Industry Update: Leadership Movements of the Week

The latest leadership appointments across industries highlight how CIOs, CISOs, and DPOs are strengthening cybersecurity, data protection, technology governance, and digital transformation. As organizations operate in increasingly regulated and technology-driven environments, strong technology and security leadership has become essential for managing cyber risks, protecting sensitive data, enhancing resilience, and aligning technology strategy with business priorities. At CXO Junction, we track key leadership movements that reflect how enterprises are strengthening technology, cybersecurity, data protection, risk management, and digital strategy to build secure, resilient, and future-ready organizations in 2026 and beyond.

Prafful Goel has been appointed as Chief Information Security Officer at Indifi Capital

In a significant leadership appointment in the financial services and cybersecurity sector, Indifi Capital has appointed Prafful Goel as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). In his new role, he will bring his experience across information security, cybersecurity, risk management, auditing, compliance, and technology governance to the organization.

Prafful Goel is a seasoned information security and risk management professional with extensive experience across cybersecurity, IT audits, regulatory compliance, digital financial services, and enterprise risk management. His professional background includes leadership roles such as CISO, Head Infosec GRC, Head Risk Compliance, AVP, Head – IT/IS Audits, Head of Information Technology, and Principal Consultant. He holds certifications including CISA, CDPO, CRISC, CFA, DCCA, DISA, and ISO 27001 LA, along with an LLB, MBA, and BE.

Prior to joining Indifi Capital, he served as Head Infosec GRC and Head Risk Compliance at Hero FinCorp, where he worked on enterprise-wide cyber risk governance, regulatory compliance, security architecture, and resilience planning. Earlier, he held leadership roles at Airtel Payments Bank and Paytm Payments Bank, focusing on IT audits, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and risk management. He also served as Principal Consultant at PwC India and Program Manager at the National eGovernance Division, MeitY, working across digital transformation, information security, technology advisory, and national IT infrastructure programmes. Earlier in his career, he held roles at HCL Technologies and Tata Consultancy Services.

His appointment reflects Indifi Capital’s continued focus on strengthening its information security and risk management capabilities, supported by Prafful Goel’s experience across cybersecurity, technology, audit, compliance, and digital financial services.

LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/praafullgoel/

Abhishek Gupta has been appointed as Chief Information Officer at Akasa Air.

In a significant leadership appointment in the aviation and technology sector, Akasa Air has appointed Abhishek Gupta as Chief Information Officer (CIO). In his new role, he will lead the airline’s IT strategy and operations, drive digital initiatives, strengthen IT security and infrastructure, and align technology capabilities with business and operational priorities.

Abhishek Gupta is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience across IT strategy, service delivery, IT security, program management, IT operations, infrastructure management, IT consulting, and account management. He has also been recognized as a winner of the prestigious “India’s Future CIO” award by IT NEXT magazine.

Prior to joining Akasa Air, he spent over 11 years at DishTV, where he most recently served as Corporate Head – Information Technology, following his earlier role as Vice President – IT. During his tenure, he worked across technology strategy, SaaS, product road mapping, IT operations, and enterprise technology initiatives. Earlier, he served as Practice Lead – Mobility & Emerging Technologies at Ericsson and Head of Corporate IT (India) at Orange Business Services. He began his career with roles at IPsoft and TCS, building expertise in application management and enterprise IT services. He also completed the PGPX programme at IIM Ahmedabad.

His appointment reflects Akasa Air’s continued focus on strengthening technology leadership, advancing digital initiatives, enhancing IT operations and security, and building scalable technology capabilities to support its growth and evolving operational needs.

LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishekguptaiima/

Aditya Kumar has been appointed as Global Chief Information Security Officer at InMobi Group

In a significant leadership appointment in the technology and cybersecurity sector, InMobi Group has appointed Aditya Kumar as Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). In his new role, he will lead the global information and cybersecurity function, strengthen cyber resilience and digital trust, oversee security governance and enterprise risk management, and partner with technology and business leadership on cybersecurity strategy.

Aditya Kumar is an enterprise cybersecurity leader with over 17 years of experience building and leading cybersecurity programs across global, complex, and highly regulated environments. His expertise spans cybersecurity strategy, regulatory governance, cyber resilience, crisis management, SOC transformation, identity and access management, Zero Trust, cloud security, DevSecOps, threat management, and executive and board-level cybersecurity engagement. He has also led geographically distributed teams across India, the US, and the UK.

Prior to joining InMobi Group, he served as CISO at Navi AMC Ltd. and Head of Cyber Security at Navi Group, where he led enterprise cybersecurity strategy and operational governance within a regulated financial services environment. Earlier, he was Manager – Information Security at First American (India), leading enterprise cybersecurity operations and cross-country coordination across India and the US. He also held leadership roles at BT, including Manager – Global SOC and Specialist – Security Systems, and began his career with roles at IBM, Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra, Mphasis, and Trimax IT Infrastructure & Services.

His appointment reflects InMobi Group’s continued focus on strengthening global cybersecurity leadership, advancing cyber resilience and security governance, and enabling secure digital growth across its global operations.

LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditya-kumar-187b669a/

Sunil Nishankar has been appointed as Chief Information Security Officer & DPO at Ageas Federal Life Insurance.

In a significant leadership appointment in the insurance and cybersecurity sector, Ageas Federal Life Insurance has appointed Sunil Nishankar as Chief Information Security Officer & DPO. In his new role, he will lead information security and data protection initiatives, strengthening the organization’s cybersecurity and risk management capabilities.

Sunil Nishankar is an experienced information security professional with extensive experience across cybersecurity, data privacy, risk assessment, security projects, and IT infrastructure. Prior to joining Ageas Federal Life Insurance, he served as Chief Information Security Officer at Generali Central Life Insurance, where he led information security within a regulated insurance environment. Earlier, he was Vice President – Information Security at Genpact India, followed by roles as Project Manager and Senior Security Specialist at IBM India. He also spent over six years with Aujas Networks as a Consultant and Senior Consultant, and began his career with roles at Exa India and Caballero Consultancy, building expertise in system administration, IT security, Linux infrastructure, and technical support.

His appointment reflects Ageas Federal Life Insurance’s continued focus on strengthening information security and data protection, while supporting a secure and resilient digital environment for its business and customers.

LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunil-nishankar-3b979233/

These movements highlight the growing role of cybersecurity, information security, data protection, and technology governance in shaping enterprise strategy across industries. As organizations strengthen cyber resilience, enhance regulatory readiness, protect digital assets, and modernize technology ecosystems, these leadership movements reflect the growing focus on building secure, resilient, and future-ready capabilities while supporting sustainable business growth.

CXO Junction remains dedicated to providing you with exclusive insights into transformative leadership journeys. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to bring industry news to you.