It was a serene evening, perfectly balanced between sunshine and rain. As the KE community gathered for a much-anticipated Founders’ Fiesta of Mr. Ivan Fernandes at Grand Magrath Hotel, Bangalore.
The evening commenced on a light-hearted note, with Eugene Mathias welcoming the KE members, laced with his signature humour. He then proceeded to introduce the man of the hour — Mr. Ivan Fernandes Ivan Fernandes
Mr. Ivan Fernandes began by taking us through his remarkable journey. Born in Kavoor, Mangalore, as the eldest of four children, he came from humble beginnings. With his father working tirelessly to support the family and his mother — though uneducated — driven by the belief that all her children must be educated, Ivan’s foundation was one of values, perseverance, and grit.
After moving to Kodical to pursue better education, Ivan’s persistence stood out early. Determined to secure a seat in the English medium at St. Aloysius Middle School, he visited the headmaster daily until granted a chance to appear for the entrance exam — which he topped. This was just the beginning of many barriers he would break with sheer willpower.
Ivan’s formative years at St. Aloysius shaped his leadership and confidence through academics, sports, and extra-curricular activities. His dream was to become an Engineer, and through hard work and prayers, he secured merit based admission to PES College of Engineering, Mandya — where, he not only excelled throughout but also topped Mysore University in his 5th Semester.
He began his professional journey as a Scientist / Engineer at Bhabha Atomic Research Center. However, a newspaper article about challenges of automating customer signatures piqued his curiosity and led him into solving critical problems in the banking sector. What started with a single solution soon turned into a game-changing journey, eventually leading him to Bahrain where he helped build a banking customer signature verification product that marked the beginning of a trailblazing career in financial technology.
Ivan’s journey took him to USCB in Riyadh, where he rewrote key banking applications and led transformational change — winning the “Employee of the Year” award and leaving a lasting impact. His ability to solve complex banking challenges earned him recognition across the industry, prompting him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
In 1995, Ivan founded Synectics in Bangalore, hiring five fresh graduates from NIIT, based purely on conviction, not experience. Despite financial challenges, the team delivered innovative solutions and soon secured their first clients — Centurion Bank, and IndusInd Bank.
With a vision for global outreach, Synectics partnered with UK-based Logica Plc, and by 1998 had expanded operations to the UK, Spain, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Eventually, Logica acquired Synectics and Ivan was appointed Regional Director in Dubai and Chief Technology Officer – Financial Products— a role in which he thrived, earning numerous accolades.
In 2000, Ivan ventured out again, founding Ducont to encash on the early opportunities in mobility. Though faced with the dot-com crash shortly after its inception, he emphasized adaptability and resilience. Under his leadership, Ducont rose to become a dominant player in the mobility for the banking, telecom and government sector, eventually leading to a successful exit in 2008. His focus on building world-class products, not just services, defined this journey.
Ivan shared invaluable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs:
• Believe in yourself, especially when others doubt you
• Failures are powerful teachers and setbacks are part of the journey
• Success demands relentless effort, adaptability and the right timing
• Build strong teams, foster trust and nurture innovation
A passionate advocate of community building, Ivan has played a pivotal role in shaping TiE Dubai and Kanara Entrepreneurs. He is also an active angel investor and mentor to over 100 entrepreneurs, with notable contributions to education, elder care and the startup ecosystem.
He concluded his address with a powerful message: “Dream big, take bold risks and surround yourself with the right people. Vision, adaptability, and resilience create lasting success. Failures are temporary. Persistence is permanent.”
The evening concluded with a lively Q&A session, where Ivan answered every question candidly, followed by Mr. Claudius Pereira presenting a memento in appreciation. The Founder’s Fiesta wrapped up with a delightful fellowship dinner — a truly inspiring evening in the presence of a visionary leader.
