CRIF Credit Information Services has named Suresh Venkatesan as its new CEO and whole-time director, aiming to expand responsible lending and fintech access across India with his extensive experience in banking and data analytics.
CRIF Credit Information Services Private Limited has named Suresh Venkatesan as its whole-time director and chief executive, effective September 29, as the Mumbai-based credit bureau looks to deepen its use of data and analytics in lending decisions.
The company, formerly known as CRIF High Mark, said the appointment is intended to support more data-driven lending and broaden access to formal finance. CRIF Credit Information Services is licensed by the Reserve Bank of India and says it plays a central role in India’s credit ecosystem by helping lenders make informed decisions and by promoting responsible borrowing.
Venkatesan brings more than 30 years of experience across credit, risk, data analytics, regulatory reporting and business transformation. His career has included senior roles at Standard Chartered, HSBC, EY and Grant Thornton, with experience spanning corporate, commercial, small and medium-sized enterprise, and retail banking. The company said his background would support its efforts to extend finance to farmers, MSMEs and other underserved groups.
Sachin Seth, chairman of CRIF Credit Information Services, said Venkatesan’s mix of banking and technology-led transformation experience would strengthen the company’s ability to support financial institutions and businesses across India. Venkatesan said he aims to help expand responsible access to financial services while building on CRIF’s existing platform.
Founded in March 2011, CRIF Credit Information Services operates one of India’s largest credit information databases, drawing on contributions from more than 5,000 member institutions and serving banks, non-banking financial companies, housing finance firms, microfinance institutions and individual consumers. Its parent, CRIF, is a global credit and business information group established in 1988 that operates in 37 countries and says it serves more than 10,500 financial institutions worldwide. CRIF expanded its Indian presence after acquiring a majority stake in High Mark Credit Information Services in June 2014.
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