Shantanu Phansalkar
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NSE-LISTED P&L LEADER · INDIA · UAE · GCC | $36M COMMERCIAL P&L

I Build Commercial Engines Boards Can Forecast.

Enterprise Commercial Leader, VP Growth & Partnerships @ TBI Corn (NSE). I own the $36M commercial P&L. Built the system that scaled revenue from ₹115 Cr to ₹304 Cr, rebuilt exports to 18 countries, and delivered 97% board forecast accuracy across 12 cycles.

25+ years building value systems: Client Acquisition, Capital Acquisition, Fulfillment, across India, UAE and GCC. Former founder: $700K → $5M, exited 2021.

Revenue Scaled, FY23–FY26
₹115 Cr → ₹304 Cr
Revenue Scaled, FY23–FY26
Board Forecast Accuracy, 12 Cycles
97%
Board Forecast Accuracy, 12 Cycles
Countries, Export Footprint
18
Countries, Export Footprint
Commercial Team Led, Board Reporting
15
Commercial Team Led, Board Reporting

NSE LISTED · ITC VALUABLE & TRUSTED PARTNER AWARD WINNER · DUBAI ECONOMY STRATEGIC PARTNER AWARD WINNER · FORTUNE 500 CUSTOMERS

Operating across India · UAE · GCC. Based in Pune.

Shantanu Phansalkar, enterprise commercial leader across India and the GCC

Shantanu Phansalkar

Enterprise Commercial Leader

CORE DOMAINS

Commercial Strategy · Global RevOps · Cross-Border Trade (18 Countries)

“We needed a high-powered steering committee. Shantanu got us McKinsey, Deloitte, Emaar, Microsoft and Coca-Cola in the room. Remarkable access.”
Dubai EconomyKara Benallal· Dubai Economy, Government of Dubai

25+ YEARS OF COMMERCIAL EXECUTION

Track Record Built Inside Operating Businesses.

Different industries. Complex markets. Same standard: commercial governance, operational rigor, and revenue boards can forecast.

₹304 Cr ($36M)

Commercial P&L Owned

TBI Corn, FY26. Grown 2.6x from ₹115 Cr in FY23.

₹761+ Cr

B2B Pipeline Generated

Built through ICP qualification, deal scoring, and stage-gating.

18

Countries, Export Footprint

Rebuilt an export book that had fallen from 27% to 6% of revenue, with buyers across the GCC, Southeast Asia and Africa.

97%

Board Forecast Accuracy

Delivered over 12 consecutive board reporting cycles at TBI Corn.

$700K → $5M

Founder & Exit, Dubai

Founded an entrepreneur platform of magazines and flagship summits, then added outdoor media by acquiring a distressed operator with 25 sites. $24M+ cumulative volume. Exited in 2021.

₹50 Cr+ Capital Mobilized

Capital Acquisition System

Structured data-backed investment memoranda and financial models for ₹100 Cr+ in development value.

Public Programs, Commercial Partners & Enterprise Alliances

Companies and brands worked with across India, the GCC and international markets

WHY BOARDS AND FOUNDERS BRING ME IN

Most B2B Businesses Don't Have a Sales Problem. They Have an Engine Problem.

Most B2B businesses don't need more salespeople. They need an operating system that connects revenue to strategy, governance to growth, and execution to board-level accountability. A commercial engine the board can forecast.

EXECUTIVE CAPABILITIES & STRATEGIC FOCUS

Where Commercial Systems Meet Enterprise Scale.

01

Client Acquisition System

Revenue & Go-To-Market, Enterprise Partnerships, Export Market Entry. Built through ICP qualification, deal scoring, stage-gating and ecosystem governance. Not outreach: operating rigor.

Proven Metric

₹115 Cr → ₹304 Cr revenue · ₹761+ Cr B2B pipeline generated · 18-country export footprint

02

Capital Acquisition System

Capital mobilization through data-backed investment memoranda, financial modeling, and bank & investor alliances. Structured to align risk, return and governance. Not pitches.

Proven Metric

₹50 Cr+ raised · ₹100 Cr+ structured · ₹150 Cr+ qualified pipeline

03

Fulfillment System

Commercial P&L & Pricing Architecture, RevOps & Forecasting Systems, Board-Level Sales Governance. SOPs, SLAs and cross-functional cadence that delivered 97% forecast accuracy across 12 board reporting cycles.

Proven Metric

97% forecast accuracy · ITC Valuable & Trusted Partner Award 2025 · 40% B2B customer base growth

THE OPERATING THESIS

Every B2B Business Runs on Two Engines.

