Debu Purkayastha

Debu Purkayastha is Principal - New Business Development at Google with a wide mandate spanning several key strategic focus areas globally. Previously, Debu was Google's Principal - Corporate Development spearheading its M&A and Investment efforts in EMEA & other regions including the acquisition of ITA Software (travel search), DailyDeal.de (offers), Gizmo5 (VoIP), Phonetic Arts (text to speech), Green Parrot Pictures (video image processing), Zynamics (security software) amongst several others. Debu is also a founding member of Google “Campus”, a seven-storey co-working space for startups in East London’s Tech City.

Debu also sits on the Boards of Fon (wireless) & Mobile Planet (mobile apps) and the Advisory Board of Sadara Ventures (VC Fund).

Prior to Google, Debu headed Sabre's Corporate Development/M&A team in EMEA & in a past life was a Telecoms/Media/Technology M&A Banker with Salomon Smith Barney/Citigroup in Wall Street, Silicon Valley & London.

Debu has a MBA from London Business School & is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Debu spends a fair bit of his personal time working with leading NGOs & governmental institutions in several politically sensitive areas including Palestine, Iraq, Kashmir etc. focusing on economic development initiatives. A certified cricket nut & film fanatic, Debu is also passionate about white-water rafting & hiking.