Spotlight: CXO movement this week (July 27-August 2)

The week of July 27-August 2 saw several CXO movements in the technology industry. Tech companies like SAP Labs India, Prodapt, Infogain and Securonix made important announcements regarding key business positions. Movements also happened in non-IT firms such as Bajel Projects and Ashoka University which made important announcements in technology positions. Here's the roundup:

Chennai-based Prodapt appoints new MD and CEO

IT services provider Prodapt Solutions announced the appointment of Manish Vyas as MD and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on Wednesday. Vyas joined the Chennai-based firm as Executive Director from IT major Tech Mahindra in February of this year.  He has a 23-year-plus stint with the technology major, where his last role was that of President of the Communications, Media, and Entertainment (CME) business. He also held leadership roles as the CEO of Network Services and BPO business units at that time.  Vyas holds a Management degree from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, an Electronics Engineering degree from RCOEM Nagpur, and executive education from institutions like Harvard Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Yale University.

Former Dell exec joins Securonix as CEO

Cybersecurity firm Securonix has appointed Kash Shaikh as the President and Chief Executive Officer. Shaikh will also be joining as a member of its Board of Directors. Shaikh succeeds Nayaki Nayyar who will now focus on public Board service. An industry veteran of 30 years, Shaikh holds experience in business transformation and delivering technology solutions for enterprise organisations. He has worked in firms such as Dell, Ruckus Wireless, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, and Nortel Networks. His last held role was that of CEO and President of hybrid-cloud infrastructure observability solutions provider Virtana.

Ex-Mother Dairy exec joins Ashoka University as VP of IT

Ashoka University has appointed Annie Mathew as its new Vice President of Information Technology. Bringing over 30 years of IT experience, in her new role, Mathew will include developing a comprehensive IT strategy, modernising IT infrastructure, fostering a culture of digital adoption, and ensuring robust cybersecurity measures to protect data and assets at the institution, besides collaborating with key stakeholders to create a strong networking ecosystem. Before joining Ashoka, she worked at Mother Dairy for 18 years. There, she was instrumental in establishing IT as a central service and consolidating hardware, software, and network administration across the organisation. Her efforts led to the first successful SAP implementation in the Indian dairy industry. Mathew holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from LIT, Nagpur University, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Systems Management from CDAC, Mumbai.

Hiranandani Energy CTO Vikas Gupta joins Bajel Projects

Vikas Gupta joined as VP and CIO of Bajel Projects Limited (BPL), formerly a division of Bajaj Electricals Limited, an engineering, procurement and construction firm. He was the CTO at Hiranandani Energy before joining Bajel Projects. Gupta has over two decades of diverse IT consulting experience with Big 4 firms and global conglomerates across industries like financial services, manufacturing, and telecommunications and his expertise lies in strategic IT planning, customer-centric decision-making, and effective team leadership. His journey includes roles at Big 4s (Deloitte, KPMG & PwC) and as Head of IT at Essar before joining Hiranandani Energy. He has also worked with SYSTIME Computers, Larsen & Toubro, and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Infogain gets a new Chief Delivery and Innovation Officer

Infogain, an IT consulting and services company, has appointed Mohit Bhat as its Chief Delivery and Innovation Officer. In this role, Bhat will oversee service delivery for Infogain customers and help them navigate the changing technology landscape. He will drive the innovation strategy and offer guidance to clients in various sectors to support their digital transformation efforts. He will also lead the development of new technology capabilities at Infogain. Previously, Bhat was Vice President of Digital Customer Solutions and Innovation at Canadian National Railways, where he led several digital transformation projects across North America. Bhat has extensive experience in delivering results and collaborating with global organisations on business and technology goals. He is known for his work in digital transformation and innovation, particularly in using AI and digital technologies to achieve business success.

SAP Labs India makes two key appointments for AI-related roles

SAP Labs India has made two key appointments for global artificial intelligence (AI) roles. Rahul Lodhe is named as the global head of engineering for SAP Business AI Copilot Joule and Sudhakar Singh as the chief AI security officer. Both will be based in the company’s Bengaluru hub. Lodhe, with 24 years of industry experience, will collaborate with various Lines of Business to integrate SAP's AI copilot, Joule. His duties include shaping product vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with generative AI market trends, and delivering high-quality software solutions to ensure customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, Singh, with over two decades of cybersecurity experience, will lead trustworthy AI initiatives for SAP Business AI as the chief AI security officer. He will focus on cybersecurity, data privacy, AI regulations, and compliance within the SAP Business AI portfolio, working closely with global security teams and customer success to ensure regulatory adherence and maintain high standards of security and privacy for customer data and operations.