Rahul Mutha is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aurus, a leader in providing innovative payment solutions that are ranked among the top 5 payment platforms of 2018 by PYMNTS.com. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Aurus’ customers include Fortune 500 companies in Retail, Grocery, C-Stores and Restaurant Chains. MassTLC Annual Awards recently recognized Aurus as a finalist for its patented payment security solution, AurusShield™.
Aurus’s origins go back to 2000 when it was founded by Rahul in his house garage with 2 employees. Today the company has scaled up to 700 employees and coming up with state of art technology centre in Hinjewadi, Pune, one of the technology hubs in India. It has been a story of unprecedented growth, where Rahul’s vision to excel and the supportive leadership was the key to script the success story.
Under Rahul’s leadership, Aurus has built AurusPay™, a PCI PA-DSS and P2PE Certified payment processing platform integrated with the major payment processors in the United States and 20 countries around the world. Over the years Rahul invented and received several patents related to security and PCI scope reduction of POS systems and Fuel Dispensers, (Patent# 9424577, 9171304, 9135615, 8543461). AurusPay platform is installed across thousands of merchants in North America, South America and Europe.
Rahul has earned his Graduation in Electronics Engineering from the University of Pune and a Masters in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. Before founding Aurus, Rahul served as the principal consultant at Emergent (Datawarehouse Consulting Group), which was acquired by Keane Consulting (NTT Data). At Emergent, Rahul focused on performance tuning of large scale Datawarehouse systems and high-density computing platforms. As part of his Master's Research Program with NASA and JPL, Rahul has co-published an IEEE paper on “Modeling of semiconductor devices degradation in outer space”.
As the co-founder and President/COO of Aurus, Punam Mutha oversees the company’s financial, human resources, legal and compliance departments for both in the US and India offices.
Punam brings in 23+ years of experience in Information Technology encompassing IT services, product development and consulting. She possesses a strong technical background in working with payment processing, point of sale (POS) and retail organizations and Punam has also provided consulting services for leading financial services organizations.
After a decade of technical contribution to Aurus she moved sides to operations and finance. Punam clears the pathway for every Aurus’ business initiative whether it is office expansions or entering new geographies, making it seem effortless. Her financial astute has enabled the company to grow organically and remain debt free. Her acumen and operational expertise makes Aurus’ growth smooth and seamless.
With her relationship management skills, Punam has successfully and continuously restructured and innovated Human Resources, Finance, Operations departments in India and USA to keep up with Aurus’ ever growing business demands. On the other hand, she has ensured that Aurus continues to give back to the community through Aurus sponsored and Aurus’ customers’ charitable events and initiatives.
Before joining Aurus, Punam served as Project Manager and Technical Lead for more than five years for Infosys Technologies. Punam has earned her graduation with Honors in Bachelors of Engineering (Computers) from Pune Institute of Computer Technology, Pune University.
With 18+ years of experience in managing and developing solutions solving complex payment problems for clients, Paresh focuses on Aurus Services Business, which provides design, analysis, development and maintenance of traditional POS solutions, payment terminal applications, mobile wallets, mobile POS and CRM systems for the restaurant, retail and health care industries. The security of customer data and financial information is common to all the mentioned developments.
Paresh's strong Project Management, Service Delivery and Business Analysis skills with careful development and the nurturing of key characteristics, behaviours, and best practices helped Aurus build the high-performance Services team of 100+ engineers. Paresh is proficient in Software Development Life cycle (SDLC) project management for various types of SDLC methodologies including Waterfall and Agile. Paresh's excellent communication with the stakeholders provides accurate information regarding the ongoing initiatives, scope management and risks.
It's very frequent for our AurusPay clients to desire to launch an innovative service that provides a competitive advantage. Here's where Paresh’s team comes into the role to develop the required customized solution, to the satisfaction of clients.
During his tenure in the software industry, prior to Aurus, Paresh served as a senior software developer for Six Cube Technologies, an Internet Marketing Company and Asha Automation. Paresh received a Bachelor’s of Science and a Masters in Computer Science degree from Pune University. He is also a certified developer on Verifone and Micros POS solutions.
Vishal joined Aurus in 2004. He has successfully lead the company into its next phase as an innovative company in the payments space. With his vast experience as a Technical Architect, Vishal played a crucial role in developing the AurusPay switch. Since AurusPay’s launch, Vishal has been a player coach in defining the features and functionality of the platform.
