Bengaluru: In a strategic move to accelerate growth and prepare for an IPO, Xpheno has appointed Francis Padamadan as CEO-Designate. This leadership transition streamlines responsibilities previously managed by co-founders Kamal Karanth and Anil Ethanur, reinforcing Xpheno’s structural agility and readiness for public listing.
With 22 years of experience in the staffing industry, Padamadan has held leadership positions at global firms Kelly Services and TritonExec, bringing deep expertise in executive search, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), and global staffing operations. His leadership is expected to play a pivotal role in Xpheno’s growth trajectory, particularly in specialist hiring for Greenfield Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
As part of its two-year expansion roadmap, Xpheno aims to be the leading staffing partner for the next 200 Greenfield GCCs set to establish operations in India over the next few years. With a strong focus on specialist hiring, the company targets:
- ₹500 crore in turnover in its 9th year of operations
- Expansion into Europe to support GCCs exploring India
- Strategic acquisitions in RPO and Executive Search
- 100+ GCC partnerships for tech staff augmentation
Kamal Karanth, co-founder of Xpheno, emphasized the importance of this leadership transition, “We are at a pivotal stage in our growth, and anchoring our leadership team with Francis is a crucial step to be a dominant player in the specialist staffing space. Francis brings a rare combination of expertise in staffing, executive search, and scaling Greenfield GCCs in the banking and automotive sector. His deep understanding of GCCs, RPO, and Executive Search makes him a crucial hire for us to scale and deliver at speed.”
Excited about his new role, Francis Padamadan expressed his confidence in Xpheno’s market potential, “I am elated to join Xpheno at an inflection point of acceleration. The opportunity to drive growth in the specialist staffing segment, build strategic global GCC partnerships, and expand into new geographies aligns perfectly with my experience and aspiration. Xpheno has a strong reputation in the industry, and I look forward to working with the founders and leadership team to achieve our plans to lead the GCC recruitment space.”
With India’s $6 billion specialist staffing market evolving rapidly, Xpheno is well-positioned to capitalize on industry trends:
- 40+ new GCCs entering India annually, hiring 20,000+ professionals
- 50,000+ software engineers migrating out of India annually, creating demand for high-skill recruitment solutions
- 80% of hiring for GCCs and product companies focused on niche skill sets, reinforcing Xpheno’s specialist advantage
Anil Ethanur, co-founder of Xpheno, outlined the company’s strategy: “As Xpheno steps on its 9th year, it has set ambitious milestones, including surpassing INR 500 crore in turnover, establishing partnerships with over 100 GCCs for tech staff augmentation, completing one or two acquisitions in RPO or Executive Search, and expanding operations into Europe to support Greenfield GCCs exploring India.”
“Xpheno’s data driven and experiential approach to recruitments has allowed us to scale more than 40 Greenfield GCCs with the right specialised skills with speed” Anil added. “We have built deep relationships with the GCC ecosystem, and with our strategic roadmap in place, we are set to leverage our specialist recruiting strengths and stride towards our IPO”
“Xpheno is the first large specialist staffing company in India, with unparalleled access to Greenfield GCCs. Over the next five years, 300 + GCCs are expected to enter the Indian market. Xpheno’s specialist credentials with over 400 established GCCs combined with U.S. presence offers a distinct advantage to partner with more Greenfield GCCs. The company’s high margin business mix and scale set a new industry benchmark for profits, making it a compelling proposition for investors as we move towards an IPO.” Adds Kamal.
With 400+ established GCC partnerships and a growing U.S. presence, Xpheno is India’s first large specialist staffing company with unmatched access to Greenfield GCCs. This, coupled with its high-margin business model, makes Xpheno a compelling proposition for investors.
