New Delhi, April 4 -- The week of March 29-April 4 was buzzing with several CXO movements in the tech industry. Technology providers like Wipro, Saviynt, Applied Materials, Tata Electronics and JK Tech among others, made new business appointments, while non-tech firms ITC Hotels, Century Plyboards, Envision Energy, and Master Group, among others, appointed new leaders to helm their IT and digital affairs. Here's the roundup:
Wipro elevates Kenny Kesar to Global CIO role
IT firm Wipro has appointed Kenny Kesar as the global chief information officer. In this role, he will be focusing on leveraging business Artificial Intelligence (AI), and emerging technologies, optimising IT operations, and creating seamless digital experiences" to strengthen the team and enhance customer outcomes. Kesar has been with Wipro since 2023. Before being appointed the Global CIO, he was the senior vice president and the global head of business systems and application management. In this role, he spearheaded the implementation of business systems and applications in alignment with Wipro's overall business goals. This is his second stint with Wipro and previously between 2007 and 2011, he was the head of information systems. Kesar has also worked with companies such as SAP, Oracle, and GE Healthcare.
Saviynt appoints former CrowdStrike exec as its India MD
Cloud-native security firm Saviynt has appointed Nitin Varma as the senior vice president and managing director for India and SAARC. Varma's appointment is expected to strengthen Saviynt's go-to-market efforts and enhance its presence in the region. Varma will be leading Saviynt's new customer acquisition efforts, building and enhancing technical and consulting partnerships, and elevating the company's overall position as a trusted provider of identity security solutions in India and SAARC; India alone has 600 Saviynt employees. Varma has over two decades of leadership experience in cybersecurity and technology, including with organisations like CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, and Cisco. In his last assignment as managing director at CrowdStrike, he was responsible for building, scaling, and creating a strong market presence across India and SAARC.
Chip veteran KC Ang to head Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing
Tata Electronics Private Limited has appointed KC Ang as President and Head of Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing. Ang will report to Randhir Thakur, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Electronics, and will oversee the development of Tata Electronics' AI-enabled foundry operations. With over 30 years of experience in the foundry industry, Ang has expertise in fab start-up, management, operations, and technology transfer. His career has taken him across multiple countries, including Malaysia, Germany, the United States, and China. Before joining Tata Electronics, he was President for Asia and Chairman for China at Global Foundries, where he worked for over 15 years. Ang holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from National Taiwan University and a Master's degree in Engineering from the University of Texas.
JK Tech names former HCLTech exec as president & CEO
JK Tech, a provider of Digital and Business Consulting services, announced the appointment of Sameer Nagpal as its new President and CEO. Aloke Paskar, the current President and CEO, moves to the company's advisory board. With over 25 years of experience in the US market, Nagpal brings a proven track record of driving revenue growth through consultative selling, digital transformation, and cloud enablement. He has spent a decade and a half in HCLTechnologies pursuing various tech leadership roles in the Indian IT services company. Before joining JK Tech, he worked with InfoVision Inc., heading the company's retail, manufacturing, healthcare and life sciences. Nagpal is an engineering graduate in production and industrial engineering from Jodhpur and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Mumbai.
Decimal Point Analytics appoints a new CTO
Financial analytics firm Decimal Point Analytics has named Vaibhav Poonekar as its new CTO. The appointment is part of a broader internal reshuffle, with several senior employees promoted to key positions across departments. Poonekar, with nearly five years at the company and previously serving as Senior Vice President, will now lead the firm's technology roadmap, focusing on enhanced integration of AI, data engineering, and financial modelling. He initially joined Decimal Point Analytics as Assistant Vice President, bringing experience in enterprise automation and AI-led solutions. Before Decimal Point, Poonekar was Solutions Architect Manager at UAE Exchange and spent over 15 years at TickerPlant Ltd., developing expertise in financial technology. He holds a Master's in Computer Applications and a Bachelor's in Computer Science (with distinction) from Sardar Patel University.
