Spotlight: CXO movements this week (Jan 13-19)

The week (January 13-19, 2024) saw several CXO movements in the technology industry with some of the major appointments in key business positions. Technology firms like Wipro, Cognizant, SAP Labs, CloudSEK and Tata Electronics, among others made important new appointments in India. Movements also happened in startups like Acko. Here’s the roundup: 

Applied Materials' Country President Srinivas Satya joins Tata Electronics
Srinivas Satya, the VP and Country President at Applied Materials India, has joined Tata Electronics as Chief Supply Chain Officer and President of the components business. Satya has a long history with Applied Materials, joining in 1995 and holding various business and technical positions. In 2015, he became President and MD of Applied Materials India, overseeing performance, strategy, and development. In his new role at Tata Electronics, Satya will report to CEO Randhir Thakur. Satya holds an MBA from Haas School of Business, a master's in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. (Read more)

Cognizant country head takes on additional charge of APJ head for large deals
Cognizant has promoted Achal Kataria the additional responsibility of head of large deals (Asia-Pacific Japan region), in addition to the existing role of vice president and India country head. Kataria took over as the country head in December 2021, succeeding Anantharaman Sreenivasan who had held the position for four years before stepping down in August of the same year. With nearly forty years of experience, Kataria has worked in renowned companies like EXL, Tech Mahindra, and Genpact. He possesses extensive knowledge in emerging technologies such as analytics, robotics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and IoT. (Read more)

Acko appoints Mallesh Bommanahal as its new Chief Data Scientist
Acko, an insurtech provider in Bengaluru, has appointed Mallesh Bommanahal as its new Chief Data Scientist. Bommanahal will lead the company's data science initiatives and use AI to develop customer-centric technology. With experience in insurance and healthcare, Bommanahal will enhance Acko's AI capabilities and transform the insurance customer experience. He is also the founder of i3systems.ai, an AI solutions provider in insurance underwriting and claims processing. Bommanahal holds a Doctorate degree in Aerospace Engineering and prestigious degrees from IIT Bombay. (Read more)

SAP Labs India elevates Milesh J as head of strategy and ops
SAP Labs India has promoted Milesh J to head of Strategy and Operations, effective February 1. In this role, he will be responsible for location strategy and operational efficiency. He will also oversee strategic projects across departments and act as a liaison with external entities. Milesh has over 20 years of experience at SAP, working in various areas including product engineering, management, business development, customer engagement, and consulting. Prior to his promotion, he was vice president and head of S/4HANA Data Transformation and Enterprise Content Management Unit. Milesh is an alumnus of the Indian Business School. (Read more)

Trupti Purandare to head business information security management at Wipro
Trupti Purandare has been appointed as head – business information security management at IT services major Wipro. A seasoned professional, leading with head, heart and hands with the objective of helping enterprises translate evolving industry risks into technology roadmaps and robust security programs. With two decades of work experience, she has worked in multifaceted roles, along with diverse stakeholders of various domains and varied challenges. Prior to joining Wipro, she was assistant vice president (AVP) and head of infrastructure & chief information security officer (CISO) at Godrej Capital. A computer engineer by profession, she has also worked with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited as senior manager with information systems. 

Genesys appoints Pavan Tsunduru as its new COO
Genesys International, a mapping technology company, has announced the appointment of Pavan Tsunduru as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Tsunduru, who has more than twenty years of experience in senior technology positions at prominent Indian corporations like Reliance, Adani, and GMR Group, brings a vast amount of expertise in implementing technology solutions for large-scale digital infrastructure projects. Tsunduru will now drive the development of a new map stack in India and globally, and execute the company’s geospatial technology to build innovative solutions across various sectors, including utilities, e-commerce/logistics, transportation networks, and the aerial ecosystem. (Read more)

Manish Sehgal joins CloudSEK as Chief Information Security Officer
Cybersecurity firm CloudSEK has appointed Manish Sehgal as its new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Manish has previously held the position of EVP & CISO at AU Small Finance Bank and has worked at renowned organizations like Hewlett Packard and VFS Global Services. Sehgal specializes in enterprise risk management and cyber defense, with expertise in managing information security and ensuring compliance across various sectors. In his new role, he will lead the development and implementation of advanced information security strategies, prioritizing the protection of customer data. (Read more)