Vishal has also been closely involved in managing and mentoring a high-caliber team of engineers who provide software development, operations and security of the AurusPay product line. He has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to attract and retain his teams. Under his leadership, the platform has achieved 99.999% uptime while continuing to rapidly scale up to cover increased global geographies and store locations.
With his technical abilities and capabilities to handle multiple projects at a time, the AurusPay platform is capable to grow faster. This is achieved through broad knowledge and experience of numerous technologies and concepts coupled with an ability to understand and describe complex situations in simple terms.
Vishal received a Bachelor’s of Science and a Masters in Computer Science degree from Pune University.
As Vice President, Client Relations for Aurus, Parag manages Tier-1 client relationships with the Top-100 retailers, mall brands, petroleum clients and partner channels acting as a bridge between the technical team and the vendor. Parag has over 25 years of experience in building deep client relationships in the distribution network, retail and services industries.
Parag was the immediate Commissioner to India and South Asia for the Government of Queensland before his position as the Sr Executive Director – International Trade at Boston. He was the first to help Queensland achieve a few billion dollars’ worth of trade volume in the export of merchandise, higher education and knowledge IT services to India and South Asia. An experienced leader, Parag was the Chief Executive Officer of Supinfocom International, an Indo-French JV at Pune and Valenciennes France, as well as the Dean of Ford Academy and Regional Manager Asia Pacific for Ford Motor Company Australia. Parag is a respected international trade & investment specialist with market development expertise in the U.S, Australia, India - South Asia, Russia, France and South Africa.
Parag has climbed two of the seven summits, worked in 22 different countries, speaks 6 languages and was a Major in the Defense Services of India.
Parag was conferred a PhD (honoris causa) in 2016 for a Doctorate in International Trade and Investment and Inter-Country Economic Relations. He received a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Pune, an Advanced / Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications from IGNOU, and a Bachelor in Science from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India. Parag is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a PMP from Project Management Institute (PMI). He was conferred the prestigious Inter-Country Economic Relations Enhancement and Leadership Excellence Award under the UN Model by the IVUPE University in 2017.
Pankaj Patil is Head of India Operations and Client Experience for International Operations and a member of Aurus’s Executive Management Committee.
In this role, he leads Aurus’s India Operations, with objective of business development in APAC region. He is responsible for the company’s digital strategy, product go-to-market, delivering seamless, secure and differentiated solutions for the digital consumer and merchant, managing the platforms powering these solutions, forging partnerships with technology players, fintechs and digital partners, and future proofing the payments ecosystem. He also oversees Aurus’s ongoing expansion efforts into emerging markets, specifically designed to maximize the company’s customer centric focus through an end to end approach to design and delivery.
Pankaj is an agile thinker with 18+ years of expertise in Technology as well as Strategic Relationship Management, Road Mapping and Project Execution, Product Development and Innovations in payments for Asia Pacific region. With his multi-functional experience and understanding of payment systems, he has built business on payment platforms in India. He has rich experience working on Digital Payment Solutions, Core Banking Solutions, Issuing and Acquiring platforms including networks like NPCI, Visa and MasterCard. In his various leadership roles he was taking care of revenue and P&L responsibilities.
Pankaj aims at bringing new market strategy using the right combination of latest technologies and in demand digital solutions across the globe. Pankaj’s long tenure in the technology field, combined with his track record of effective leadership, allows him to provide guidance and direction for new exploratory projects. His vision and intimate knowledge of industry has led him to many successful projects. With his leadership skills to collaborate with partners and customers, delivery team brings contented results as a unit.
Prior to joining Auras, he was associated with AGS Transact Technologies Ltd as AVP - Projects, Technology and Switching Services and has also served as consultant with Oracle, NTT DATA and HDFC.
Pankaj holds a Post Graduate Diploma in advance computing from C-DAC, Pune and a B.Tech Engineering from Dr. BATU, Lonere.
For over 11 years, Rishi has been a noteworthy leader in Aurus, in the client relationships focusing on the Grocery, Super Market and Retail space. As the Vice President at Aurus, Rishi works with the technical team and the vendors to maintain and benefit enterprise, Tier1 & Tier2 relationships with the Grocery Chains, Super Market clients and partner channels.
