SERIAL entrepreneur - FOUNDED & SOLD 3 DESIGN CONSULTANCIES
A pioneer in the digital design industry, Sanjay has founded, led, and sold 3 agencies over the last 25 years creating world-class design solutions for a host of Fortune 500 companies including Morgan Stanley, American Express, Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, HP, Intuit, Walmart, Salesforce, Gap Inc., and Facebook.
Veteran design leader of 25 yrs | financial services expert
Sanjay has led teams to create experience solutions for financial services leaders such as Wells Fargo, American Express, BlackRock, Morgan Stanley and Charles Schwab, engaging with thousands of advisors and retail customers over the years.
In 2015, his agency Spring Studio was acquired by multinational bank BBVA, where he led award-winning teams and initiatives to drive the bank's digital transformation - redesigning core customer experiences, transforming product development processes, trend forecasting the future of banking, collaborating on new digital business programs to launch disruptive Fintechs, and supporting 'BBVA Open innovation’ connecting the bank with the startup ecosystem.
His last agency, 17seconds, worked with the world's largest financial services firms to develop innovation programs and create best-in-class product and service experiences before being acquired in 2022 by geniant where Sanjay continues to focus on driving transformation of the financial services industry.
His last agency, 17seconds, worked with the world's largest financial services firms to develop innovation programs and create best-in-class product and service experiences before being acquired in 2022 by geniant where Sanjay continues to focus on driving transformation of the financial services industry.
Solutions he has been responsible for creating include:
•Trading platforms (retail and institutional)
•Financial advice, planning and investment platforms
•Mutual fund and ETF platforms
•Wealth and investment management reporting platforms
•Personal finance tools - savings, budgeting, cashflow, retirement tools
•Retail banking products - checking, savings, credit and card experiences
•Marketing and onboarding experiences
•Financial advice, planning and investment platforms
•Mutual fund and ETF platforms
•Wealth and investment management reporting platforms
•Personal finance tools - savings, budgeting, cashflow, retirement tools
•Retail banking products - checking, savings, credit and card experiences
•Marketing and onboarding experiences
INDUSTRY speaker
Sanjay is a frequent speaker on financial innovation, design thinking, and emerging technologies. He has been a speaker and panelist at various events including:
•Finovate
•American Banker Retail Banking
•The AI Summit
•MFEA Star Awards
•The Financial Communications Society
•BBVA Open Innovation Summit
•BBVA Open Talent
•WorkTech
•Visa Everywhere Initiative
He has also delivered a TEDx talk on the importance of design within financial services.
ADVISOR & Board Member | STORYTELLER
Sanjay has served as an Advisor & Board member for multiple organizations, helping them to drive digital business strategies, craft their stories, and deliver exceptional experiences:
•The Fintech Fund - investment fund led by Castle Creek Capital & Launchpad Capital
•VentureCopilot - multi-modal AI-powered workstation for corporate venture
•Airspace - AI and robotics powered drone management solutions
•Bertoux Brandy - spirits company changing the order of cocktail culture
•Grace Cathedral
•The Hamlin School
EDUCATION & INTEREST
• Bachelor of Science degree, LSE (London School of Economics)
• Diploma in Art & Design, Chelsea College of Art
• In his spare time, Sanjay enjoys painting and crafting his skills as a DJ
EARLY HISTORY
Sanjay's digital design career started in London with News International, creating some of the first websites in the UK for the likes of The Times and Sunday Times Newspapers, HarperCollins, and Fidelity Bank. He also designed and published articles for the first UK ezine, Camden Lock, the first UK multiplayer online game, Netropolis, and the first UK 3D chat environment, created for LineOne, a British Telecom and News International joint venture.
In 1997, he moved to San Francisco to manage the first global redesign of the FedEx website. A year later, he started his first agency - iSocket Web Creative, designing web solutions for a client roster that included industry giants Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft and Apple Computer. Other clients included Gap Inc., Bank of America, Handspring, 3Com and Palm.
In 1997, he moved to San Francisco to manage the first global redesign of the FedEx website. A year later, he started his first agency - iSocket Web Creative, designing web solutions for a client roster that included industry giants Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft and Apple Computer. Other clients included Gap Inc., Bank of America, Handspring, 3Com and Palm.
At the peak of the dot.com boom, iSocket was acquired by Cyberplex, the largest Internet Professional Services firm in Canada at that time. Sanjay led engagements for the firms' highest profile US clients - Coinstar, Microsoft and Starbucks.
In 2001, Sanjay started Spring Studio, which he grew over the next 14 years to become one of San Francisco's premier web design agencies, culminating in an acquisition by the global Spanish bank BBVA.