Top executive moves of the week
Explore this week’s top executive moves in technology leadership, focusing on AI and digital transformation across banking and manufacturing sectors.
Technology leadership changes this week show efforts to integrate artificial intelligence and digital transformation in sectors from banking to manufacturing.
Standard Chartered names new CTOO for India and South Asia
Standard Chartered appointed Kavita Kulkarni as Chief Technology & Operations Officer for India and South Asia. Based in Mumbai, she joins the bank’s India Country Management Team and will guide technology and operations strategy as the institution expands its AI, automation, and digital banking efforts.
Kulkarni previously served as Managing Director and Chief Information Officer for Private Banking and Wealth Management at Barclays. There, she led global technology and operations teams, advancing automation and AI projects. Her career includes over 25 years in banking, wealth management, and enterprise technology across India, the UK, and the U.S.
The role highlights the increasing importance of technology leadership in financial institutions, where operational resilience and digital capabilities now shape competitive positioning.
JPMorgan reshapes technology leadership
JPMorgan Chase reorganised its technology leadership to embed AI responsibilities across senior executives.
Other key appointments across industries
Freshworks, the Nasdaq-listed enterprise software provider, named Ryan Manning as Chief Product and Technology Officer. He will consolidate product strategy and engineering under one leadership structure when he starts on August 10, reporting to CEO Dennis Woodside. Manning replaces Srini Raghavan, who left to pursue an entrepreneurial opportunity.
Related: Week in Review: News from July 20 to 25
He previously served as Chief Product Officer at BMC Helix, where he shaped the company’s ServiceOps and agentic AI strategy. His experience also includes scaling ServiceNow around its IPO and co-founding the CRM platform FreeAgent, later rebranded as Servis.ai. Freshworks’ current CTO, Murali Swaminathan, will report to Manning.
Diversified conglomerate Allana Group appointed Navin Nathani as Group Chief Information Officer. Nathani comes from Cohizon Life Sciences, where he led enterprise-wide initiatives in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, SAP modernization, and data-driven decision-making. Before that, he served as General Manager and Head of IT at Hindalco Industries, driving transformation programs in data platforms, finance, and HR.
Infrastructure engineering firm DRAIPL named Tapan Sharma CEO of its new technology business. The move marks DRAIPL’s expansion into digital infrastructure and enterprise technology services alongside its engineering, procurement, and construction operations.
Fiat India Automobiles appointed Amit Shukla as Chief Information Officer. He will oversee technology strategy, enterprise applications, cybersecurity, and digital innovation as the automotive sector adopts connected manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies.
Deloitte named Guruprasad Ramamoorthy as Chief Technology Officer. In this position, he will guide the firm’s technology vision, innovation strategy, and engineering capabilities, focusing on helping clients modernize platforms and adopt AI and cloud computing. The appointment reflects consulting firms’ growing investments in automation to meet demand for digital transformation programs.
These appointments demonstrate how companies across sectors are prioritizing technology leadership to drive innovation and efficiency.