Rishi is passionate about forging lasting client relationships, understanding their unique needs, and delivering tailored solutions that drive success. His journey in the IT industry began 11 years ago, and since then, he is on a mission to provide top-tier account management services that help businesses thrive in the digital age.
With over a decade of dedicated service in the dynamic world of Information Technology, he brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table as your trusted Account Manager and Vice President.
Rishi holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from Rajiv Gandhi University.
Bobby has been an outstanding leader at Aurus for over 12 years, specializing in client relationships within the Auto-parts, Fuel, Convenience Store, Airlines, and Rental sectors. In his role as Vice President, Bobby collaborates closely with the technical team and vendors to enhance and maintain relationships with Tier 1 and mid-market clients, as well as Chains and partner channels.
Bobby is recognized for his significant contributions in managing and delivering comprehensive payment and checkout solutions to Tier 1 and mid-market clients. His adept coordination skills have played a pivotal role in Aurus' successful relationships with clients, ensuring that products align with the evolving demands of the payments industry.
With extensive experience in account management, product deployment, and operations, Bobby is a dedicated leader who consistently delivers value-added services, minimizes risks, and ensures on-time project progress. He is renowned for his innovative approach to integrating people and processes, resulting in consistently successful outcomes.
Bobby holds a Computer Science Engineering degree from Mumbai University, underlining his strong educational foundation in the field.
Siva is the Director of Data Centre and Infrastructure Operations at Aurus, a company that provides innovative payment solutions. At Aurus, Siva’s primary focus is on designing, managing, and scheduling data center activities. He is an expert in data center patching and customizations and has been instrumental in implementing these for Fortune 500 clients based in the US, UK, and other countries.
In addition to his technical expertise, Siva is also a skilled leader with excellent communication and problem-solving skills. He has demonstrated his leadership abilities by overseeing teams of data center professionals and ensuring that all projects are completed on time and within budget. Siva’s ability to motivate his team members and foster a collaborative work environment has been instrumental in the success of many projects.
Siva holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and has professional certifications in Linux and Security domains.
Sarang is accountable for the Aurus Product’s life cycle and maximizing the value of the product with the help of his team. Sarang prioritizes product backlog to streamline the execution of program priorities while maintaining the conceptual and technical integrity of the features or components for the team and ensuring that the product backlog is transparent, visible and understood.
After studying Masters, Computer Science at Pune University, Sarang joined Aurus in 2006. Sarang has expertise in VeriFone (7 years) and (8 years) Ingenico payment terminal application design, analysis, development and maintenance.
Sarang is accountable for the Aurus Product’s life cycle and maximizing the value of the product with the help of his team. Sarang prioritizes product backlog to streamline the execution of program priorities while maintaining the conceptual and technical integrity of the features or components for the team and ensuring that the product backlog is transparent, visible and understood.
For over 12 years, Anil has been a noteworthy leader in Aurus, in the client relationships focusing on the restaurant, QSR and hospitality space. As the Vice President at Aurus, Anil works with the technical team and the vendors to maintain and benefit enterprise, mid-market & SMB client relationships with the QSR Chains, Fine Dine clients and partner channels.
Anil is credited with contributions to manage and deliver Mobile payment solutions across enterprise, mid-market & SMB clients, seamless coordination and overall success of Aurus’ relationship with the clients, ensuring the delivery of the product on the evolving requirements of the payments industry.
Anil has many years of experience in the role of account management for various clients in Product deployment and application development. He is a passionate leader, delivering value-added services, mitigating risks and ensuring timely project progress. He is known for innovatively blending people and processes, to get the jobs done right the first time. Every time.
Anil holds Masters in Business Administration from Symbiosis International University (SIU) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering – University of Pune (India).
Sumeet has led an impressive career as a Product Delivery Head and software testing in his 16+ years working in the IT industry. Serving as the Vice President at Aurus. Sumeet plays a major role in managing multiple large-scale distributed systems, large teams of direct reports and cross-functional teams. Through his commitment to this role, he has built the AurusPay Life Cycle framework with the standardization of templates across the board.
Sumeet has completed numerous IT projects from project initiation through implementation and project operations in Card Payments, Credit Union & Insurance domains. At Aurus, Sumeet managed Product delivery for various Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 clients along with IT services engagements for application development, IT infrastructure and Analytics.
He has a Bachelor in Computer Engineering degree from Pune University and also certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification from Scrum Alliance.
