Our Founders

Mr. N S Bala joins Data Safeguard’s Advisory Board to help create global vision.

N S Bala is a Technology entrepreneur based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In his current role, he is the Group CEO of iGreenTree, a company focused on leveraging AI to address opportunities in the Energy sector and making an lasting impact in the area of sustainability. iGreenTree is about scaling an exciting global technology business, but with a sense of purpose. He is also an advisor to product and services startups on their strategy and growth plans.

Prior to assuming his current role, Bala built his own venture with a singular focus on process automation that has since been merged with iGreenTree. He was also an independent director on the Board of Startek, a NYSE listed company until earlier this year.

A large part of his career was at Wipro, a global systems integrator where he had the opportunity to lead many industry focused business units globally. He has been a key contributor to Wipro's journey in becoming one of the prominent players among global technology service providers.

Over the years, Bala has helped turnaround and scale struggling businesses by aligning capability to changing market scenarios, building a strong customer advisory capability and driving integrated delivery, especially in the Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing & HiTech and Pharma industries.

Bala has also been instrumental in pioneering the use of Toyota Production Systems principles in application and software development that was

developed into a case study by the Harvard Business School and is being taught at the institute to MBAs. He was invited by Harvard to speak on the case study. The delivery model has also been featured in the book, Bangalore Tiger by Steve Hamm.

His innovation, CIGMA, won Wipro the Nasscom Innovation Award.

Bala has been a regular speaker at various forums during his years in the industry. He has also been invited for panel discussions by the World Economic Forum at Dalian and by The Economist. He holds a MBA degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata, one of the premier management institutes in India.

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Jay Como an Executive Advisor, brings extensive leadership experience from his roles in global financial institutions. With a background as Chief Data Officer at several major banking and financial services organizations, Jay's expertise in strategic data management and governance is a valuable asset to our mission.

Jay holds an MBA from Saint Mary's College of California and serves on their School of Economics and Business Administration Advisory Board. His profound industry knowledge and advisory proficiency will be instrumental in advancing Data Safeguard's commitment to robust data privacy compliance and synthetic fraud prevention solutions.

Dr. Amar Patnaik served as a Member of Parliament (2019-24) in the Rajya Sabha from Odisha, representing the Biju Janata Dal. During his tenure as an MP, he was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, Committee on Public Undertakings & Rajya Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation. He has also held positions as the party's national spokesperson and head of the IT wing.

Prior to his time in Parliament, Dr. Patnaik had a distinguished career in the Indian Civil Services from where he took premature retirement. He served as an Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) officer under the Comptroller &Auditor General (CAG) of India for 28 years and held the position of Principal Accountant General (PAG) in Sikkim, Odisha, West Bengal, and Kerala. Dr. Patnaik also worked on global external audit assignments with the United Nations in New York, Sudan, Uganda & Italy and has led India's External Audit Missions to various countries. He has audited the IT systems of the UN and FAO, and the several national entities like the Indian Railways and State Governments during his career with the CAG of India.

Dr. Patnaik is a distinguished thought leader with a prolific record of publications on a wide range of economic issues such as fiscal federalism, financial inclusion mechanisms, carbon trading systems, monetary policy, economy, poverty, markets, financial systems, regulations etc.  His writings advocate for evidence-based reforms to promote economic growth, including rationalizing subsidies, and expanding credit access to MSMEs. Additionally, he envisions empowering self-Help Groups (SHGs) to facilitate their transition into MSMEs. Through his parliamentary interventions, he has shed light on the intricacies of debt financing, and the inflationary pressures arising from supply-side constraints. He has advocated for strong grievance redressal mechanisms in Financial regulators. He is a leading voice for innovative solutions, proposing new frameworks for ESG and carbon accounting.

Dr. Patnaik's career both in the civil services and in the Parliament has been marked by a steadfast commitment to shaping a responsible technological future for India by promoting technology-led innovation aided by right, often soft-touch, regulation. His demonstrably influential role in developing data privacy legislation, including serving as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 contributed to establishing a robust legal framework for the digital age privacy concerns. He played a key role in drafting Finance Committee reports, particularly those highlighting competition and anti-trust in the digital space and big tech environment. Dr. Patnaik's advocacy extends to emerging areas like online gaming, artificial intelligence, and the metaverse, where through his writings, he has championed balanced regulations that foster responsible technological advancement and innovation while protecting users against harm. Furthermore, Dr. Patnaik is a staunch advocate for fostering healthy competition within the digital landscape, ensuring a level playing field for a flourishing tech ecosystem. His expertise has been recognized by leading industry bodies such as ASSOCHAM and FICCI, where he has served as a regular keynote speaker.  Additionally, Dr. Patnaik has had the distinct honor of delivering keynote addresses at the prestigious Global Fintech Summit, organized by NPCI in 2022 as well as 2023.He has participated in various parliamentary delegations to Brussels and Berlin, discussing data privacy and digital regulation with European parliamentarians under the aegis of the ORF and the KAS Foundation.

