2019, June

Boasting an increase of +260% in staff numbers, and entry into six new global markets, the last three years have seen Titan grow beyond the boundaries of a ‘start-up’ to take its place on the global stage of automotive innovators.

“Whilst it’s exciting to see Titan thrive globally, we are committed to ensuring the health of our business remains strong for our customers, both now and into the future,” said Titan’s Managing Director, Matthew Kroll. But where other businesses would slow down to regroup, Titan maintains momentum. “For us, it was logical that our next phase of growth would be facilitated by the expertise of a financial visionary from within the industry,” Mr Kroll said.

Sudarshan Chelliah, Titan’s newest senior appointment of Chief Financial Officer, shares characteristics expected of all Titan champions – a hunger for technology and a passion for innovation – coupled with over a decade of automotive financial experience in the international domain.

“Since I left Deloitte, I have always worked for software companies – the fast-paced world of technology excites me,” Mr. Chelliah revealed. “Although an accountant by trade, I am keen to learn how technology impacts our day to day lives,” he said.

With only a few weeks into his new role, expansion into new markets already resonates as a top priority for Chelliah. By identifying financial opportunities for market expansion, collaboration and consolidation, Titan’s newest Champion is set to take the online automotive solutions provider to a new level of global authority.

“We believe that Sudarshan’s global experience within the automotive and technology sectors will be a significant and timely injection of financial expertise into our business,” Mr Kroll said. Specifically, Chelliah’s two and half years with SaaS tech company Infotrack delivered considerable personal accolades. Chelliah was part of the team that secured an AU$350M funding initiative (the first of its kind for a private company), and was involved in the process of an initial public offering (IPO), establishing a robust skillset for future Titan negotiations.

Possessing a wealth and diversity of financial acumen, Chelliah spent four years with Deloitte’s as an audit analyst, and more recently as Group Financial Controller of ASX Listed company Infomedia Limited: analysing, planning, implementing and overseeing a range of automotive projects and systems; prior to his joining the InfoTrack team.

With this knowledge, Chelliah predicts the automotive industry will continue to rely on and grow with data and technology – ultimately realised through greater connectivity between the customer, the dealer, and the manufacturer. “I think the major change I expect in the automotive industry is surrounding ‘big data’. This helps the OEM understand their customers and deliver a value proposition that attracts them to their brands,” Mr. Chelliah shared.

Fortunately, Titan’s automotive solutions already facilitate these interactions between the three automotive tiers, utilising the latest in cloud-based technologies. “As Titan is in that technology space, they help a number of car dealerships manage their customers to realise their potential through efficiency and make them profitable,” Mr. Chelliah said.

With every new market entry, new technological advancement, and new appointment, Titan will continue to grow to be a major player in the global automotive landscape – and Chelliah agrees: “I see Titan to evolve into one of the leading DMS providers in the APAC & MEA regions.”