# Vikram Talwar

> Vikram Talwar co-founded EXL with Rohit Kapoor in 1999 after 26 years at Bank of America and leadership roles at Ernst & Young Consulting. He helped buy EXL back from Conseco in 2002, led it through its early rebuilding years and the 2006 Nasdaq listing, and handed the CEO role to Kapoor in 2008. He retired from EXL’s board in February 2014. Harkness Capital Partners lists him as a founding partner and operating investor.

- **Role:** Founding Partner and Operating Investor at Harkness Capital Partners
- **Organizations:** EXL, Bank of America, Ernst & Young Consulting, Harkness Capital Partners, Southwest Foodservice Excellence, Unlock Capital
- **Nationality:** Indian
- **Education:** St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, MBA, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
- **Known for:** Co-founded EXL in 1999 and helped rebuild its customer base after the Conseco crisis., Led EXL during its 2006 Nasdaq listing., Named a finalist for the Metro New York Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in May 2008.

## Career timeline

- **1970** — Completed his MBA at IIM Ahmedabad; began a 26-year Bank of America career.
- **1998-1999** — CEO and managing director of Ernst & Young Consulting India; also Asia director of its Global Operate Business.
- **1999** — Co-founded EXL with Rohit Kapoor.
- **2001** — EXL was acquired by Conseco.
- **2002** — Founders, Oak Hill Capital Partners and FTVentures bought EXL back before Conseco filed for bankruptcy in December.
- **2006** — EXL listed on Nasdaq.
- **2008** — Became executive chairman on May 1; Rohit Kapoor became president and CEO.
- **2011** — Became non-executive chairman on April 1.
- **2014** — Retired from the EXL board on February 5; Garen Staglin became chairman.

## Achievements

- Co-founded EXL in 1999 and helped rebuild its customer base after the Conseco crisis.
- Led EXL during its 2006 Nasdaq listing.
- Named a finalist for the Metro New York Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in May 2008.
- EXL had more than 21,000 employees and over 30 offices and delivery centers when his board retirement was announced in December 2013.

## Latest updates

- **2024-06** — In EXL’s 25th anniversary reflection, Rohit Kapoor recalled co-founding the company with Talwar and said its eventual scale exceeded what he had imagined at the outset.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/vik-talwar-2b81ba19

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/vikram-talwar
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15