Strategy · Transformation · Enterprise PMO
Turning bold strategy into measurable execution.
Dr. Rahul Deo Gupta — a senior executive with 30+ years architecting EPMO governance, Balanced Scorecard performance systems, and enterprise transformation for PIF-backed entities and multinational conglomerates.
About
Bridging the gap between strategy design and strategy execution.
Dr. Rahul Deo Gupta is a strategic and transformative executive with over 30 years of progressive experience leading large-scale strategy execution, enterprise transformation, and PMO establishment for PIF-backed entities, multinational conglomerates, and real estate developers.
His track record spans translating corporate vision into measurable outcomes through Balanced Scorecard methodology, EPMO governance frameworks, and digital transformation initiatives — recognized for architecting SAR 7B+ portfolio governance structures, delivering 23% EBITDA growth, and generating SAR 500M+ in cumulative cost savings.
He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration with dissertation research on Balanced Scorecard implementation in Saudi real estate development, and combines that academic rigor with hands-on delivery — equally comfortable in the boardroom and on the program floor.
- Currently — Executive Director, EPMO, Boutique Group (PIF Portfolio Company)
- Based in — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · KSA Premium Residency Holder
- Languages — English (fluent), Hindi & Nepali (native), Arabic (conversational)
Portfolio Leadership
Established and operationalized an EPMO managing a SAR 7B+ portfolio for a PIF-backed ultra-luxury hospitality transformation, improving project delivery times by over 30%.
Revenue & Profitability
Achieved 23% EBITDA growth and 25% revenue expansion through BSC-driven performance optimization across 14 strategic business units.
Cost Efficiency
Generated cumulative cost savings exceeding SAR 500M+ through operational excellence, strategic sourcing, and process reengineering programs.
Governance Excellence
Established and led enterprise PMOs across 4 organizations, enhancing project delivery predictability by 25–40%.
Digital Innovation
Automated strategy management using SAP SEM-SSM, Power BI, and custom BI solutions — cutting planning cycles by 50–60%.
Thought Leadership
PMI Global Summit speaker (LA, 2025), Saudi Strategy Week speaker (Riyadh, 2025), published author on real estate strategy in KSA.
Career
Three decades of progressive strategic leadership.
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May 2022 — Present
Executive Director — Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO)
Boutique Group — Public Investment Fund (PIF) Portfolio Company · Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Leading EPMO for PIF’s ultra-luxury hospitality transformation converting historic royal palaces into world-class hospitality assets.
- Founded and operationalized an Enterprise PMO overseeing a SAR 7B portfolio spanning real estate, hospitality operations, and corporate transformation across 13 functions
- Architected a portfolio governance framework with stage-gate methodology, cutting project delivery time from 36 to 25 months
- Built a 47-KPI strategic architecture aligned with PIF Vision 2030 using Balanced Scorecard methodology
- Directed Project Management Consultants (Parsons, WSP, Jasara) across multi-phase palace development valued at SAR 4B+
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Apr 2021 — May 2022
Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer
Abraj Al Bait — Saudi Binladin Group · Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Led enterprise-wide transformation for a 1.5 million sq.m. mixed-use portfolio adjacent to the Holy Mosque in Makkah.
- Engineered a BSC-driven performance framework across 5 strategic themes and 22 objectives; established an EPMO overseeing a SAR 750M programs portfolio
- Created a 5-year strategic roadmap aligned with Vision 2030, identifying revenue opportunities exceeding SAR 700M
- Improved project predictability by 50% through an Executive Steering Committee and Program Control Board
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Mar 2020 — Apr 2021
Acting Executive Director — Enterprise PMO (Founding Member)
Boutique Group — PIF Project (Founding Phase) · Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Core founding member of a PIF-backed start-up, establishing organizational foundations and strategic frameworks.
- Directed engagements with PwC and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on EPMO framework design and Target Operating Model development
- Led strategic planning defining mission, vision, and a 5-year roadmap for a 100+ professional workforce
- Established governance structures including Investment Committee, Executive Committee, and Board reporting cadence
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Aug 2016 — Feb 2020
Head — Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO)
Rafal Real Estate Development Company · Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Strategic advisor to CEO and Board on corporate strategy formulation and transformation initiatives
- Achieved 90% organizational alignment across 15+ development projects via Balanced Scorecard methodology
- Improved on-time project delivery from 60% to 80% and enhanced revenue by SAR 500M annually
- Implemented ISO 9001:2015 QMS, achieving certification within 9 months
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Jun 2012 — Jul 2016
Head — Office of Strategy Management (OSM)
Abunayyan Holding · Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Led strategy formulation and execution across 14 Strategic Business Units using Balanced Scorecard methodology
- Automated Strategy Management via SAP SEM-SSM, cutting planning cycles by 60%; generated SAR 150M+ in annual savings
- Built a 150+ indicator KPI framework and performance contracts linking compensation to strategy
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Mar 2002 — May 2012
Progressive Leadership Roles — Corporate Head, Sourcing SCM to Deputy Manager
Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited · India
Corporate Head – Sourcing SCM · Corporate Quality Head & Head – Improvement Group · Divisional Manager – Improvement Group · Deputy Manager – Design. Delivered cumulative cost reduction of INR 2,000M+ (SAR 100M+) via Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing, including INR 500M in annual sourcing savings.
