Industry Update: Leadership Movements of the Week

The latest leadership appointments across industries continue to highlight how CISOs and CTOs are playing a critical role in strengthening enterprise resilience, advancing cybersecurity frameworks, and accelerating digital and AI-led transformation. As organizations scale globally, the need for secure, agile, and innovation-driven technology leadership has never been more pronounced. At CXO Junction, we track key C-suite movements that reflect how enterprises are aligning technology with business strategy to drive sustainable growth in 2026 and beyond.

Amit Bhatia has been appointed as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) & Head of Technology – Operations at BUSINESSNEXT.

In a significant leadership appointment in the enterprise technology and fintech sector, BUSINESSNEXT has appointed Amit Bhatia as its Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) & Head of Technology – Operations. In his new role, he will lead the organization’s global cybersecurity strategy, strengthen enterprise security governance, drive technology strategy, accelerate AI-enabled digital transformation, and build secure, scalable technology platforms that support business growth and operational excellence.

Amit Bhatia is a seasoned technology and cybersecurity leader with over 26 years of experience across information security, enterprise IT, digital transformation, cloud strategy, AI, governance, and risk management. Throughout his career, he has successfully led enterprise-wide cybersecurity programs, implemented robust security frameworks, strengthened regulatory compliance, modernized technology infrastructure, and aligned technology and security strategies with business objectives to improve resilience and operational efficiency.

Prior to joining BUSINESSNEXT, he served as Chief Information Security Officer at Religare Broking Ltd., where he led enterprise-wide cybersecurity, digital transformation, cloud adoption, Zero Trust implementation, regulatory compliance, and business continuity initiatives. Earlier, he held leadership positions at RateGain, Innodata Inc., Dell, and PepsiCo, building extensive expertise across enterprise infrastructure, cloud technologies, IT governance, cybersecurity, and digital innovation.

His appointment reflects BUSINESSNEXT’s continued commitment to strengthening its cybersecurity leadership, advancing enterprise technology capabilities, accelerating AI-driven innovation, and delivering secure, resilient, and future-ready digital solutions that support its global growth strategy.

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

Sarthak Banerjee has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Navikenz.

In a significant leadership appointment in the artificial intelligence and technology consulting sector, Navikenz has appointed Sarthak Banerjee as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In his new role, he will lead the organization’s technology strategy, accelerate AI-led product innovation, strengthen enterprise technology capabilities, and drive the development of next-generation AI solutions to support business growth and digital transformation.

Sarthak Banerjee is a distinguished technology leader with over 30 years of experience across enterprise architecture, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud transformation, digital strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and technology governance. Throughout his career, he has successfully led large-scale enterprise modernization initiatives, established AI Centers of Excellence, driven cloud-native transformation, and aligned technology strategy with business objectives to deliver innovation at scale.

Prior to joining Navikenz, he served as Divisional Vice President at Air India, where he led the airline’s data, AI, and cybersecurity transformation while spearheading one of the aviation industry’s largest digital modernization programs and laying the foundation for an AI-native operating model. Earlier, he held leadership positions at Tata Sons, Tata Consultancy Services, UTI Technology Services Ltd., and Dr Care Hospital Management System, building extensive expertise across enterprise architecture, AI strategy, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and technology consulting.

His appointment reflects Navikenz’s continued focus on strengthening technology leadership, accelerating AI-driven innovation, and delivering intelligent, scalable, and future-ready digital solutions for enterprises worldwide.

LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarthak-banerjee-91380a17/

Sunil Varkey has been appointed as Executive Vice President (EVP) & Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Hexaware Technologies.

In a significant leadership appointment in the global IT services and cybersecurity sector, Hexaware Technologies has appointed Sunil Varkey as its Executive Vice President (EVP) & Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). In his new role, he will lead the organization’s global cybersecurity strategy, strengthen security governance, enhance cyber resilience, advance risk management and regulatory compliance, and safeguard the enterprise’s digital ecosystem against evolving cyber threats.

Sunil Varkey is a distinguished cybersecurity executive with over 30 years of experience in information security, cyber risk management, governance, compliance, privacy, security operations, cloud security, DevSecOps, AI security, incident response, and business continuity. Throughout his career, he has built and led enterprise-wide cybersecurity programs, strengthened cyber defense capabilities, established security governance frameworks, and helped global organizations enhance resilience while aligning security strategies with business objectives.

Prior to joining Hexaware Technologies, he served as Cyber Security Consultant and Advisor at TAHAKOM, where he worked closely with the CISO to strengthen the organization’s cybersecurity posture and resilience. Earlier, he held senior cybersecurity leadership positions at Forescout Technologies, HSBC, Symantec, Wipro, Idea Cellular, Barclays, GE, Genpact, Paramount Computer Systems, and The Saudi British Bank, gaining extensive expertise across global cybersecurity strategy, security engineering, threat management, governance, and enterprise risk management.

His appointment reflects Hexaware Technologies’ continued commitment to strengthening its cybersecurity leadership, enhancing enterprise resilience, and building a secure, future-ready digital environment to support its global business and customers.

LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunilvarkey1/

Srijon Biswas has been elevated to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at PhonePe.

In a significant leadership elevation in the fintech and digital payments sector, PhonePe has elevated Srijon Biswas to the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In his new role, he will lead the company’s technology strategy, strengthen engineering capabilities, accelerate platform innovation, oversee the development of scalable digital infrastructure, and drive the delivery of secure, reliable, and customer-centric technology solutions that support PhonePe’s rapidly expanding payments and financial services ecosystem.

Srijon Biswas is an accomplished technology leader with over two decades of experience in engineering leadership, enterprise platforms, cloud technologies, product development, and digital transformation. Throughout his career, he has successfully led large-scale engineering organizations, built resilient technology platforms, driven product innovation, and aligned technology initiatives with business objectives to deliver operational excellence, scalability, and sustainable growth.

Prior to his elevation as Chief Technology Officer, he served as Head of Engineering (Financial Services) at PhonePe, where he led the engineering function for the company’s financial services business and played a pivotal role in building secure, scalable, and high-performance technology platforms. Earlier, he headed the Merchant Ecosystem engineering team at PhonePe, contributing significantly to the expansion of the company’s merchant technology capabilities. Before joining PhonePe, he held senior engineering leadership positions at BrowserStack, Flipkart, lastminute.com, Line-42 LLP, Affle, and Innvo Systems, gaining extensive expertise across enterprise engineering, cloud infrastructure, platform architecture, mobile technologies, and product innovation.

His elevation reflects PhonePe’s continued focus on strengthening its technology leadership, accelerating innovation, and building secure, scalable, and future-ready digital payment platforms that support the company’s long-term growth strategy.

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

These leadership movements highlight how technology leadership continues to play a critical role in shaping enterprise growth, innovation, and digital transformation strategies. As organizations navigate rapidly evolving market dynamics and emerging technologies, leaders like these are instrumental in building scalable, resilient, and future-ready businesses.

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.