Catalyst Management Services (CMS), a social impact advisory and enterprise, has appointed Dr. Amit Gupta as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The appointment marks a new phase for the organisation as it builds on its three-decade legacy of social impact and strengthens its focus on development solutions, systems change and scaling impact across India and the Global South.
Established in 1995, CMS operates across public health, agriculture and food systems, livelihoods, climate and sustainability, worker wellbeing, and environmental, social and governance (ESG). The organisation combines strategic consulting, research, technical expertise and implementation experience to address complex development challenges.
Dr. Gupta brings over 37 years of experience across the corporate sector, academia, social entrepreneurship and development. He began his career at Amul before moving to ITC, where he gained experience in integrating societal value creation with business growth. He subsequently spent two decades in business school leadership, teaching and researching social entrepreneurship and management.
His cross-sector experience is expected to help CMS strengthen the connection between corporate priorities, institutional capabilities in the social sector and grassroots realities to advance sustainable social impact.
As CEO, Dr. Gupta will focus on strengthening CMS’s role in shaping the systems, policies and capital flows that support sustainable development. His priorities include encouraging entrepreneurial approaches, expanding business networks and building long-term collaborative partnerships. He will also work towards integrating strategic consulting with frontline intelligence, technology, innovative finance and collaboration to develop future-ready solutions and products.
CMS also plans to deepen its engagement with corporates, development finance institutions, foundations and international consulting partners.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Amit Gupta, CEO of Catalyst Management Services, said, “My journey across the corporate sector, academia, social entrepreneurship and development has reinforced my belief that lasting social impact requires us to connect strategy with the realities of implementation. CMS has built deep expertise and relationships across the development ecosystem. I see an opportunity to build on this foundation through our grounded Practice+ model, deeper partnerships with corporates and development institutions, and solutions that connect strategic thinking with frontline experience. Our focus will be on building a future-ready organisation that can respond to complex development challenges with agility and translate its expertise into scalable, lasting impact.”
CMS co-founders and Board Directors Shiv Kumar and Raghunathan N. will continue to provide strategic guidance as the organisation advances its long-term vision and development.
In a joint statement, Shiv Kumar and Raghunathan N. said, “CMS was built on the conviction that lasting social impact requires solutions grounded in the realities of the communities and systems they serve. As the development landscape evolves, our opportunity to build on this legacy while strengthening our advisory capabilities, partnerships and solutions is immense. Amit Gupta brings a distinctive combination of corporate, academic and entrepreneurial development experience, along with a deep understanding of CMS.”
With experience spanning more than 25 countries, CMS aims to continue combining social impact advisory with enterprise-led approaches to help partners navigate complex development challenges. The organisation’s focus remains on connecting strategic intelligence, enterprise-led solutions and practical implementation to deliver resilient, inclusive and sustainable outcomes at scale.
By: Sanya Sharma
