An experienced Management Academic and Educational Administrator, Dr. Venkatesh is an educational entrepreneur, who has helped launch many institutions of higher learning in his career spanning over 34 years. He is associated with Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, where he served as Professor & Director PGPM between 2014 to 2022, in 2022 October he has taken over the role of Director Centre for Online Learning. Earlier he was – Professor & Area Chair Marketing, International Management Institute, New Delhi (2012-14); Founding Dean & Professor, GDGWI – Lancaster University, India (2009-12); Vice Chancellor (Designate) ITM University, Gwalior, India (2008-09); Founding Dean & Professor, IIMT-Oxford Brookes Univ., India (2000-08); Dean, NIILM, New Delhi (1998-2000); Professor/Chair-Marketing & Program Director (Graduate/Executive Programs), IILM, New Delhi (1995-98); Assistant Professor & Executive Council Member – VBSP University, India (1990-95). He was offered Adjunct Professorship at CUNY, USA (2004).

With a Ph.D. in Management (Consumer Behaviour), he holds Postgraduate qualifications in Management as well as Agricultural Economics. His areas of interest are – Consumer Behaviour, International Marketing, Responsible Businesses; Rural Marketing etc.
He promotes research by acting as PhD Supervisor for the AIMA-AMU and Amity University, U.P., PhD Programs and PhD Examiner for many universities in India. He is on the Editorial Board of various research journals. He has authored a book on Services Management; has many research publications to his credit. Has designed & conducted training programs for – business managers, academicians, civil servants and NGO functionaries in the areas of customer centricity, service orientation, organizational design, ethics, institution building etc. He promotes research by being a PhD supervisor and examiner for many universities along with reviewer of reputed journals viz. Vikalpa (IIM-A); Global Business Review (Sage); Emerald Group Publishing, Journal of Services Research etc. He has led and managed multiple international collaborative programs with British Universities for over 16 years between 1996 and 2012.As an institution builder, he has helped set-up five institutions of higher learning in India, both public and private, enacting key leadership roles in conceptualizing, designing, implementing and managing, innovative study programs - with many international partners viz. Lancaster Univ. UK; Oxford Brookes Univ. UK; Bradford Univ. UK; Greenwich Univ. UK etc.