A growth engine wins the right customers. A fulfilment engine keeps the promises that win the next order. Most companies build one and starve the other. I build both, and connect them so sales only sells what operations can deliver at a margin.

ENGINE 01 · GROWTH ENGINE (CLIENT ACQUISITION)

Predictable Revenue OS

Target → Attract → Convert

Margin-led customer selection, enterprise origination, stage-gated pipeline and a forecast the board can rely on.

Proof

₹115 Cr → ₹304 Cr revenue · ₹761+ Cr B2B pipeline generated · 97% forecast accuracy

See Predictable Revenue OS →

ENGINE 02 · FULFILMENT ENGINE (CLIENT DELIVERY)

Fulfilment OS

Deliver → Grow

Commercial, plant, quality and supply chain working to one set of customer commitments, so service levels hold and key accounts expand.

Proof

ITC Valuable & Trusted Partner Award 2025, the only corn-derivative supplier recognised, for service-level delivery across Commercial, Plant and Supply Chain · 40% growth in B2B customer base

01 / Target

Growth Engine

Margin-Led ICP Qualification

Stop chasing low-margin volume. Define Ideal Customer Profiles based on gross margin contribution, working capital impact, and multi-year lifetime value. Focus enterprise resources strictly on deals worth winning.

02 / Attract

Growth Engine

Signal-Based Enterprise Origination

Move past generic cold outreach. Deploy buyer-signal tracking, multi-stakeholder mapping, and executive positioning to initiate peer-to-peer dialogues with supply chain heads and C-suite decision-makers.

03 / Convert

Growth Engine

Stage-Gated Pipeline Governance

Eliminate pipeline optimism. Implement strict exit criteria for each deal stage, objective deal scoring, and dynamic pricing models to deliver 97% forecast accuracy directly to the board.

04 / Deliver

Fulfilment Engine

Cross-Functional SLA Alignment

Commercial commitments mean nothing if the plant or supply chain fails. Align Sales, Operations, Quality, and Finance into unified customer SLAs, protecting margins and earning vendor-of-choice recognition (demonstrated by our ITC Award).

05 / Grow

Fulfilment Engine

Key Account Growth & Global Expansion

Expand wallet share within flagship accounts through structured QBRs and multi-year supply contracts. Replicate domestic commercial discipline into cross-border export channels across hard-to-enter international markets.

The system in 8 minutes

The whole system in 8 minutes.

From Target to Grow. How messy sales become predictable revenue.

Predictable Revenue OS: Executive Walkthrough (8 Minutes)

Commercial Case Studies

Built Inside Operating Businesses.

Three defining chapters showing how commercial systems, market origination and governance build enterprise value.

Chapter 01

2023 - Present, Pune, India

Public Agribusiness & Manufacturing

TBI Corn Limited (NSE: EMERGE Listed)

Vice President, Growth & Partnerships | Commercial & Export Leadership

The Context

A prominent corn-processing enterprise with modern manufacturing infrastructure, but without a formal commercial system. Topline growth was heavily reliant on domestic market cycles, and the export portfolio had contracted to ~6% of total revenue.

What I Built

  • Recruited as the first dedicated commercial leader in company history.
  • Built the Predictable Revenue OS from zero: structured CRM hygiene, pipeline stage gating, margin-based deal scoring, and dynamic pricing governance.
  • Aligned Plant Operations, Quality, and Commercial teams under unified customer delivery SOPs.
  • Cold-originated marquee enterprise accounts without warm introductions.

The Outcomes

  • 2.6x Topline GrowthRevenue expanded from ₹115 Cr to ₹304 Cr (FY23-FY26).
  • ~150% YoY Export SurgeRebuilt into an active 18-country footprint across GCC, SE Asia, Africa.
  • 97% Board Forecast AccuracyMaintained across 12 consecutive board reporting cycles.
  • ITC Valuable & Trusted Partner Award WinnerOnly corn-derivative supplier recognised for service-level delivery across Commercial, Plant and Supply Chain.
Explore TBI Corn →

Chapter 02

2015 - 2021, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Regional Platform Scale-Up & Governance

SPI Greatsands Group

Founder & Managing Director

The Context

Founded in Dubai as a platform for entrepreneurs to come together, learn and grow. It started with three magazines (The Intelligent SME, Innovation & Tech, Apps Middle East) and grew into industry-leading summits, the Emirates NBD Global Business Series and, later, outdoor media.

