led me here.

MY WHY:

I want to give people a place to live their lives fully.

I want to give people a place to live their lives fully–to grow professionally, but also as people in their personal and spiritual lives. I am thrilled to help build a company that supports whole humans, and I cannot help but imbibe the company’s culture and be enthusiastic at all times. I hope to leave a footprint that will allow people to benefit from the lessons I learned the hard way, and to enable them to live the experiences we create as a team. I hope to enjoy creating and growing here and then eventually, to retire at Aggregate.

WHAT LED ME HERE:

Set my sights on working for American companies.

At the start of my career, being in the business process outsourcing space (BPO), I had an opportunity to work remotely for US corporations. I lived in India, and it was a point of pride for me to work in the nascent BPO space for a US company. I decided to learn everything I could about American culture and committed myself to shaping a successful career in major US corporations. I set out to reach the goal of becoming a VP of Operations by age 40 and committed everything I had to, learning and growing both professionally and culturally, as the two were intertwined.

Carved my niche as an operations strategist for large corporations like Fidelity and IBM.

I started as a Team Lead with a Pennsylvania-based tax collector in 2002, and in 2005, I moved on to Acclaris Inc., based out of Tampa to work for Wichita Services Corp., a domestic accounting firm managing back office accounting operations for American food giants. This was the first time I’d actually visited the United States, and the visit confirmed my commitment to build my career in the US, and affirmed the need to work closely with onsite teams. From here, I took on increasingly demanding roles: Operations, Account Management, Quality and Treasury at Acclaris Inc.. I scaled up to become Associate Vice President heading the treasury department and managing $2.6B in money movement processes for clients including Bank of America, Fidelity, Xerox, and IBM. I got certified in Lean Six Sigma and also earned a certification in Leadership and Management under the Dale Carnegie Certification Program. All of this led to growth, success, and accolades during my 11 years working with large domestic corporations.

Led a professional services firm through exponential growth in revenue and headcount.

I wanted to explore something new and take on challenging roles with smaller companies to grow them multi-fold, in terms of headcount and revenues. In 2016, I joined a California-based company as a VP of Operations, thereby achieving my career milestone. The CEO was supportive and encouraged me to drive operations independently, which helped me learn about running a business as an entrepreneur; a very different mindset than I’d needed to use at corporations backed by venture capital financing. I learned how to sell, manage business top-line metrics, and how to venture into and scale new opportunities. I established five new lines of business and managed them end to end, eventually increasing headcount by 450% and revenues by 750%.

Life, love, and burnout led me back home.

Through the years, I remained laser focused on my professional life, continuing my endless pursuit of the wealth and stature I’d decided as a child were important. But one day, my wife said something that stopped me cold: “This is a vicious cycle and you will finally end up being wealthy but see only brick and mortar. Even our kids will hesitate to call you Dad.” I was gaining stature and position in the companies I served, but she pointed out that I was losing my position within my family. How could I reconcile success in my career with my role as a husband and a father? It was time to set new goals and to begin building the bridges that would balance my personal and professional life.

I joined Aggregate to build the company I've always wanted to work for.

After five and half years with Precistat Data Services Inc. I took a sabbatical to be close to my family and seek out a new challenge. During this time, I was approached by Sam Malik, an acquaintance from my previous company, who told me he was looking for a Lean Six Sigma Certified leader. He wanted to reorganize his company, Malik Media, to transform it from a small agency to a process-driven consultancy that could scale using a global talent force. We delved into the vision, and I found this opportunity compelling for two reasons. One, I wanted to help scale up a truly global company, one that would be process driven and people-centric. The second reason was my deep understanding of Sam’s vision and my appreciation for his willingness to invest both time and effort in making it a reality. The opportunity for me to grow along with the company while still nurturing my family was the driving force for me to join Aggregate, which feels like the culmination of both my professional and personal dreams.