APAC News Network Weekly Leadership Bulletin: Key CXO Movements and Appointments

Learn all about the movers and shakers in the top echelons of Indian technology in the CXO News Weekly Bulletin.

From tech leaders like Netpoleon India to Castrol, from BFSI leader Kotak Mahindra Pension Fund, there was significant upheaval in the tech management.

CXO News rigorously traces the weekly movements in the tech world. Watch out this space for more developments next week.

Gaurav Ranade, CTO, Netpoleon India

Bengaluru: Netpoleon India, part of Japanese conglomerate Macnica Inc., has named Gaurav Ranade as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With close to 30 years in IT and cybersecurity, Ranade will focus on strengthening the company’s services in key sectors like government, BFSI, and telecom.

Rishi Chhabra, Country Manager – India, Visa

Mumbai: Digital payments company, Visa, has appointed Rishi Chhabra as the Country Manager for India. He began his journey with Visa in 2023 as the Vice President and head of merchant services.

Meenakshi Priyam, CHRO (Automotive Business) Mahindra Group

Mumbai: Mahindra Group has appointed Meenakshi Priyam as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for its automotive division. Before this, she worked at udaan.com as the Group CHRO for more than four years and played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s HR practices and enhancing talent management.

Karunakaran Azhisur, Chief Information Officer, Guardian India

Gurgaon: Guardian India, the tech hub for Guardian Life Insurance of America, has named Karunakaran Azhisur as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO). He will report directly to Shiney Prasad, the Country Head.

Sandeep Sangwan, Global CMO, Castrol

Mumbai: Castrol, the automotive and industrial lubricant brand, has appointed Sandeep Sangwan as its Global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). He has been serving as the Managing Director of Castrol India Limited since January 2020.

Shubbam Sharrma, Chief Growth Officer, Pepperfry

Mumbai: Pepperfry has appointed Shubbam Sharrma as its new Chief Growth Officer. With over 17 years in retail and e-commerce, Sharrma brings experience from leadership roles across the sector, including his recent position as Chief Business Officer at ImpactGuru. At Pepperfry, he’s set to lead the company’s growth efforts, with a strong focus on expanding both B2B offerings and home décor categories.

Atul Jain, MD & CEO, Aptech Ltd

Mumbai: Aptech Ltd has announced Atul Jain as its new Managing Director and CEO. Jain, who has over 30 years of experience in roles across sales, marketing, and business strategy, steps into this position as the company looks to adapt to changes in the training industry.

Rishit Jhunjhunwala, CEO, Truecaller

Bengaluru: Truecaller has named Rishit Jhunjhunwala as its new Chief Executive Officer. He is presently serving as the Chief of Products and Managing Director of the company’s India division and will step into the new role on January 9, 2025.

Vijoy Basu, Senior VP and Head of Enterprise Data & AI, Firstsource

Mumbai: Firstsource has hired Vijoy Basu as its Senior Vice President and Global Head of Enterprise Data & AI. Basu, a tech industry veteran, has held several major roles, most recently as Sr. Director and Global Head of IT AI & Analytics at Cognizant, where he focused on data-driven business decisions.

Noel Tata, Chairman, Tata Trusts

Mumbai: Noel Tata has joined the board of Tata Sons, taking on a unique dual role within the Tata Group’s leadership. As chairman of Tata Trusts, which controls a 66% stake in Tata Sons, he now holds positions in both entities.

Bharat Panchal, Chief Risk, Security & Stakeholder Management Officer, Bima Sugam

Mumbai: Bharat Panchal has joined Bima Sugam India Federation as the Chief Risk, Security, and Stakeholder Management Officer. Before getting appointed to this role, Bharat served as the Chief Industry Relations and Regulatory Officer for Discover Financial Services. He also held the position of Chief Risk Officer for FIS in the India, Middle East, and Africa region.

Santanu Chaudhuri, Chief Technology Officer, Thermax

Pune: Thermax Limited, an energy and environment solutions provider company, recently appointed Santanu Chaudhuri as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and member of the Senior Management team. In this capacity, Santanu is expected to spearhead Thermax’s focus on advancing sustainable energy solutions and enhance the company’s technical capabilities across its diverse portfolio.

Gopi Thangavel, Group CIO, Larsen & Toubro

Mumbai: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has appointed Gopi Thangavel as the new Group Chief Infomation Officer (CIO). He brings extensive experience of over two decades in driving advanced IT and digital strategies across various industries.

Subhasis Ghosh, CEO, Kotak Mahindra Pension Fund

Mumbai: Kotak Mahindra Pension Fund Ltd. has appointed Subhasis Ghosh as its new CEO, bringing over 30 years of experience within the Kotak Mahindra Group to his new role. Ghosh has held diverse roles in the group, spanning corporate finance, life insurance, and retail assets. A founding member of Kotak Life, he last served as Joint President, where he managed key areas like employee benefits, marketing, and financial institutions.