Combine technical, Operational, and leadership skills, and you have Shweta. Serving as a VP at Aurus, Shweta takes on challenging responsibilities, such as leading and directing the QA team, defining QA strategy, approach and execution in the projects.
She is a true Aurusian developer, experienced professional, and skillful tester. Her impressive soft skills like proactiveness, Strong Minded, quick thinking with assertiveness allows her to focus on continuous QA improvements including usage of appropriate testing tools, test techniques, test automation. With these she is also responsible for ensuring all development tasks, meeting quality criteria through test planning, test execution, quality assurance and issue tracking.
In addition to 14 years with Aurus, Shweta recognizes good talent and brings the best out of each individual of her team. It’s her secret talent!
Shweta holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from Kolhapur University, India.
Mangesh is the Senior Director- Processor Certifications of Aurus and is responsible for Payment Certifications with different Processors across the globe to process the transactions in various countries. Under his leadership, Aurus has completed 100+ Certifications that covers global geographies and store locations. With his technical abilities and capabilities of handling multiple certifications at a time, the AurusPay platform is capable to complete more than 50 different Certifications per year. Mangesh coordinates with multiple processor individuals to keep AurusPay Product updated with the greatest issuer mandates from a compliance, feature and security perspective. Mangesh is responsible to build relationships with different Processors from a product enhancement perspective.
Since joining in 2009 as Product Developer, Mangesh has grown professionally, with his skillset & performance, to lead the role of Certification Department, the team which grew from 10 to 35, with people with different roles and responsibilities. Over his tenure at the company, since AurusPay’s launch, Mangesh has been a player-coach in progressing the feature and functionality of the platform.
Mangesh graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Computers) from Pune University. He holds certification in Oracle Certified Professional Java
Kapil is the Senior Director, AurusPay Product at Aurus where he is responsible for managing the Business Analyst team for AurusPay. On a mission to manage the client integration web portals, his team is focused on keeping them updated with regular changes or new updates for client integrations. Besides the product documentation, Kapil's team also manages training for clients to demonstrate AurusPay features.
Kapil's association with Aurus started as a developer for the AurusPay product. He has been a key player in designing and developing various AurusPay features and enhancements with Digital Payments/ eCommerce integrations for clients too.
He is a proud alum of the University of Pune where he received a Master's degree in Computer Application. Kapil also holds a bachelor in Mathematics from MLS University Udaipur.
Leading the PCI project team, Medha ensures that our products are secured with patented and industry compliant technology. She ensures that our PCI-DSS, PA-DSS, P2PE, PCI-PIN GDPR and CCPA certifications are continuously up-to-date so the merchant can focus on innovation.
Medha is also leading the GDPR and the CCPA compliance team as DPO and advises the organization on data protection obligations, monitor the data management procedures and internal compliance within the company and acts as a contact point for data subjects and the supervisory authority.
Medha writes and updates the PCI security, data protection policies as per the regulatory standards. She performs the audits and determines whether there is a need to alter the procedures to comply with the regulations. She conducts the security awareness training and ensures that all Aurus employees are aware of PCI security guidelines and GDPR, CCPA regulation standards.
Medha has completed her Electronics Engineering from Goa and holds CCNA, CEH and CISA certifications. She had undergone training from BSI (British Standards Institution) on ISO/IEC 27001 ISMS (Information Security Management standards). She is also a member of the ISACA Pune chapter.
Sumedha is an award-winning Preventive and Promotive Healthcare person who has 20 years of experience in the field of Homeopathy.
Sumedha, the Wellness Director of Aurus, has been instrumental in starting the unique employee wellness program 'Aatman'- a platform to help, guide and motivate people in choosing healthier options, making some behavior modifications and adopt these practices in their daily routine.
Under Sumedha's directions, Aatman facilitates health screenings, consultation and proper guidance by experts from various fields related to the Wellness Program and has led a team of Developers to start the Aatman digital platform.
Before Aurus, Sumedha has been consulting and treating patients with classical homoeopathy. She has successfully conducted various workshops and camps at reputed organizations in Hyderabad, viz: Maulana Azad University and other IT firms.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Homoeopathy (BHMS) from Pune University and a Diploma in Preventive and Promotive Healthcare Management from Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad. Presently she is also an Industry Assessor for the prestigious Arogya Healthy Workplace Award 2020 for Indian Organizations relating to employee well-being.