Ajay Chowdhury

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Ajay Chowdhury
Ajay Chowdhury.jpg
BornApril 1962
Alma mater Bombay University
The Wharton School
Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation(s)Tech Entrepreneur, Board Director, Novelist
Known forContributions to Digital transformation
SpouseAngelina Melwani
Children3
Website ajaychowdhury.com

Ajay Chowdhury (born April, 1962) is a tech entrepreneur, board director, and novelist. [1] [2] He is known for his contributions to digital transformations and tech issues such as Generative AI, Digital Transformations, and the Metaverse. [3] [4] [5] He has played key roles in the growth and success of multiple ventures, ranging from mobile and e-commerce to digital media and venture capital. [6] [7]

Contents

Early life and education

Ajay Chowdhury was born in April 1962. [8] He completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Bombay University in 1983. [9] [6] He earned an MBA degree from The Wharton School in 1986. [10] [6] [7] He also pursued theatre directing at the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1992. [10] [9]

Career

Tech Entrepreneur

Ajay Chowdhury began his professional career at Bain & Company in London, where he worked from 1986 to 1991,[ citation needed ] gaining experience in strategic consulting. [10] [7] He later served the role of CEO at LineOne, an internet service provider, during the period from 1999 to 2000. [10] [11]

In 2000, Ajay Chowdhury took on the position of Managing General Partner at IDG Ventures Europe, a venture capital firm specializing in technology startups. [12] [10] [6] During his tenure, he also served as Chairman of Shazam, a music recognition and discovery platform, from 2001 to 2007. [7] [13]

Chowdhury embarked on an entrepreneurial journey, serving as CEO of Comqi, a company that specialized in digital signage solutions. [10] [7] [6] [11] Later, he led the position of CEO at Seatwave from 2013 to 2014, overseeing its acquisition by Ticketmaster. [10] [7] [14] [6] [13] [11]

Since 2015, Chowdhury has been a Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). [4] [10] [9] [6] [7] [11]

Chowdhury has also served as a non-executive director on the board of the UK Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), [15] [11] as well as on the boards of Historic Royal Palaces, and Arts Council England. [11] [16]

Ajay Chowdhury has also made contributions through his involvement with Cambridge Enterprise, an organization dedicated to supporting knowledge transfer, innovation, and entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge. [6] [7] [17] [18]

Novelist

Ajay Chowdhury is recognized as a novelist with a series of published works. Some of his notable novels include "Ayesha & The Firefish" (2016), [19] "The Waiter" (2021), [7] [20] "The Cook" (2022), [21] and "The Detective" (2023). [22]

"Ayesha & The Firefish" was adapted into a musical by Enacte Arts and premiered in Palo Alto, California, in January 2020. [23] The TV rights for "The Waiter" have been optioned by Moonage Pictures. [24]

His novel "The Waiter" was honored with the Harvill Secker/Bloody Scotland award for Debut BAME crime writer. [25]

Theatre Director

Ajay Chowdhury has pursued a career in theatre directing. Notably, he served as the artistic director of Rented Space Theatre London, [26] where he directed several plays, including an acclaimed production of "Cymbeline" that was featured in the Arden Shakespeare. [27] He also directed "The Merchant of Vembley", an Asian adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", which was well received in London. [28]

Awards and recognitions

Ajay Chowdhury's contributions to the tech industry have earned him numerous awards and recognitions:

Personal life

Ajay Chowdhury is married to Angelina Melwani and has three daughters. [28]

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References

  1. ↑ "Ajay Chowdhury". DESIblitz Literature Festival. 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  2. ↑ Admin, C. B. J. (2021-07-28). "A warm welcome to our new Trustees!". Cheek by Jowl. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  3. ↑ "AI to continue riding high-growth curve".
  4. 1 2 "BCG on how to get digital transformation right". UNLEASH. 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  5. ↑ "Get set for widespread adoption of smart services says BCG Digital Ventures chief". Get set for widespread adoption of smart services says BCG Digital Ventures chief. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ajay Chowdhury Overview".
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Ajay Chowdhury". BCG Global. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  8. ↑ "Ajay CHOWDHURY personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  9. 1 2 3 "Ajay Chowdhury - DV Managing Director & Senior Partner, Chief Client Officer at BCG Digital Ventures". THE ORG. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ajay Chowdhury". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "hrp.org.uk/media/1458/2016-17-annual-review.pdf" (PDF).
  12. ↑ "Former LineOne director joins IDG". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  13. 1 2 "How Seatwave CEO and former Shazam chair Ajay Chowdhury is shaking up the tech scene". London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com. 2014-06-18. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  14. ↑ Ally, Music (2013-09-13). "New CEO for ticketing firm Seatwave". Music Ally. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  15. ↑ "New non-executive directors appointed to the DCMS board". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  16. ↑ "Mayor attacked for trying to give 'Tory patsy' top arts job". Evening Standard. 2012-04-12. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  17. ↑ "Cambridge Enterprise board chair proves an inspirational champion of University innovation".
  18. ↑ "Ajay Chowdhury". Cambridge Enterprise. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  19. ↑ "Ayesha and the Firefish".
  20. ↑ Chowdhury, Ajay (2022-02-17). The Waiter.
  21. ↑ Chowdhury, Ajay (2023-01-19). The Cook.
  22. ↑ "Ajay Chowdhury". www.penguin.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  23. ↑ "The Case of the Vanishing Firefish". Enacte Arts. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  24. ↑ "Harvill Secker signs two more in Chowdhury's Detective Kamil Rahman series". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  25. ↑ Jones, Laura (2019-01-22). "Ajay Chowdhury wins Harvill Secker/Bloody Scotland BAME competition". Bloody Scotland. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  26. ↑ "Rented Space Theatre Company | BBA Shakespeare". bbashakespeare.warwick.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  27. ↑ Wayne, Valerie. C Y M B E L I N E, ed. Valerie Wayne. The Arden Shakespeare, 3rd series.
  28. 1 2 "Asian theme for Shakespeare". Watford Observer. 2015-10-13. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  29. ↑ "Asian Tech Pioneers 2019". Asian Stars in UK Tech. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  30. ↑ Nair, Praseeda (2015-06-19). "Ajay Chowdhury named dealmaker of the year at the M&A Awards". Growth Business. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  31. ↑ "Ajay Chowdhury". Asian Stars in UK Tech. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
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