What I Built

  • Grew the platform from three magazines into the SME World Summit, Global Innovation Summit, Global App Summit and the Emirates NBD Global Business Series, interactive sessions with the UAE's business leaders.
  • Designed SME ecosystem governance model with Dubai Economy and operationalized it through the Dubai Economy Ease of Doing Business Steering Committee and partnership with Dubai SME.
  • Raised private capital from HNIs to acquire a distressed outdoor media operator, then renegotiated the site agreements to transfer all 25 sites to SPI Greatsands.

The Outcomes

  • Founder & ExitScaled revenues from $700K to $5.0M ($24M+ cumulative platform volume) and exited through a full sale in 2021.
  • Public-Private AlliancesFormalized long-term partnerships with Dubai Economy, Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank.
  • C-Suite EcosystemBuilt community of 21,000+ business leaders monetized through corporate sponsorships, market-entry retainers, and trade delegations.
  • Dubai Economy Strategic Partner Award WinnerConferred by the Government of Dubai for contributions to SME business ecosystem.

Chapter 03

2021 - 2023, Pune & Mumbai, India

Real Estate Origination & Capital Structuring

AONE Real Estate Group

Director, Growth & Investment Strategy

The Context

A regional real estate developer seeking to transition from balance-sheet-constrained development to structured, fund-backed urban redevelopment.

What I Built

  • Built deal origination framework and project underwriting engine from ground up.
  • Structured Joint Development Agreements and SPV governance models with margin guardrails, title diligence, and defined exits.
  • Founded AONE Business Network, formalising relationships with family offices, investors, and landowners.

The Outcomes

  • ₹50 Cr+ Capital MobilizedPackaged investment memoranda and financial models that secured funding from tier-1 lenders and investors.
  • ₹100 Cr+ Development Value StructuredOriginated and structured redevelopment transactions through SPV and joint-development frameworks.
  • ₹150 Cr+ Qualified PipelineEstablished self-sustaining origination pipeline based on repeatable feasibility frameworks.
Explore Aone Legacy →

HOW I START

What Happens in My First 90 Days.

Days 1-30

Diagnose

Meet the top customers, sit with plant and finance, and audit pipeline and margins account by account. Output: a one-page commercial reality report for the board.

Days 31-60

Install

Pipeline stages and exit criteria, deal scoring, pricing guardrails, a weekly forecast cadence and shared customer SLAs between sales and operations.

Days 61-90

Prove

The first forecast measured against actuals, early wins on 3 to 5 key accounts, an export or new-market plan, and a 12-month revenue plan the team owns.

The cadence works the same on site or leading remotely.

Convening power & dialogue

Operating in the rooms where regional strategy is set.

Direct access, unscripted dialogues, and strategic convening power across the GCC's largest conglomerates and economic bodies.

The rooms: Emirates NBD Global Business Series

Unscripted sessions with conglomerate leaders & government-owned groups.

Curated, recorded, and hosted by Shantanu Phansalkar in partnership with Emirates NBD.

Al Habtoor Group

Mohammed Khalaf Al Habtoor

Vice Chairman & CEO, Al Habtoor Group

Dialogue focus: Conglomerate resilience, multi-sector capital allocation, and regional governance.

Sobha Group

PNC Menon

Founder & Chairman, Sobha Group

Dialogue focus: Backward integration, quality standards, and large-scale real estate development.

DMCC

Ahmed Bin Sulayem

Executive Chairman & CEO, DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre)

Dialogue focus: Global commodity flows, free zone economics, and cross-border trade infrastructure.

Danube Group

Rizwan Sajan

Founder & Chairman, Danube Group

Dialogue focus: High-velocity building material distribution, supply chain logistics, and retail scaling.

Jumeirah Group

Gerald Lawless

Former President & Group CEO, Jumeirah Group

Dialogue focus: Global hospitality brand standards, scaling state-owned assets, and world-class service design.

RAKEZ

Ramy Jallad

Group CEO, RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone)

Dialogue focus: Industrial ecosystem development, regional manufacturing growth, and FDI attraction.

Explore the full archive →

Global broadcast media archive

Regional impact covered on the global broadcast stage.

Major business summits and economic initiatives featured across leading international networks.

CNNCNBC ArabiaDubai TVAl ArabiyaWAMSky News ArabiaDubai OneCity 7 TV

CNN

Global Innovation Summit

Founded and ran 5 editions with Dubai SME.

Sky News Arabia

Regional Economic Policy & Enterprise Growth

Coverage of enterprise growth across the GCC.

Dubai One

Global App & Technology Summits

Connecting regional enterprises with international platforms.

City 7 TV

The SME World Summit

Building high-impact commercial ecosystems in the UAE.

