In today’s ‘People Behind Boost’ series, we bring you closer to the man behind the cross-border payment business towards its transformation journey from a Direct Carrier Billing service provider to a Payment Gateway and Lending service provider for consumers in the region.
Introducing Ankur Jakhwal, who is a seasoned Fintech leader and a Tech entrepreneur with a demonstrated history in business leadership roles in retail financial services across MNC Banks (ABN Amro Bank & RBS), Large Corporates (GE), SMEs & Start-ups (fintech & e-commerce).
As an entrepreneur, he has successfully built, launched, and operated fintech & e-commerce businesses in South Asia & SE Asian markets - Online Loyalty Rewards & Cash Back Platforms, B2B Ecommerce & POS based Customer engagement & spends programs, Financial Inclusion Programs for Foreign workers and their family members & Online Travel platform/travel loyalty.
In his current role as the CEO of Boost Connect, he is responsible for overseeing the development and growth of Boost Connect's regional cross-border payment and customer growth platform ecosystem, to further fuel an unstoppable journey for its customers.
So, when did Ankur start his career with Boost? He first joined Boost in 2018, as one of the pioneers to build the lending business together with our Group CEO, Sheyantha Abeykoon. He led the team to create affordable and accessible loans across the region that are catered for the underserved market under Boost Credit (formerly known as Aspirasi). Fast forward to 2022, Ankur is the CEO of Boost Connect with the vision to take the brand forward to multiple markets across various industries together with the right mix of people, technology and business partners. With that in mind, he is extremely excited to lead the business together with his team in its enhancement and growth stage.
“Instead of seeing a road full of challenges towards growth, I look at it as a road full of opportunities," he said. This strong foundation is what drives Ankur to lead his team to strive for innovation and explore future expansion for Boost in other SEA & South Asian countries.
When he’s not in the office, he enjoys spending quality time with his family doing various activities together. As the old saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so he finds time to play cricket and golf in his free time. Due to the nature of his work, he is also required to travel extensively around the region, hence why he enjoys watching Indian comedies as an effective stress reliever in between his work travels.
On that note, Ankur is persistent in making sure he practices what he preaches whether in or outside the office. He is a strong believer that in order to be #unstoppable, one must stay focused on results, adapt proactively, lead by example, and be reliable. To him, people who can push boundaries and keep moving forward are more likely to achieve their goals.