N. Venkatram to join CDPQ as Country Chair for India

CDPQ, a leading global investor and one of Canada’s largest pension funds, announced today that N. Venkatram (Venkat) is joining the group as Country Chair for CDPQ India. His start date will be April 1, 2024.

Venkat will be an active member of CDPQ’s Global Management team and contribute towards the vision and strategy of CDPQ Global, including supporting different asset classes—notably infrastructure and private equity. He will also collaborate closely with the senior leadership team in the region to deepen relationships in the financial and business community, while representing the group with key stakeholders, including governments, regulators and industry associations.

In his 40 years of experience, including 30 years with Deloitte, Venkat assisted companies in strengthening governance and controls, raising capital, mergers and acquisitions, and solving their most complex accounting and business issues. In this period, he also led the audit and assurance practice in Deloitte India, was a pioneer in transitioning clients to internationally accepted accounting standards and, bridging his experience in the old economy with the new, created the Technology, Media and Telecom practice. In his eight-year term as CEO, the organization scaled its presence and service portfolio, growing revenue over 4.5 times.

“CDPQ has a long-term conviction towards India’s high potential economy. The addition of Venkat as Country Chair and a member of our Global Management team is an indication of our ongoing commitment to developing partnerships that are aligned with driving performance and sustainable impact,” said Charles Emond, President and Chief Executive Officer, CDPQ.

“I was attracted to CDPQ because of its commitment to fiduciary duty, long-term orientation and high standards – and I look forward to providing strategic leadership with strong stewardship and an unwavering focus on responsible investing. What excites me most is CDPQ’s mission to contribute to the economic development and prosperity of geographies that it invests in, while fulfilling its mandate of generating optimal returns for clients. This resonates deeply in the current global business environment,” said Venkat.

“We are delighted to welcome Venkat to CDPQ. His international leadership and experience around complex business organisations and partnerships bring significant additional depth to the pursuit of our ambitions—both in India and globally,” said Marc-André Blanchard, Executive Vice-President and Head of CDPQ Global and Global Head of Sustainability.