Spotlight: CXO movement this week (Dec 14 - Dec 20)

The week of Dec 14 — Dec 20, was buzzing with several CXO movements in the tech industry with some of the major appointments in key business positions. Technology providers like Google, Experion and ServiceNow, among others, made new business appointments, while non-tech firms like Samruddhi Enterprises, Rockman Industries and MetLife, appointed new leaders to helm their IT and digital affairs. Here’s the roundup:

Google India appoints Preeti Lobana as country manager

Google India has appointed Preeti Lobana as the new country manager and vice president, succeeding Sanjay Gupta. Lobana has nine years of experience with Google, including serving as Vice President of gTech. She will partner with Roma Datta Chobey and continue as Managing Director for Google India's Digital Native Industries. Prior to her joining Google, Lobana has held leadership roles at NatWest Group, American Express, Standard Chartered Bank, and ANZ Grindlays Bank. She holds expertise in the areas of business strategy, product management, and operational excellence across diverse markets in India. (Read more)

Experion strengthens global leadership with new appointments

Experion Technologies has appointed Senthil Babu as Senior Vice President for Data and AI, Dion Nathanielsz as Head of Banking Solutions and Services, and Markus Ruetimann as an Advisor. Babu brings nearly three decades of experience in digital transformation across industries like banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), energy, manufacturing, and telecom. Nathanielsz, with over three decades of experience in banking and finance, will lead Experion's global financial services initiatives, focusing on advancing ESG obligations, green lending, and purpose-driven financing. Ruetimann, with over 30 years of experience in asset management and operational leadership, will provide strategic insights to help Experion navigate complex financial landscapes and drive operational efficiencies. (Read more)

ServiceNow appoints former Dell India exec as MD for India and SAARC region

ServiceNow, a digital workflow solutions provider, has appointed Ganesh Lakshminarayanan as its new Managing Director and Group Vice President for India and SAARC, effective January 6, 2025. He will be based in Bengaluru and will lead ServiceNow’s business teams in India.  In this role, he will oversee ServiceNow's operations in the region, furthering the company's growth and digital transformation initiatives. Lakshminarayanan has extensive experience in leadership roles across major organisations. Previously, he served as CEO of Airtel’s domestic B2B business and President and Managing Director of Dell India. His career also includes positions as Chief Operating Officer at Capillary Technologies and Senior Advisor at EY. (Read more)

Makarand Sawant Joins Samruddhi Enterprises as CTO

Makarand Sawant has been appointed as a Board Member Director and Chief Technology Officer at Samruddhi Enterprises AFB. With a diverse career in Digital Technology, Automation, Analytics, Industry 4.0, Enterprise IT Architecture, Cybersecurity, and Risk Management, Sawant has led digital transformation initiatives at Sahyadri Hospitals, Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited, and Bioimagene India. He has received numerous awards, including "Eminent CIO of India."

Ajay Ajmera joins Rockman Industries as Group CIO

Ajay Ajmera has joined Rockman Industries as Group Chief Information Officer. Prior to this, he served as Head of IT and Digital at Shree Cement Ltd., where he spearheaded digital transformation initiatives, implemented advanced SAP systems, and strengthened cybersecurity frameworks over a tenure of nearly three years. Ajay brings over two decades of extensive experience in IT leadership, having held pivotal roles at Birla Century as CDO/CIO and Chiripal Poly Films Limited as CIO. His expertise spans areas such as SAP implementation, Industry 4.0, digital strategy, cloud security, and emerging technologies, making him a seasoned leader in driving innovation and strategic IT advancements across industries.

MetLife names a new global CTO

MetLife named Nick Nadgauda as its executive vice president and global chief information officer (CIO). Nadgauda joins Metlife from Citi, where he spent two decades of his career and most recently served as the Citi Services CIO. He was also the co-founder and chief technology officer of Invertica, the web-services software company. In his new role, Nadgauda will oversee MetLife's application development, infrastructure, enterprise platforms and architecture teams and report to Bill Pappas, executive vice president and head of global technology and operations.