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Saleem Khatri

Helping Independent Restaurants Double Sales and Profits at Record Speeds

Saleem S. Khatri is the Chief Executive Officer of Lavu Inc., a global restaurant SaaS and payments leader.1 He has held this position since May 2018.1 Khatri has an extensive background in finance, technology, and entrepreneurship:

Education and Early Career

  • MBA from Harvard Business School12
  • BBA from the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business12
  • Started his career as a Senior Analyst at Merrill Lynch, Inc.1

Professional Experience

  • Worked at Goldman Sachs and Oaktree Capital Management in investment roles12
  • Co-founded and sold His Black Box, a men's subscription sampling service23
  • Served as an Executive Officer at the U.S. Department of Treasury, managing the $79 billion Automotive Industry Financing Program12
  • Founded Instavest, a Y Combinator-backed technology-focused investment manager12

Leadership at Lavu Inc.

As CEO of Lavu Inc., Khatri leads the company's vision and strategy.1 Lavu provides an all-in-one restaurant suite including mobile point of sale, online ordering, payment processing, and back-of-house software.2

Achievements and Recognition

  • Selected as a Top CEO Honoree in STEM by The Albuquerque Journal in August 20192
  • Member of YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) since September 20191

Khatri's diverse experience in finance, government, and technology has shaped his approach to leadership and innovation in the restaurant technology sector.

Highlights

Aug 13 · linkedin

New largest Lavu customer (feels like we do this monthly!) 13 terminals 20 handhelds Dual Pricing $1.2 million of tpv monthly

and wait for it... Up and running 7 days

🚀 🚀 🚀 🎉

Jul 24 · linkedin

Once a week, our #leadership team meets for two hours. They discuss the key topics for improving Lavu.

Discussion follows the Customer Journey sequence. We discuss new initiatives, blockers, and what we need from teammates. These things will help us keep speeding up.

We start with people—the bedrock of Lavu. Where are we strong, where do we need help, and how can we help each other.

Then we talk about how to find more customers, get those customers, and, of course, keep those customers.

Seems standard, right?

The preface to that meeting is the good stuff, though.

Before we get into the functional topics, we do three things:

We go through Lavu's mission, values, and unique value proposition. A leadership team member will read this aloud for the others. We do this because Lavu's guiding principles are essential, and we must keep them top of mind.

Next, we "Clear the Air." Each person goes around the room and has to commit to stating that they "are good" with each team member. "I'm clear with you [Insert Name]." The statement isn't earth-shattering by itself. But committing to your teammates that you have no reservations or issues is a big deal. It also forces you to communicate with your teammates before you come to the meeting. A clear heart leads to a clear mind—which allows for improved performance.

Finally, I end with an icebreaker. This question aims to provoke deep thought. Our team aims to further open up on a personal level. Past icebreakers include: "What is your one superpower that got you to where you are today? And how will that superpower evolve to get you to the next level?" Over time, we've figured out that contrary to popular belief, business is personal.

My role in this meeting as a facilitator. I will direct the conversation and bring in people with differing viewpoints. An open exchange of ideas fosters effective solutions.

We don't always get to the answer on a deep topic, but the issue is out there to solve and the onus is on the team members to figure it out.

When I look back to where we were as a company even 12 months ago, I am astonished by our progress and customer impact in the restaurant industry.

We got next.

Related Questions

What inspired Saleem S. Khatri to transition from finance to technology?
How has Saleem S. Khatri's leadership style impacted Lavu Inc.'s growth?
What are some of the key achievements of Saleem S. Khatri at Lavu Inc?
How did Saleem S. Khatri's experience at the U.S. Department of Treasury influence his career?
What challenges has Saleem S. Khatri faced as CEO of Lavu Inc?
Saleem Khatri
Saleem Khatri, photo 1
Saleem Khatri, photo 2
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Location

Miami, Florida, United States