Thiru Thangarathinam

Thiru Thangarathinam took a leap of faith in 2012 and established MST Solutions from his home office, despite having no prior experience as an entrepreneur. MST Solutions, an IT consulting services company, grew exponentially, employing nearly 400 people by 2022 and expanding its operations in Chandler.

Throughout this period of rapid growth, Thangarathinam prioritized work-life balance and created a thriving workplace environment built upon the core values of humility, ownership and service. The company's culture garnered several accolades, including recognition as one of the best places to work by prestigious publications such as Phoenix Business Journal, Great Places To Work, Fortune Magazine, and AZ Central.

“The most important risk I took was leaving a comfortable, well-paying job to start a new organization with everything on the line,” Thangarathinam said. “I did that because of the urge to start something on my own and go through the process of building an organization from scratch. It required tons of hard work, persistence and sacrifices from my family along the way, but I'm grateful for the learnings that I have had through this journey.”

Thangarathinam's achievements as a software consulting organization founder earned him recognition as one of the Most Admired Leaders in the Valley by Phoenix Business Journal in 2017. He also was a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2019.

Thangarathinam believes the three most important traits of a good leader are transparency, authenticity and empathy. “A leader should be transparent about what is going on in the organization, creating alignment, ownership, and accountability across the organization,” Thangarathinam said. “An authentic leader can be a magnet to attract good people and connect with people in an intimate manner … Empathy is at the core of how a leader should operate. An empathetic leader can drive alignment across various stakeholders in the organization.”

In August 2022, Thangarathinam successfully sold MST Solutions for $115 million to Mastek. Currently, Thangarathinam serves as the CEO of the Mastek Salesforce Business Unit, leading the strategic growth of the division.

Thangarathinam's vision for the Mastek Salesforce Business Unit revolves around creating a lasting legacy across three key pillars: Customers, Colleagues and the Community. He aims to grow the unit into a $100 million business. By 2027, the unit is projected to achieve significant milestones, including a global presence in three locations, recognition as a Fortune 500-recognized Salesforce System Integrator, low employee attrition rates and high customer satisfaction.

Thangarathinam participates in peer CEO groups such as YPO and Vistage. He is passionate about supporting children's causes and contributes to nonprofit organizations such as SARRC, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Phoenix Children's Hospital.