SK Sharma, PhD

Senior Advisor, Warburg Pincus

SK Sharma is a Senior Advisor with Warburg Pincus ($86B AUM) working across AI, media, and tech with a focus on value creation, growth, and new investments. SK’s unique expertise bridges advanced AI applications with technology and entertainment industry dynamics, positioning him to capitalize on the intersection of innovative technology and creative content.

Before moving to private equity, SK served as Chief Analytics & AI Officer at Universal Music Group, which completed a $53 billion IPO in 2019. In this role, he invented and patented breakthrough machine learning and AI technologies that fundamentally transformed how UMG’s artists, songwriters, and labels compete in the global marketplace. His pioneering work encompassed AI-powered audience discovery systems, advanced marketing analytics platforms, and sophisticated catalog acquisition and valuation methodologies. These innovations established new industry benchmarks for data-driven music strategies and earned him recognition on Billboard’s “40 Under 40” list as a trailblazing music executive.

SK’s early career included investment banking positions at Goldman Sachs, UBS, and Lehman Brothers, along with management consulting roles at OC&C Strategy Consultants and Mitchell Madison Group. He was named the 2023 Commencement Speaker at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering, where he served as Entrepreneur in Residence for five years.

SK earned his SM from Harvard University and his PhD in Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics from Caltech, where he is also an Entrepreneur in Residence. An avid surfer and kayaker based in coastal San Diego, SK also pursues extreme trekking expeditions to the North and South Poles.