Connecting sustainability, strategy, and the capital markets
I help companies identify what matters to their business and investors, build research-backed strategic priorities, and communicate their story clearly and credibly.
My experience combines sustainability advisory, investor relations, and capital markets intelligence, with a focus on connecting business performance, stakeholder expectations, and long-term value.
Sudarshan Setlur
My Story
My career in capital markets began on a 65cc scooter in India. As a retail broker, I specialized in selling IPOs to high-net-worth professionals. Navigating traffic, waiting for doctors and lawyers to make time for my pitch, and succinctly translating the language of capital markets into actionable information, allowed me to build a loyal client base and taught me the virtues of patience and tenacity.
I developed a not-so-secret love for America early. Posters of Michael Jordan and Bon Jovi, tapes of Hollywood films, ambassadors of America’s soft power, filled the bedrooms of my youth.
I left the temperate climate of Bengaluru, India and landed in the frozen tundra of a Rochester, NY winter to begin my MBA. Before long, I was learning the art and science of solving unstructured problems, in and out of the classroom. As a student of modest means, I kept track of campus events with the best food and drink on offer. The inability to afford a car led to barter deals with my Japanese classmates - trips to grocery stores in exchange for help understanding American idioms and sarcasm (thanks Hollywood!)
All that hustle brought me to the Big Apple after graduation (where else!) and a Capital Markets Advisory role.
My focus over the years has been helping companies answer four questions:
Who are my shareholders?
Why have they invested?
Who else could invest?
What messages must I deliver?
Over time, sustainability became an increasingly important part of those conversations. Having grown up in India, where I witnessed both environmental challenges and economic transformation, I came to appreciate the importance of connecting sustainability with business performance and long-term value creation.
My work evolved from analyzing investors and their expectations to helping companies identify sustainability issues that matter to their businesses, establish strategic priorities, and communicate progress credibly. Most recently, at Corbin Advisors, I advised public companies on sustainability strategy, materiality assessments, stakeholder engagement, and corporate reporting.
What I enjoy most is making sense of complex information, connecting the dots, and helping people turn research and insights into practical decisions and compelling communications.
Sustainability Strategy & Communications
Materiality Assessments & Stakeholder Engagement; Sustainability Strategy & Prioritization; Corporate Reporting & Disclosures
Investor Relations & Capital Markets
Shareholder Analysis & Investor Targeting; Investor Expectations & Market Intelligence; Investment Story & Strategic Messaging
Research, Insights & Innovation
Investor Research & Peer Benchmarking; Strategic Insights & Business Intelligence; AI-Enabled Analysis & Reporting
Though my career has come a long way, at heart I am still that young entrepreneur on a scooter in India, learning, adapting, and growing with my clients.
Corbin Advisors, Vice President, ESG Advisory (2021 - present)
Guru Advisory LLC , Founder and Consultant (2020 - 2021 )
IHS Markit, Director, Research & Analysis (2018 – 2020)
Ipreo, Director, Global Markets Intelligence (2008 - 2018)
CapitalBridge, Vice President, Markets Intelligence, Europe (2006 – 2008)
Earlier Experiences:
Georgeson & Co., Associate, Capital Markets Advisory
Karvy Computershare, The Retail Broker on a Scooter
Selected Organizations I’ve Supported
Testimonials
About a streetlight and some sunlight creating memories