Awards & honors

Recognition from government and enterprise partners.

2017, GLOBAL, UAE

MENA Business Leader Award

Conferred in recognition of regional commercial leadership and scaling B2B platforms through governance and operational rigor.

Ecosystem & Strategic Reach

Capital, Markets, and Governance Move on Trust.

Over 25 years of consistent delivery across India and the GCC has built an active ecosystem of public-sector leaders, enterprise founders, and investors.

21,000+

Senior Decision-Makers & Leaders

Executive C-Suite community built through public-private governance and steering committees. Not outreach.

12,000+

Enterprise Leaders on LinkedIn

Verified Professional Network, direct connections with Managing Directors, Board Chairs, Enterprise Supply Chain Heads and Capital Partners.

1,250+

Members, Apex Growth Forum

Founder and operator peer forum of founders, commercial heads and growth executives focused on building scalable, repeatable revenue systems.

Enterprise partnerships, cross-border export agreements, and serious capital do not start through cold channels. They move through established trust and verified execution.

Connect on LinkedIn →Request Access to Apex Growth Forum →

BUILT, NOT BORROWED

The Operating Systems Behind the Results.

Running at TBI Corn

Predictable Revenue OS

The growth engine behind the climb from ₹115 Cr to ₹304 Cr. ICP qualification, deal scoring, stage-gating, pricing governance and board forecast cadence.

See Predictable Revenue OS →
In development

Fulfilment OS

The delivery engine behind the ITC Valuable & Trusted Partner Award. Cross-functional SOPs and SLAs aligning Commercial, Plant, Quality and Supply Chain.

Private beta

Linkfluence

An AI-native LinkedIn content platform for B2B leaders building authority.

In a mandate, these become the company's operating toolkit, not a side business.

Commercial Philosophy & Governance

Six Principles That Guide Commercial Execution.

01 /

Clarity Before Action

Understand the real commercial position before spending money or sales effort.

02 /

Relevance Before Revenue

Solve the customer's biggest operating problem first, and margin and revenue follow.

03 /

Trust Compresses Sales Cycles

Clear service standards and kept promises shorten deal cycles faster than any negotiation tactic.

04 /

Capital Demands Operational Rigor

Investors and boards fund predictable engines backed by a forecast they can trust, not optimistic projections.

05 /

Relationships Provide Asymmetric Advantage

Hard-to-enter markets open through earned, peer-level credibility, not unsolicited outreach.

06 /

Systems Make Excellence Repeatable

Build systems and habits so good work repeats without depending on individual heroics.

Questions search partners ask

What Search Partners Ask Before a Shortlist.

Are you open to a full-time role?

+

Yes. I'm looking for a full-time commercial leadership role: CCO, CRO, Country Head or Head of India. Remote roles are my first preference, across India, the UAE and the GCC. Relocation is open for the right mandate.

What happens to Predictable Revenue OS and your other ventures?

+

They're the systems I bring into the business, not companies that compete with it. In a full-time role they become your operating toolkit.

What kind of business fits best?

+

Listed, promoter-led and PE-backed B2B businesses, especially manufacturing, food and agri inputs, and companies expanding between India and the GCC.

How large a team have you led?

+

At TBI Corn I lead a commercial team of 15 and report on the number to a listed company's board every quarter.

Can you lead a commercial team remotely?

+

Yes. The cadence is weekly forecasts, pipeline reviews and account plans, built to run across sites and time zones. The 18-country export business already works that way.

Are references available?

+

Yes, including board-level references, on confidential request.

Executive Mandates

Strategic Conversations Start with Operational Alignment.

Whether you're hiring a commercial leader, entering India or the GCC, or getting a business ready for the board, let's talk about the role.

01 /

Chief Commercial Officer · Chief Revenue Officer

Full commercial P&L ownership: revenue, pricing, key accounts, exports and board forecasting, for listed, promoter-led or PE-backed B2B and manufacturing businesses.

02 /

Country Head · Head of India

For European, US and Middle East companies entering or scaling in India: market entry, team build, enterprise accounts and local partnerships.

03 /

GCC Market Leadership

For India-based groups expanding into the UAE and GCC, drawing on 16+ years operating in Dubai and institutional relationships across the region.

For search firms: Send the Role Brief →For founders and CEOs: Discuss a Leadership Role →View LinkedIn Profile →

Direct Contact Channels

Confidential Line / WhatsApp

+91 7709996909

Based in Pune, India · Open to India, UAE and GCC mandates, remote or on relocation.

A full executive profile, board-reporting summaries and references are available on confidential request.