His academic qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in Physics from St. Stephens College at Delhi University, an MBA in Finance and Systems from Xavier’s Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, and a Master’s program in public management from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He was also a British Chevening Gurukul Scholar in 2013 to pursue studies at the London School of Economics. Dr. Patnaik completed his Ph.D. in institutional studies from XIMB, Bhubaneswar and has an Advanced Management Certificate from the Wharton School, USA.

He is a Certified Fraud Examiner (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) and Certified Internal Auditor (Institute of Internal Auditors). He possesses demonstrable expertise in risk management, evidenced by certifications in Risk Management Assurance (Institute of Internal Auditors).  These credentials highlight his commitment to strong internal controls for mitigating financial and technological risks. He is also a practicing Advocate, advising clients and government officials on the ramifications of law(s) and their implementation ecosystem in India.

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Mr. Rameesh Kailasam brings over 27 years of experience in industry and government, with expertise spanning leadership, strategy, policy formulation, business development, and crisis management. His work has driven transformative change in sectors such as ICT, Education, Health, e-Governance, Cyber Security, and Sustainability. Mr. Kailasam has been a key contributor to groundbreaking projects and policy initiatives, serving on numerous government and industry committees, and authoring influential books, policy papers, and reports that guide decision-makers globally. His expertise in coalition building, advocacy, and strategic planning will play a critical role in advancing Data Safeguard's mission to lead in data privacy management and compliance.

Kevin Jurovich is the Co-Founder and CEO of Circles, an innovative discovery app that combines live video, real-time capacity updates, and the functionality of TikTok and Yelp to enhance the way people experience nightlife and social venues. Under his leadership, Circles has gained significant traction in transforming how users discover local hotspots with real-time insights.

Kevin’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2013 during his tenure as a Private Wealth Manager at Wells Fargo Advisors, where he managed a portfolio exceeding $100 million, primarily serving tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. His exposure to the fast-paced world of tech sparked his passion for startups, and since then, he has been deeply immersed in the startup ecosystem, not only building his own companies but also mentoring other founders on their paths to success.

Before transitioning to finance and technology, Kevin had a distinguished career as a professional athlete in the NFL, playing as a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Chicago Bears.

Kevin is a popular thought leader in the startup community and is regarded as one of the top follows on LinkedIn in the space, known for his insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and growth strategies.

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Ken Chrisman joins the Data Safeguard Advisory Board with over 35 years’ experience in executive roles at American Express, The Doctor’s Insurance Company, and Wells Fargo Bank. Leading the board of directors at The Doctors Company, 2008 – 2016, Mr. Chrisman chaired the Governance and Technology Committees. He has provided oversight for several S&P100 companies, managing their technology evolution.  Ken has held CIO roles, providing direction and guidance for information and operational systems, in addition to helping companies during periods of organic growth and acquisitions.

Mr. Chrisman received his BA in Engineering from University of California, Davis.

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Dr. Keshab Panda joins Data Safeguard’s Advisory Board to help create global vision.  Dr. Panda is an industry veteran with over 37 years of demonstrated history in Technology Research, Product & Software and Industrial Engineering. His prior experience as a global technology executive will help Data Safeguard expand its global footprint.  

Prior to joining Data Safeguard’s advisory board, Dr. Panda served as the CEO & MD of L&T Technology Services, Board Member at L&T Infotech, Business Head of Americas and Europe at Tech Mahindra, and Senior Scientist at Indian Space Research Organization & Aeronautical Development Agency.

Dr. Panda earned his PhD from IIT, Bombay, a Master of Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and an Advanced Management Degree with a focus on Business Administration and Management from Wharton Business School.  Dr Panda has received CEO of the year award, Best Business Leader of the year and Distinguished Alumnus Award from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.