Shankar Balakrishnan
About Shankar Balakrishnan
Shankar Balakrishnan serves as the Area Vice President for Northern Europe at Anaplan, having previously held leadership roles at Medallia and other consulting firms. He has a strong background in technology and business consulting, with expertise in building high-performing teams and managing substantial SaaS business portfolios.
Current Role at Anaplan
Shankar Balakrishnan serves as the Area Vice President for Northern Europe at Anaplan. He has held this position since 2021, working from London, England. In this role, he focuses on driving business growth and enhancing customer engagement across the region.
Previous Experience at Medallia
Before joining Anaplan, Shankar Balakrishnan worked at Medallia as the Area Vice President for the UK&I, Middle East, and Africa from 2019 to 2021. He also held the position of Vice President of Field Sales and Account Management for EMEA at Medallia from 2014 to 2019. His tenure at Medallia was marked by managing a $40 million book of SaaS business, achieving record retention and significant growth in new revenue.
Consulting Background
Shankar has a strong background in management consulting, having worked at The Boston Consulting Group from 2011 to 2013 and at Capgemini Management Consulting from 2008 to 2011. His experience in consulting has equipped him with skills in problem-solving and strategic thinking, which he applies to his current role.
Education and Expertise
Shankar Balakrishnan holds an MBA in Analytical Finance from the Indian School of Business, where he studied from 2006 to 2007. He also earned a Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering from Bharathiar University. His educational background supports his passion for technology and his ability to simplify complex business problems.
Technical Skills and Team Building
Shankar has a background in writing code and configuring complex ERP systems. He is skilled in building and shaping high-performing services and sales teams from scratch. His technical expertise, combined with his leadership skills, enables him to effectively drive team performance and business outcomes.