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Jul 1995 — Feb 2002
Manager / Senior Engineer / Engineer / Graduate Engineer Trainee
Tata Motors Limited · Jamshedpur, India
Progressive engineering and management roles at India’s largest automotive manufacturer — vehicle design, development, industrialization, quality improvement, and supplier development.
Expertise
Core competencies built over three decades.
Strategic Management
Strategic Planning & Visioning · Strategy Formulation & Execution · Balanced Scorecard Design & Implementation · Policy Deployment (Hoshin Kanri) · Strategic Roadmapping · Target Operating Model (TOM) Design
Enterprise Transformation
Business & Digital Transformation · Organizational Design · Change Management (Prosci ADKAR) · Transformation Roadmap Development · Strategic Synergy Realization
EPMO & Governance
EPMO Establishment & Leadership · Portfolio & Program Management · Stage-Gate Methodology · RACI & Decision Rights Frameworks · Delegation of Authority
Performance Management
BSC Implementation & Cascading · KPI Architecture Development · Executive Dashboards · Strategy Management Automation · Board-Level Reporting
Operational Excellence
Lean Enterprise Systems · Six Sigma · Process Reengineering · Risk Management Frameworks · ISO Certification (9001, 14001, 45001)
Digital & Technology
ERP Systems (SAP, Oracle, MS Dynamics) · Power BI, Tableau · SAP SEM-SSM · Primavera P6, MS Project · Decision Intelligence Platforms
Signature Methodology
The Balanced Scorecard — how strategy cascades into execution
Education
- Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) — Strategy Planning & Execution, 2023
Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), Spain - M.Phil., Business Administration, 2022
Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), Spain - Executive PGD, General Management (Executive MBA), 2006
XLRI School of Management, Jamshedpur, India - B.Eng., Electrical Engineering, 1995
National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, India
Certifications
- PMP® — Project Management Institute, 2015
- Balanced Scorecard Master Professional (BSMP) — BSC Institute & The George Washington University, 2013
- Change Management Certification — Prosci ADKAR Methodology, 2018
- Balanced Scorecard Masterclass — Dr. Robert Kaplan & Dr. David Norton, Harvard Business School
Affiliations
- PMI Member
- Saudi Council of Engineers
- Balanced Scorecard Institute
- XLRI Alumni
- GWU Alumni
- UCAM Alumni
How I Can Help
For boards seeking a leader — and organizations seeking an advisor.
Executive & Board Roles
Open to Executive Director, Chief Strategy Officer, and EPMO leadership mandates — bringing a proven track record of founding and scaling enterprise PMOs from zero to governing multi-billion SAR portfolios.
Download full CV →Strategy Execution Advisory
Independent advisory for EPMO design, Balanced Scorecard rollouts, and transformation programs — for organizations that have the strategy but need the execution architecture to deliver it.
Book a consultation →Speaking & Thought Leadership
Conference keynotes and workshops on strategy-execution gaps, EPMO governance, and performance management — delivered at PMI Global Summit and Saudi Strategy Week.
Enquire about speaking →Speaking & Publications
Thought leadership on strategy execution.
PMI Global Summit — Los Angeles
Conference speaker on enterprise portfolio governance and strategy execution.
Saudi Strategy Week — Riyadh
“Bridging the Strategy Design & Execution Gap: Turning Big Ideas into Actionable Insights”
Hospitality Innovation Summit — Dubai
Conference speaker on transformation in ultra-luxury hospitality development.
“Too Big to Fail in Real Estate Development in Saudi Arabia”
Published article on strategy and risk in KSA real estate development.
From LinkedIn
Writing on strategy execution, EPMO, and change.
The Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO): A Linchpin for Strategy Execution
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, organizations are under growing pressure to not only develop effective strategies but also to implement them.
Read on LinkedIn →The How & Why of Balanced Scorecard
BSC has been used as a strategic management system by many organisations. The perspectives of the BSC help the organisation align with the strategy.
Read on LinkedIn →Strategy | Objectives | KPIs (Measures) | Initiatives
Whenever I talk to employees, including senior executives across industries and sectors, about Key Performance Indicators — the terms get conflated more often than not.
Read on LinkedIn →Critical Mass for Change Management
The point which is often forgotten during change management is “Critical Mass” — the number of people who need to adopt a change before it sticks.
Read on LinkedIn →Stretched Targets and Performance
We have often heard of stretched targets for performance improvement. How much of a stretch is actually productive?
Read on LinkedIn →Change and the Excellence “C” Curve
The biggest resistance to any change is the mindset. The Excellence “C” Curve explains this — and what it takes for leaders to move through it.
Read on LinkedIn →Barrier to Problem Solving: The Problem View Barrier
Problem analysis is the first step in any problem solution, be it big or small — and how the problem is framed is often the real barrier.
Read on LinkedIn →The Humbleness of Ratan Tata
I am a big fan of Ratan Tata. I started my career with Telco (now Tata Motors) as a Graduate Engineer Trainee in 1995 — a personal reflection on leadership.
Read on LinkedIn →Get in Touch
Let’s discuss your next strategic move.
Whether you’re a board evaluating executive talent or an organization navigating a transformation programme, I’d welcome the conversation.