Title
Vice President, Enterprise Sales & Partnerships
Company
Cvent
Bio

With more than a decade of experience in the meetings and events industry, Anil Punyapu is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of Cvent’s enterprise meetings solutions divisions as well as channel partnerships. Under Anil’s leadership, Cvent launched its enterprise solutions team in 2009, focusing on implementing its Strategic Meetings Management technology for organizations of all sizes. Today, Cvent is the leading SMM solution in the marketplace, helping many of the world’s largest pharmaceutical, financial, technology and healthcare organizations centrally manage enterprise-wide meetings spend and streamline meetings processes. With his technology expertise combined with his deep knowledge of the meetings and events industry he continuously helps shape the development of the company’s SMM product. He also leads the division’s strategic marketing initiatives, sales processes and training programs.  In addition, Anil oversees the management of Cvent’s relationships with industry-leading travel and meetings management companies across the globe and built the company’s partnership division, which currently includes American Express Meetings & Incentives, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, BCD Meetings & Events, and HelmsBriscoe. Under his leadership, the partnership team has grown to manage 24 of the top 25 meetings management companies and 50 of the top 100 travel management companies in the U.S. Prior to his current role, he also built Cvent's chapter sales division, which is focused on chapter-based associations, such as Meeting Professionals Internationals.  Prior to Cvent, Anil co-founded Entertainment Ventures, a hedge fund of funds based in the Greater Washington, D.C. area. Prior to that, he worked at Friedman Billings Ramsey (FBR), a full-services investment firm, assisting in the development and fundraising of investments for various asset management vehicles.  Anil holds a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a law degree – Juris Doctorate (J.D.) – from the University of Maryland School of Law, where he graduated with honors.