Spotlight: CXO movements this week (March 28- April 2)

From enterprise tech and fintech to cybersecurity and infrastructure, a fresh wave of leadership moves is underway as companies recalibrate for AI-led growth and global expansion. Firms including ServiceNow, Microland, AWS, and Zendesk are bringing in seasoned executives to steer strategy, deepen market presence, and navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape. Here’s a quick look at the latest CXO appointments across sectors.

ServiceNow bets on Kulmeet Bawa for India growth

ServiceNow has appointed Kulmeet Bawa as managing director and group vice president for India and SAARC, effective April 6. Based in New Delhi, Bawa will lead growth initiatives, customer engagement, and the company’s digital transformation agenda across the region. He joins from SAP, where he served as global chief revenue officer, and previously led India operations. With over two decades in enterprise tech and SaaS—and an early career in the Indian Army—Bawa brings a blend of operational depth and leadership discipline. The appointment reflects ServiceNow’s growing focus on India as a strategic hub for both regional expansion and global growth.

Microland elevates Sam Mathew as CEO

Microland has named Sam Mathew as chief executive officer, marking a leadership shift as the firm doubles down on AI-led, platform-driven growth. Mathew, who served as president for the past 18 months, played a key role in strengthening global markets, deepening client relationships, and scaling platform-led services. He also drove the company’s focus on artificial intelligence, automation, and autonomous operations. As CEO, he will steer Microland’s global strategy, with an emphasis on expanding AI-first offerings, accelerating innovation, and building strategic client partnerships. The move signals the company’s intent to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving IT services landscape shaped by automation and AI.

Lentra appoints Rajesh Kumar Rathanchand as CEO

Lentra has appointed Rajesh Kumar Rathanchand as chief executive officer as it looks to accelerate growth in digital lending. Rathanchand brings over three decades of experience in financial services, spanning credit, risk, and analytics. He previously served as MD and CEO of TransUnion CIBIL and held senior roles at HDFC Bank. At Lentra, he will lead strategic growth, strengthen the company’s AI-led lending platform, and expand its presence across domestic and global markets. The company’s technology enables end-to-end digital lending journeys, helping financial institutions process loans in seconds and scale operations efficiently.

DSCI names Neelam Dhawan as Chairperson

Data Security Council of India has appointed Neelam Dhawan as chairperson, effective April 1. She succeeds Promod Bhasin, who completed a three-year term. Dhawan, a veteran technology leader and board member across multiple companies, will guide DSCI’s efforts to strengthen India’s cybersecurity and data privacy ecosystem. Her appointment comes amid rising complexity in cyber threats, driven by AI, quantum computing, and geopolitical risks. DSCI works closely with industry and government bodies to shape policy frameworks and best practices. Dhawan is expected to focus on innovation, collaboration, and positioning India as a global leader in cybersecurity.

Refroid brings in Vijay Sampathkumar as CBO

Refroid Technologies has appointed Vijay Sampathkumar as chief business officer to drive its global expansion strategy. He will lead go-to-market initiatives, partnerships, and international growth as the company scales its AI-focused datacentre infrastructure offerings. Sampathkumar brings deep experience in datacentre cooling and infrastructure, and joins from ZutaCore, where he led regional expansion across India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. At Refroid, he will focus on accelerating adoption of advanced cooling technologies and strengthening the company’s presence in emerging AI datacentre ecosystems worldwide.

YES Bank appoints S. Anantharaman as CRO

YES BANK has named S. Anantharaman as chief risk officer. He will oversee the bank’s enterprise-wide risk framework, including credit policy, market and operational risk, data governance, and information security. Anantharaman joins from Jio Financial Services, where he built the group’s risk architecture across lending and payments businesses. With over three decades of experience, including prior roles at Bank of Baroda and HDFC Bank, his appointment is aimed at strengthening risk resilience amid evolving regulatory and digital challenges.

Zendesk appoints Bikram Mazumdar as Asia VP

Zendesk has appointed Bikram Mazumdar as vice president for Asia. Based in Singapore, Mazumdar will lead growth and go-to-market strategy across India, Southeast Asia, North Asia, and Korea. He brings extensive experience in customer and employee experience platforms, with prior roles at Oracle, IBM, and Sprinklr. His appointment comes as enterprises in Asia accelerate AI adoption, moving from pilot stages to scaled deployments, and seek integrated CX solutions.

Indus Towers names Venkatesh Tiwari as COO

Indus Towers has appointed Venkatesh Tiwari as chief operating officer, effective April 1, as part of a planned transition. He will take over from Tejinder Singh Kalra, who retires in August. Tiwari joins from Amazon, where he led key initiatives across quick commerce, logistics, and delivery networks. With nearly three decades of experience across telecom, e-commerce, and consumer businesses, he is expected to drive operational efficiency and transformation at Indus Towers.

Excelsoft appoints Doreswamy P as CEO

Excelsoft Technologies has appointed Doreswamy P as chief executive officer, following board approval. A chartered accountant with over 25 years of experience, he has held leadership roles across technology and services firms, including Quess Corp and KPIT. Previously an independent director and audit committee chair at Excelsoft, he played a key role in strengthening governance and supporting its IPO journey. The company is betting on his leadership to drive scalable growth, operational excellence, and long-term value creation in the learning solutions space.

CareEdge Group appoints Shiju Rawther as CITO

CareEdge Group has appointed Shiju Rawther as chief information and technology officer. He will lead enterprise-wide technology strategy, digital innovation, and transformation initiatives. Rawther joins from SBI Mutual Fund and has previously served as CITO at CARE Ratings and CIO at Poonawalla Fincorp. With experience across fintech and financial services, his mandate includes strengthening digital platforms and scaling tech-led growth.

OpenAI names Kiran Mani as APAC MD

OpenAI has appointed Kiran Mani as managing director for APAC, signalling a sharper regional focus. Mani joins from Jiostar, where he served as CEO. He has also held senior roles at Google, Microsoft, and IBM. With experience in scaling digital platforms and revenue ecosystems, he will drive OpenAI’s growth and partnerships across Asia-Pacific markets.

Titan ropes in Ruma Kishore as CDIO

Titan Company Limited has appointed Ruma Kishore as chief digital and information officer. She will lead digital strategy, customer experience, and data-led transformation. Kishore joins from Unilever, where she led global digital transformation initiatives across markets. With nearly three decades of experience, she is expected to accelerate technology integration across Titan’s business functions and strengthen its digital capabilities.

AWS appoints Rajeev Singh to lead enterprise business

Amazon Web Services has named Rajeev Singh as director and business head—enterprise business (cross-industries) for India and South Asia. He will drive enterprise cloud adoption and strategic growth across the region. Singh joins from SAP and has previously held roles at Oracle. With over two decades of experience, his appointment underscores AWS’s focus on deepening enterprise engagement and accelerating digital transformation.