Gautam Gan is the Chief Operating Officer of Ujjivan in the East region.

Gautamda (as he is popularly called) grew up in the district of Howrah in West Bengal. What many people don’t know is that he loved football and represented Howrah District in the sport! His dream was to play for Mohun Bagan. Even though things have turned out differently, he remains a loyal Mohun Bagan supporter.

Gautamda is a man who thinks business and dreams business. However, his first love is and always will be – Literature (not something that Mrs Gan approves of!). He completed his Bachelors in English Literature from St Pauls, under Calcutta University, and proceeded to do a Masters in Literature from Jadavpur University (JU).

After completing his post graduation from JU, he joined Grindlays at the age of twenty and has risen to become one of the most respected men in the industry. He has worked in 10 banking institutions including two stints at Grindlays, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, HDFC, IDBI, Bank of Punjab, ING, and DCB Bank. He pioneered Direct Sales in the Indian banking industry and was responsible for starting Priority Banking in Standard Chartered in India.

Mr Gan looks upon Mr Samit Ghosh as his guru and has steadfastly followed him. According to him, working at Ujjivan is a process of safronising his heart. At Ujjivan, he wishes to play a pivotal role in helping Mr Ghosh realise his vision. On the other hand, as a business manager he would like to see his area of operation making a profit without compromising on quality. His own personal dream though is to start an institute imparting knowledge and degrees/diplomas in microfinance.

Apart from being the COO of the East, he is a guide, motivator, and father figure to everyone. He gives credit where it is due, opportunity to the qualified, reprimands you when you are wrong and backs you up when you need his help. Though he has joined Ujjivan only recently, he is proud of the talented team that he has so intricately built, a team that is ready to take up stiff challenges in the days to come.