Chitrank S. joins Envision Energy as Head of Cyber security
Chitrank S. has taken on a new role as the Head of Cyber Security (CISO - India Region) at Envision Energy. With over 18 years of experience in operational technology (OT) security, information security governance, and critical infrastructure protection, Chitrank brings deep technical expertise and visionary leadership to Envision's cybersecurity initiatives across India. Before joining Envision Energy, he held pivotal cybersecurity and OT leadership positions at Nayara Energy, Apraava Energy, CLP India, and other leading power and energy companies. Throughout his career, Chitrank has led the development and deployment of OT security frameworks, Greenfield Security Operations Centers (SOCs), and secure IT-OT integration strategies. His skill set spans risk management, compliance, security operations, and ICS cybersecurity.
Meheriar Patel joins Master Group as Group CTO
Meheriar Patel has been appointed as the Group Chief Technology Officer and Director IT at Master Group. With a distinguished career in technology leadership, digital transformation, and IT strategy, he will play a key role in driving innovation, strengthening IT infrastructure and security, and ensuring compliance and risk management across Master Group and its associated companies. Before joining Master Group, Meheriar held leadership roles at Jeena & Company, Essar Group, Sun Pharma, USV Limited, and Globus, where he spearheaded global digital transformation initiatives, AI-driven process automation, cybersecurity strategies, and enterprise IT solutions. His expertise in supply chain technology, cloud computing, AI, and cybersecurity frameworks makes him a valuable addition to Master Group's leadership team.
Pooja Agrawalla to lead cyber-security protection at Garrett
Pooja Agrawalla has joined emission reduction and energy efficiency company Garrett - Advancing Motion as the Cyber Security Protection Leader. She brings a wealth of experience in information security, identity and access management, and cybersecurity strategy, and will drive initiatives to strengthen the company's security framework and resilience. Before this, Pooja held key leadership roles at NXP Semiconductors, Wells Fargo, and PwC, where she specialized in IAM, IT strategy, risk management, and enterprise security. Her deep expertise in cybersecurity frameworks, cloud security, and privileged identity management makes her an invaluable addition to Garrett - Advancing Motion's leadership team.
Century Plyboards India appoints Sandip Pradhan as CIO
Century Plyboards India Ltd. has appointed Dr Sandip Pradhan as their new Chief Information Officer (CIO). Pradhan brings over three decades of rich experience in driving digital transformation, business-IT alignment, and enterprise innovation. He spent 27 years with Exide Industries Limited, where he led numerous strategic technology initiatives, including SAP modernisation, AI and analytics adoption, cybersecurity, cloud migration, and Industry 4.0 deployments across manufacturing plants. Pradhan is recognised for his people-centric leadership and his ability to translate complex technologies into tangible business impact.
ITC Hotels names Amandeep Sarna as its new CDIO
ITC Hotels Limited has appointed Amandeep Sarna as its new Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO). In this role, he will spearhead the company's digital transformation and IT strategy, focusing on optimising operations and enhancing guest experiences. With a distinguished career in technology leadership, Sarna brings a wealth of expertise in digital innovation, enterprise architecture, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. His prior leadership roles at ITC Limited, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, Kerzner International, Marriott International, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts have shaped his deep understanding of the evolving hospitality technology landscape.
Rakuten India appoints a new CISO
Prasannakumar G K has taken on the role of Chief Information Security Officer at Rakuten India. He brings extensive experience in information security, IT governance, risk management, and compliance, and will drive the company's security strategies and enhance its cybersecurity framework. Before joining Rakuten India, Prasannakumar held key positions at NTT DATA, BETSOL, and C-Cubed Solutions, where he specialized in GRC frameworks, ISO 27001 implementation, SOC2 compliance, and risk assessments. His deep expertise in cybersecurity strategy, regulatory compliance, and enterprise security architecture makes him a significant asset to the leadership team.
Radhika Viswanathan appoints Applied Materials as COO
Radhika Viswanathan has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Applied Materials India. With a rich background at Micron Technology, Viswanathan will lead operations across the company's India sites, including R&D labs. Working closely with global leadership, her focus will be on propelling growth and driving execution in the region. With more than 20 years of US and international experience in process engineering, integration, new product development, and operations management, the company believes Viswanathan's appointment marks a key milestone for Applied Materials in India.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from TechCircle.