Anthony Persaud ’21: From IT Professional to Director at a Global Firm

Through a master’s program at Touro Graduate School of Technology, Anthony Persaud discovered the ideal balance between leadership, problem-solving, and shaping the future of information technology.

Anthony Persaud, Touro Graduate School of Technology ’21, was already an established information technology professional when a conversation with his former boss led him to consider a master’s degree program that would shape the next chapter of his career.

“I was a longtime IT guy, but I wanted to move toward management and teaching people, coming up with solutions to all manner of issues in-house and for our clients,” says Persaud, Director of Information Technology at Havas, one of the largest global advertising, marketing, and communications groups in the world. With offices in more than 100 countries, Havas’ clients have included Adidas, KFC, Coca-Cola, and Amnesty International.

Persaud credits Touro’s Graduate School of Technology with elevating his professional skill set and preparing him for leadership at a global organization. “Touro was instrumental in terms of helping me to understand how to manage the environment better—people and projects,” he explains. “I learned the infrastructure of management, how to handle project management on a higher, more sophisticated level.”

The program’s emphasis on practical application left a lasting impression. “The professors were laser focused on real-world knowledge, teaching us to understand, survive, and succeed in IT management at all levels,” Persaud adds.

Anthony Persaud with a member of his team at Havas, where he leads IT operations supporting employees across multiple U.S. offices.

Today, Persaud manages teams in Havas’ New York City and Chicago offices, supporting approximately 1,600 employees in their in-house work on behalf of clients. “I oversee all of the user services,” he says proudly. “One of our staff members needs something, a client wants something now—how do we make the system better, quicker, more efficient?”

The fast-paced environment keeps the work engaging. “On any given day there are different issues, and we’ve got to get in there and solve them. There’s a sense of urgency and a sense of pride we feel as a team,” Persaud shares.

Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Persaud moved to the United States at age 14. Contrary to many tech origin stories, he didn’t grow up dismantling electronics. “I was never a techie,” Persaud says with a laugh. “I wanted to be a lawyer or educator.”

Instead, his career evolved organically through tech support roles, where he discovered both aptitude and passion for the field. Management soon followed naturally. “That’s what Touro did for me—it validated and solidified my chosen career path,” Persaud says.