Ponnappa Paleyanda

Ponnappa Paleyanda is an accomplished finance and operations leader with extensive experience spanning several industries. Currently serving as VP of Finance, Operations & Strategy at Art Guild, Inc. since 2016, Ponnappa drives organizational efficiency and innovation at both the business unit and companywide levels. Previously, Ponnappa founded SmartWerks LLC, focusing on sustainable business model innovations for small commercial vehicle fleets. A former Finance Director at Xerox (now Conduent), Ponnappa managed a $100M+ line of business in public transport and held progressively responsible finance positions at Sprint Nextel Corp., specializing in budget implementation and financial analysis. Earlier roles included serving as a Senior Financial Analyst at FOLIOfn and a Project Scientist at SCS Engineers, where Ponnappa managed federal contracts and developed financial models for alternative energy projects. Academic qualifications include an MBA from the University of Maryland and advanced degrees in Environmental Science and Life Sciences.