Spotlight: CXO movements this week (Sept 28-Oct 4)

The week of Sept 28-Oct 4, 2024, was buzzing with several CXO movements in the tech industry, with some major appointments in key business positions. IT services firms like Mphasis and ESDS Software, made important new appointments, while non-technology firms like Ford Motor Company, Aditya Birla Money, Mahindra Group, Best Power Equipments, Ferns N Petals and Nykaa, among others, appointed senior leaders to lead their technology and digital affairs. Movements also happened in startups like GrowthJockey. Here’s the roundup:

BPE appoints new data centre infra and enterprise lead

Noida-headquartered power solutions provider for IT, Industrial and critical equipment, telecom, and Data Centers, Best Power Equipments Pvt. Ltd. (BPE) has appointed Girish Chandra as Director of Data Center Infrastructure Solutions and Enterprise. Chandra, who brings over 25 years of experience in the data centre and power management industry across India and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, will be responsible for driving the company’s expansion and global growth. His expertise spans data centre solutions, power management, business development, and turnkey MEP project management. Chandra has previously held senior roles at prominent companies such as CBRE South Asia Pvt Ltd, Kyndryl Solutions Pvt Ltd (formerly IBM), IBM India Pvt Ltd, Wipro Ltd in Singapore, APC by Schneider Electric, Emerson Network Power (I) Pvt Ltd, and DB Power Electronics.  (Read more)

FNP appoints former Nykaa exec as its CTO

Gifting platform Ferns N Petals (FNP) has appointed Gaurav Sharma as its new chief technology officer (CTO). In this role, Sharma will oversee the company’s tech infrastructure, drive innovation, and build digital experience for FNP’s expanding global customer base. Sharma will be leading FNP’s technological roadmap, integrating advanced systems and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions aimed at personalising the gifting experience, enhancing operational efficiency, and setting new standards in customer satisfaction. Sharma is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur with a degree in Computer Science. Before joining FNP, he served as the Head of Engineering at the online gaming platform Zupee. His career also includes his role as Senior Vice President of Engineering at Nykaa, where he played a key role in building the technology team from the ground up. (Read more)

Jan Kathleen Hier elected as Chairperson of Mphasis Board

IT services company Mphasis has announced the election of Jan Kathleen Hier as the new Chairperson of its Board, effective from October 1, 2024. Hier, who has served as an Independent Director for the company since December 2015, succeeds Davinder Singh Brar, who retired on September 30. Hier brings extensive leadership experience to her new role. Before joining Mphasis, she held executive positions at Charles Schwab, where she oversaw centralised support services, including Schwab Technology Services, Operational Services, and Offshore Services. Hier also served as Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of Human Resources during her tenure at Schwab. With a bachelor’s degree in economics from Syracuse University, US, she has demonstrated her expertise in driving innovation and managing large-scale operations. (Read more)

Bhuwan Lodha to lead AI division at the Mahindra Group

Bhuwan Lodha has taken on a new role as CEO — AI division at the Mahindra Group. He was the Mahindra Group’s Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for the auto sector before this. The Mahindra Group has created a focused division on AI to help companies in the conglomerate benefit from new-age technologies. The idea is to consolidate all the work on AI in a single office to benefit all the businesses, which Lodha, the chief of the newly created division is expected to lead. He has also been associated with organizations such as the World Economic Forum, McKinsey & Company, Nokia, and SAP Labs. Lodha has pursued a B.Tech in Computer Science, followed by an M.Tech in Information Technology from the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore.

ESDS Software Solution elevates Sajiv Nair to the role of CIO and CISO

ESDS Software Solution, a provider of cloud, IT security, and managed services, has promoted Sajiv Nair to the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Nair previously served as the Assistant CTO and Head of Managed Services at ESDS. In his new role, Nair will oversee the overall direction of ESDS’ information technology and security strategies. He will be responsible for leading initiatives to integrate IT projects with business processes, ensuring efficient and secure operations. With 24 years of experience, Nair has an extensive background in project management, IT infrastructure, service delivery, and solution architecture. Before joining ESDS, he held key positions at GlobalLogic, InMobi, and Dell. (Read more)

GrowthJockey appoints former Google exec as VP-IT

GrowthJockey, a venture architect company, appoints Mrinal Kumar as its Vice President of Technology. With over 14 years of experience, Mrinal has established himself as a leader in the technology space, having built a career that started at Google, where he spent nearly a decade leading innovative projects and building scalable solutions. After Google, he took on key strategic roles at Misys and Johnson Controls, where he managed global engineering teams and implemented agile development strategies that transformed business operations. In his new role, Mrinal will lead GrowthJockey’s technology strategy, driving the development of cutting-edge platforms that blend AI and machine learning with high-growth business solutions. 

More CIO/CTO appointments…

Gururaj Hebbar is now the Chief Technology Officer – IT Infrastructure at IndusInd Bank, previously serving as Head of IT Infrastructure at IDFC FIRST Bank. His experience includes roles at Fullerton India, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and others.

Sangeet Sinha has started as Chief Technology Officer & Head of Digital at Aditya Birla Money, effective October 2024. He was previously Head of Digital & Senior VP of Technology at ICICI Securities, where he worked for over a decade in various leadership roles. His background includes positions at 3i Infotech and R&D management at Aireff Detox.
 
Amit Ghodekar has joined Aramex as Global Chief Information Security Officer, having previously been Senior VP of Information Security at Axis Bank. He has held leadership roles at Cover-More Group, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, and Angel Broking.
 
Sandeep Kulkarni is now Senior Vice President at Ford Motor Company, previously Vice President of Engineering & Country Head at Medallia. His career includes roles at Icertis, BMC Software, Symantec, JPMorgan Chase, and Microland.