IBM’s Kyndryl names country heads; Lingraju Sawkar is India biz president

After naming Antoine Shagoury as the CTO of its spinoff Kyndryl earlier this week, IBM on Thursday announced the appointments of new country heads. Company insider Lingraju Sawkar will take charge of Kyndryl’s operations in India.  

The managed infrastructure services spin-off from IBM has appointed more than ten presidents for specific countries, including India, USA, UK, Japan, France and others. The Armonk, New York based company also said that it is building new services practices and advisory service teams.  

Long serving IBM executive Lingraju Sawkar has been elevated to the post of the president of Kyndryl India.    

In his previous role, Lingraju Sawkar was the General Manager of Global Technology Services (GTS) for IBM India and South Asia, a role where he was responsible for IBM’s managed Infrastructure services business in the market. 

“Our country leaders and managing partners will be empowered to work closely with customers, make quick decisions and access the best global talent in the industry,” Martin Schroeter, Kyndryl CEO, said.  

The list of new presidents includes Matt Milton for United States, Takashi Uesaka for Japan, Philippe Roncati for France, Markus Koerner for Germany, and Xerxes Cooper in Canada. 

Additionally, veteran IBM sales executive Rick Ruiz has been elevated as Kyndryl’s Strategic Markets President.  

In terms of its working structure, IBM said that it will create six global managed services practices along with an advisory and implementation services practices.  

"By integrating multiple offerings into these six practices and applying our mission-critical systems capabilities to a broader digital environment, we will be well positioned to support our customers on their digital transformation," Kyndryl Group President Elly Keinan said. 

These six global practices will be across cloud, applications; data and AI; security and resiliency; core enterprise and cloud network and edge and digital workplaces. 

This is what the October 2020 incorporated company’s top deck currently looks like:  

• Michael Bradshaw, Chief Information Officer 
• Antoine Shagoury, Chief Technology Officer 
• Martin Schroeter, Chief Executive Officer  
• Elly Keinan, Group President   
• Nelly Akoth, Chief Transformation Officer 
• Lingraju Sawkar, President, India 
• Rick Ruiz, Strategic Markets President 

The 90,000 people-strong infrastructure managed services wing is expected to formally complete its hive off from IBM by the end of 2021.