New Delhi, April 24 -- Leadership changes this week reflect a broader shift across global and Indian companies, with firms sharpening focus on AI-led growth, strengthening governance frameworks, and doubling down on market-specific expansion strategies. From a landmark CEO transition at Apple to boardroom and AI leadership changes across Indian IT and digital firms, companies are recalibrating leadership benches to navigate platform shifts, regulatory complexity, and the next phase of enterprise AI adoption. Here's a roundup:
Tim Cook to step down; John Ternus to take over as CEO
After nearly 15 years, Tim Cook will step down as CEO of Apple, transitioning to executive chairman from September 1. He will be succeeded by John Ternus, currently SVP of hardware engineering. Cook, who took over from Steve Jobs in 2011, led Apple through a period of unprecedented growth, including its rise to a $4 trillion market cap. Ternus, a longtime insider, has played a key role in flagship products like iPad and AirPods, and is expected to steer Apple's next phase of innovation.
L&T Technology Services reshuffles board leadership
LTTS has announced multiple board-level changes alongside its Q4 results. Alind Saxena has been re-appointed as Executive Director & President (Strategic Initiatives), while Rajeev Gupta joins as Executive Director & CFO. Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has been inducted as an Independent Director, bringing policy and governance depth as LTTS sharpens its growth strategy in emerging markets.
Nasscom appoints Srikanth Velamakanni as Chairperson
Srikanth Velamakanni, co-founder and CEO of Fractal Analytics, has been named Chairperson of Nasscom, succeeding Sindhu Gangadharan. Kishor Patil has been elected Vice Chairperson. Velamakanni is expected to steer the industry's AI-led transformation, with focus areas including agentic AI, deeptech innovation, and workforce reskilling in a human+AI paradigm.
Saviynt names Tim Wedande as Field CTO for APJ
Saviynt has appointed Tim Wedande as Field CTO for Asia Pacific and Japan. Based in Melbourne, he will lead regional technology strategy and customer engagement, focusing on identity security transformation. With over two decades in cybersecurity, including a stint at EY, Wedande will drive the adoption of Saviynt's Identity Cloud platform across enterprises in the region.
NEC India appoints Ichiro Kurihara as President & CEO
NEC India has named Ichiro Kurihara as President and CEO, tasking him with scaling operations in one of its key growth markets. With over 30 years at NEC Corporation, Kurihara brings deep regional experience. His mandate includes expanding public sector partnerships, strengthening digital infrastructure capabilities, and aligning India operations with NEC's global strategy.
Alvarez & Marsal appoints Aditya Jain as Managing Director
Alvarez & Marsal India has appointed Aditya Jain as Managing Director in its Business Transformation Services practice. Based in Gurugram, Jain will focus on scaling Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and enhancing analytics-led transformation. He joins from Boston Consulting Group, where he led global research and GCC operations, bringing extensive experience in building large-scale capability hubs.
Tenarai adds Shashank Samant to board
Tenarai (formerly Infogain) has appointed Shashank Samant to its Board of Directors. A veteran in digital engineering and former CEO of GlobalLogic, Samant is expected to guide Tenarai's global expansion in enterprise AI. His experience includes leading GlobalLogic through its $9.6 billion acquisition by Hitachi.
HCLTech appoints Kimsuka Narsimhan as Independent Director
HCLTech has inducted Kimsuka Narsimhan as an Independent Director. With over 35 years of experience across consumer goods giants like PepsiCo and Unilever, she brings expertise in finance, risk, and transformation. Her appointment strengthens HCLTech's board governance amid evolving global business dynamics.
Balance Hero names Debarya Dutta as Chief AI Officer
Balance Hero, which operates True Balance in India, has appointed Debarya Dutta as Chief AI Officer and launched a dedicated AI division. A former Uber AI leader, Dutta will drive enterprise-wide AI integration, positioning AI as the core operating layer across products and workflows, as the company pivots to an AI-native financial services model.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from TechCircle.