MANISH KOHLI

Building a Legacy & Happiness Soul Creator

Manish Kohli

Chief Operating Officer

Square Business Services

The role of COO is diverse, complex and dynamic; the responsibility varies by industry and the organisation. However, one critical responsibility remains constant which is creating Agility & Adaptability. Post pandemic the business environment has become innovative, empathetic and nimble, thereby a critical function for COO’s involves leading digital transformations to navigate market volatility, innovate operational models in line with evolving landscapes. A leader evolving from the hospitality to back office, spanning three decades in technology-driven growth, strategic expansion, and employee empowerment is Manish Kohli, Chief Operating Officer at Square Business Services Pvt Ltd. With a diverse career spanning from hospitality to overseeing extensive global back-office operations across multiple continents, Manish has evolved with time and been exposed to be a sustainable, dependable and trusted leader alongside a step-2-step human. His expertise encompasses customer lifecycle management, digital implementation, revenue acceleration, business development, P&L management, client servicing, contract management, human capital planning, and data analytics. Manish’s leadership philosophy, grounded in the principles of RUN, GROW, and BUILD, reflects his pursuit of operational excellence and strategic growth. Beyond his professional achievements, he is also a mentor and storyteller, known as a Happiness Soul Creator. He shares his experiences through talks and podcasts and fosters personal growth and happiness. This commitment to mentoring and personal growth adds another layer to his multifaceted persona. In our journey to discover the top 10 COOs in India, we interviewed Manish Kohli to closely understand his unique strengths and how he brings together operational excellence and visionary thinking to fuel long-term growth.

How do your diverse experiences shape your leadership approach at Square Business Services?

Coming from a self-made middle-class background and small-town upbringing, I embrace the values of humility, trust, integrity, and accountability. I believe that finding your own identity, sustaining it, and moving with a life purpose creates a beautiful landscape worth cherishing. My twenty-five-years professional journey has been gratifying, offering opportunities to work with multinational Fortune 100 organisations, large Indian listed companies, and the startup world. Throughout, my approach has always focused on simplicity, solution orientation, and sustainability. Square Business Services is a young BPO organisation with 1,000 skilled dreamers working to fulfil clients’ requirements and aspirations. My role is to nurture, enable, and empower these dreamers, guiding all stakeholders to achieve their life purpose, business goals, and organisational growth.

What crucial decision contributed significantly to Square Business Services' remarkable growth under your leadership?

Square Business Services, founded by Mr. Ravi Banda, is a bootstrapped BPO organisation specialising in domestic healthcare, e-commerce, and international finance and accounting. Over the past 13 years, it has evolved from manpower sourcing to a back-office service provider, expandingto three Indian cities with 1,500 employees funded by internal cash accruals. I joined Square Business Services in a transformative phase, where I combined my technical acumen and people management to drive business growth.

How do you prioritise self-care and maintain a healthy work-life balance, especially as a global happiness coach?

The realisation of self-well-being came later for me than it does for today’s Millennials and Gen Z. However, as the wise man said, “Health is Wealth.” It’s essential to manage and enjoy work while living a purposeful life. My evolution has been through a positive mindset change and tangible actions for a calmer, happier, and more productive self. In this journey, I learned, “You can achieve being a Happy Soul only when the realisation dawns of being a Giver of Gratitude to everyone who has touched your life.” Start your day with an hour for yourself, including meditation and physical activity. Dream big, think good, read well, and focus on the positive around you.

What skills from your hospitality background are most valuable in your current role as COO?

Hospitality professionals, like those in the armed forces, are regimented, peopleoriented, agile, and flexible. I honed these skills back in the hospitality sector, which is crucial today in achieving business goals and creating sustainable solutions. As a people-servant leader and COO at Square Business Services, I’ve implemented these to build a legacy through a skilled workforce and deliver positive financial outcomes. My hospitality background comes in handy in managing a diverse workforce and fostering a solution-centric work environment and empathetic leadership.

What unique challenges have you faced in managing both stable and start-up environments, and how have you navigated them?

Over my 25-year career, I’ve worked with Fortune 100 companies like GE Capital, American Express, and Dell Technologies, instilling in me the value of INTEGRITY. The next decade with large Indian firms such as Startrek (Aegis BPO), Teleperformance, and Tata Group taught me SCALE. In the past five years, my focus has shifted to MSMEs and start-ups in healthcare, EdTech, supply chain, and e-commerce. Here, HUSTLE became crucial, adding to my foundation of Integrity and Scale. Navigating these environments taught me the importance of adapting to generational shifts in workforce, technology, and organisational practices. The start-up world emphasises risk-taking, self-learning, and multitasking, previously rare in conventional organisations. I am indeed fortunate and thankful to the stakeholders who have trusted me and helped me stay relevant in the changing times.