The Wire
← back to the wire

Vinay Bhartia

Director - MEA + West Asia @ Semrush (NYSE: SEMR)
25.0 yrs experienceInternet
Mar 2026

The move

MoveStanford Seed → Semrush
TitleConsultant → Director - Middle East, Africa & West Asia
LocationUnited Arab Emirates → Dubai
Career arcRecent arrival
Cross-border moveNo — same country
Years in UAE0.2
Total experience25.0 years
Semrush headcount1,001-5,000 employees
Semrush industrySoftware Development
Semrush HQBoston, Massachusetts
Semrush founded2008
Semrush typePublic Company

Career arc

  1. Director - Middle East, Africa & West AsiaMar 2026 — Present
    Semrush· Dubai, United Arab Emirates· Full-time
  2. ConsultantAug 2025 — Present
    Stanford Seed
  3. Founder - Venture Studio [Wound Down]Jul 2024 — Dec 2025
    26ideas· Full-time
  4. Global Head Pusher & GM South AsiaFeb 2024 — Jun 2024
    Bird· India· Full-time
  5. GM South AsiaJan 2023 — Jan 2024
    Bird· India· Full-time
  6. Executive MemberFeb 2022 — Present
    Pavilion· Singapore· Full-time
  7. Country Manager - IndiaMay 2021 — Jan 2023
    MessageBird· India· Full-time
  8. Country Manager - IndiaJul 2019 — Feb 2021
    ByteDance· India
  9. Country Head, DingTalkMay 2018 — Apr 2019
    Alibaba Group· India
  10. SVP - BD & Partnerships - Alibaba.comMar 2016 — May 2018
    Alibaba Group· Mumbai Area, India· Full-time
  11. Co-Founder & CEO [Failed]Sep 2014 — Nov 2015
    MYPACCO (eCommerce | Technology | Logistics | Cross Border)· Mumbai Area, India
  12. CEOJun 2000 — Aug 2014
    Vin Syntex (Cross Border | Logistics)· Mumbai Area, India

Education

Top skills

Business StrategyInternational Business DevelopmentGrowth HackingBusiness DevelopmentLeadershipNew Business Development

About

Seasoned & repeat operator who builds international markets from zero and scales them with discipline. Over 25+ years across global SaaS, tech, and cross-border businesses, I’ve led market entry, GTM resets, and regional scale across India, South Asia, South America, and global markets—spanning revenue, partnerships, marketing, and reputation-building from day one. As GM South Asia at Bird, I rebuilt the GTM, scaled the team from 0 → 20, closed 20+ enterprise logos, built an outsourced SDR engine in the Philippines, and managed regional and global businesses including Pusher (~$35M ARR) all while holding firm on global pricing and brand principles. Beyond sales execution, I built early strategic alliances, partner-led distribution, and local marketing/PR motions to establish credibility i

Share this move

View profile on LinkedIn