Prem Parameswaran is an institution in himself. A financial wizard, Prem achieved phenomenal success as investment banker. In his 23 -year career in Investment Banking, Prem became one of the top Media and Telecom bankers on Wall Street. He advised clients and many Fortune 10 companies on mergers and acquisitions, as well as both public and private equity and debt financings.
In 2015, after a long and successful career as an investment banker in the Global Media and Telecom sector Prem Parameswaran joined Eros as the Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and President of Eros International’s North America Operations. A new feather was added to his crown when on December 20, 2018 Eros announced that Prem has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors.
Established in 1977, Eros is a respected global brand name in the Indian cinema world, which focuses on distributing films and other content through various mediums. Its relatively new OTT (Over-the-Top Service) platform, Eros Now, has over 128 million registered users globally with over 13 million monthly subscribers as of September 30, 2018. People term Eros Now as the “Netflix” of India, which owns rights for about 11, 000 films from Bollywood and regional languages of India spanning several decades. No other company in the world has such a rich and vast Indian content to offer to its viewers.
Prior to joining Eros, Prem had served as the Global Head of Media and Telecommunications Investment Banking at Jefferies LLC. Prior to Jefferies he was the Americas Head of Media and Telecom Investment Banking at Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. He had been with Goldman Sachs for 7 years prior to joining Deutsche Bank, where he was a Vice President and Head of the Integrated Communications Providers within Investment Banking. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Prem started his career at Salomon Brothers where he worked his way up from an Analyst to a Vice President.
Prem graduated from Columbia University with a BA and received an MBA from Columbia Business School. He was awarded Indian American Businessman of the Year in 2012 by the Asian American Republican Committee. He also serves on the Boards of Columbia University Alumni Trustee Nominating Committee and The Program for Financial Studies at Columbia Business School. Prem is a member of very exclusive Winged Foot Golf Club and The Golf Club of Purchase.
Prem’s inspiration is his father Ven Parameswaran who came to USA in 1954 on a boat with less than $100 in his pocket and an academic scholarship to Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. He worked three jobs to make ends meet and received a master’s degree from Columbia Business School. Later she earned a PhD also. He served as secretary to the legendary Krishna Menon, Defense Minister of India and chairman of Indian Delegation to the UN. He was also president and CEO of First Asian Securities after working with Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns and Morgan Stanley.
Later, Ven Parameswaran moved to Wall Street and became the first Indian family to move to Scarsdale, Upstate New York. His wife Priscilla too had come as a student. They are among the earliest political activists from the community in America. Active in the Republican Party, Priscilla founded the New York Asian American Republican Committee three decades ago, which is still very active.
Prem grew up in Scarsdale, New York but currently resides in Purchase, New York with his three children, Trinity, Kayla and Hudson. Like his parents, Prem is a staunch Republican. He was invited to the White House Oval Office Reception for Diwali in 2017 with President Trump.
So much about the brief biography of the man who, at a relatively young age, has distinguished himself in his profession.
There is much more to know and learn from this gentleman. So, The Indian Panorama requested him for an interview to know about his vision, plans, and views on any thing and everything under the Sun which may interest him. He did not disappoint. So, two days before the end of 2018, on December 29, to be exact, the chief editor of The Indian Panorama Prof. Indrajit S Saluja walked in to his Purchase, NY big house to speak with him.
We will bring to our readers the rather longish interview in our India’s Republic Day special edition on Friday, January 25. Please do look for the enlightened views of Mr. Prem Parameswaran, a man who is a synonym of success.