Spotlight: CXO movement this week (Dec 7- Dec 13)

The week of December 7-13, was buzzing with several CXO movements in the tech industry with some of the major appointments in key business positions. Technology providers like Equinix, Zendesk and SG Analytics, among others, made new business appointments, while non-tech firms like Poonawalla Fincorp, and Warner Bros Discovery, appointed new leaders to helm their IT and digital affairs. Movements also happened in social media company ShareChat and biotech firm Amgen India. Here’s the roundup:

SG Analytics appoints three new board of advisors

US-based data and analytics firm SG Analytics that provides data-centric research and contextual analytics services to clients spanning the banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI), technology, media & entertainment, and healthcare sectors, has added Mainak Mazumdar, KK Davey, and Shankar Iyer—to its advisory board. Mazumdar has extensive data science experience, previously serving as chief research and analytics officer at Fox Corporation and chief data and research officer at Nielsen. Davey, President of Strategic Analytics and Consulting at IRI, has a strong consulting background with leadership roles at firms like Oliver Wyman, McKinsey & Company, and AC Nielsen. Iyer is a fintech entrepreneur, having founded and led Viteos, which he sold to Intertrust. As CEO of Intertrust Group, he oversaw its acquisition by CSC.

ShareChat appoints Nitin Jain as CTO

Homegrown social media company ShareChat has appointed Nitin Jain as the chief technology officer. In this role, Jain will lead the development and application of technology across ShareChat and Moj platforms. In the last two decades, Jain has worked across advertising, e-commerce, fintech and advanced data analytics in companies such as Tokopedia, Gojek, and most recently, TikTok. Nitin has been instrumental in building from scratch and rapidly growing tech businesses by nurturing teams and leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, blockchain and modern DevOps practices.

Poonawalla Fincorp appoints Salil Hajarnis as CTO

Non-banking finance company Poonawalla Fincorp has appointed Salil Hajarnis as the chief technology officer. In the role, Hajarnis will lead Cyrus Poonawalla Group-promoted firm’s technology strategy with a focus on digital transformation and AI-driven customer solutions. Hajarnis' appointment follows the resignation of the company’s previous CTO, Dhiraj Saxena a week prior. In his last role, Hajarnis was the head of technology for India at Fiserv. He has also worked at companies like Mastercard and Capgemini. He has led various projects in enterprise architecture, software engineering, and AI integration. He has global experience across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Anish Agarwal to lead Warner Bros Discovery’s AI-Automation

Warner Bros Discovery has named Anish Agarwal as its new Vice President of AI and Automation. Agarwal will spearhead the development and execution of advanced AI and automation strategies to shape the future of the global media and entertainment giant.

“As I transition into this new role, I am looking forward to leveraging my extensive experience in AI and automation to drive meaningful impact at Warner Bros,” Agarwal said in a LinkedIn post.

Agarwal brings extensive experience in data and analytics during his tenure at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. His previous role allowed him to refine his leadership skills and deepen his focus on innovation and transformation in the rapidly evolving technological landscape. Agarwal has also worked as director of data and analytics at NatWest Group and Clifford Chance before that.

Amgen India gets a new MD to lead Hyderabad tech centre

Biotechnology firm Amgen has appointed Naveen Gullapalli as the managing director for its India operations. Gullapalli will now lead the Amgen India Technology and Innovation site in Hyderabad. In this role, he will leverage his experience in leading global operations and adjoining functions across the pharmaceutical, finance and technology industries. Amgen’s Hyderabad site was announced in August 2024. It is a critical component of the company’s global strategy for accelerating digital transformation and innovation efforts. Gullapalli joins Amgen from Novartis where he led the development of their global centre in Hyderabad and a network of six centres across the world. His deep experience in developing specialised skills and enabling business transformation.

Equinix names Cyrus Adaggra as President of Asia-Pacific

US-headquartered digital infrastructure firm Equinix which has a strong presence in the India market has appointed Cyrus Adaggra as its new President for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Adaggra, who has been with the company for four years, will be responsible for overseeing the management, strategy, and growth plan for Equinix in APAC. Cyrus joined Equinix in 2021 as Vice President of corporate development and strategy for Asia-Pacific and brings over 20 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financial strategy, strategy consulting, and corporate development to the company. In his previous role, Cyrus was instrumental in driving Equinix's growth strategy, focusing on expanding the company's presence in both existing and new markets within the region. 

Zendesk appoints Shashi Upadhyay as AI strategy leader

Zendesk has appointed Shashi Upadhyay as the new President of Product, Engineering, and AI, tasked with advancing the company's growth in customer and employee service sectors. Upadhyay joins Zendesk from Google, where he managed the advertiser product portfolio, spearheading innovations in offerings such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, DV3, SA3, and Performance Max, noted as one of Google's rapidly expanding products. Prior to his tenure at Google, Upadhyay founded Lattice Engines, which was acquired by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) in 2019. He played a key role in D&B's public offering in 2020 and has since engaged in investment ventures across various industries including energy storage, neuroscience, and enterprise infrastructure.

Shailendra Tiwari joins Solar Industries India as CIO

Shailendra Tiwari has joined Solar Industries India Limited as Chief Information Officer (CIO). With over two decades of experience in IT leadership, Shailendra has played pivotal roles in leading enterprise IT strategies, digital transformation initiatives, and managing complex IT infrastructures. Prior to this, he served as Chief Information Officer at Nuvoco Vistas Corp., driving digital initiatives for one of India’s largest cement manufacturers. He has earlier held leadership roles at Pipeline Infrastructure Limited, Petronas Lubricants International, and JSW Steel, driving technology innovation and enterprise architecture across diverse industries.

Alembic Pharmaceuticals names Manuj Desai as CTIO

Manuj Desai has joined Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited as Chief Technology & Information Officer. With over two decades of experience in IT leadership, Prior to this, he served as the Global Chief Information Officer at STL – Sterlite Technologies Limited, where he led transformative IT strategies and drove global technology innovations over a five-year tenure. He has also held pivotal roles at AIG as India Head for Personal Insurance and Technology Transformation, and at PayPal as Manager of Global Operations and Delivery.