Xpheno, an Indian specialist staffing firm, has appointed Francis Padamadan as the new CEO-designate. He will be responsible for leading Xpheno’s two-year growth roadmap. The move comes as the firm prepares for its upcoming IPO.
Prior to this, Padamadan was associated with Hirewell as its managing director-APAC. He joined the company in 2024.
Padamadan brings 22 years of experience in the staffing industry, having held key leadership positions at global firms such as NASDAQ-listed Kelly Services and UK-based TritonExec’s Executive Search. His expertise spans executive search, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), and global staffing operations.
“We are at a critical stage of our growth journey, and Francis’ leadership will be instrumental in helping us solidify our position in specialist staffing,” said Kamal Karanth, co-founder, Xpheno. “His vast experience in staffing, executive search, and Greenfield GCC scaling—especially in the banking and automotive sectors—makes him the ideal leader to drive our next phase of growth,” he added.
Padamadan expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity, stating, “I am thrilled to join Xpheno at this pivotal moment. The chance to expand our specialist staffing segment, forge global GCC partnerships, and enter new markets aligns with my vision and experience.”
Founded in 2017 by recruitment industry veterans Kamal Karanth and Anil Ethanur, Xpheno, the Indian specialist staffing firm, headquartered in Bengaluru, has successfully placed over 23,000 niche tech professionals for GCCs and large enterprises. It has a presence in major Indian cities, including NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Udupi, as well as outside the country, in the US.
With more than 200 new GCCs expected to be set up in the country over the next two to three years, Xpheno aims to strengthen its role as a premier staffing partner.
