Peter has been a Director at Vera since January 2017, initially based in Cape Town before transitioning to Washington, D.C. in March 2018. Utsav became a Director in June 2017 after two years with the Mumbai consulting team.
“Both Peter and Utsav have been instrumental in developing and shaping Vera’s global consulting division in recent years and collectively driving the company’s success across Africa, Asia, and the Americas,” says Kaufman. “We are immensely proud of the work they’ve done so far and eager to see the impact they’ll make in this next phase of Vera’s growth.”
Peter came to Vera with more than six years of management experience in the development space. Colleagues say Peter leads by example, citing his critical thinking skills, deep-rooted values, sprightly sense of humor, and consistent enthusiasm for Vera’s work. “Peter isn’t afraid to make tough decisions or ask the important questions that ultimately make Vera a stronger partner for our clients and better place to work for our employees,” says Gordon.
Previously Peter led the creation of the WASH Impact Network at the Results for Development Institute and worked for the Carter Center in Atlanta, Guinea-Conakry, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nepal in a range of positions across the Conflict Resolution and Democracy programs. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Peter holds an MPA in International Development from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, and a BA in Politics from the University of Nottingham. A veteran in the industry, Utsav understands the challenges that social impact organizations face with overarching considerations for data management, such as accessibility, security, flexibility, and scalability of tools, and how Vera can be the catalyst that drives their impact forward. He was previously an information technology consultant for two of Oracle's largest Fortune 500 clients, where he built large-scale, high-performance data management systems, and he holds a B. Tech. in Information Technology. At Vera, he has combined his cloud innovations expertise with his passion to make a positive social impact, working with more than 40 clients in Asia, Africa, and Europe. “It has been fantastic to see Utsav rise from Consultant to Director to Partner over the past four years,” says Gordon. “He is always seeking new ways to expand Vera’s reach, and his diligence, dedication to Vera’s mission, and industry knowledge make him a role model for all of our consultants.”
