Guardian India, the global capability centre for The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), has appointed Karunakaran (Karun) Azhisur as Chief Information Officer – India. In this role, he will report to Shiney Prasad, Country Head (India).
Karunakaran brings over 25 years of experience as a global technology leader, having led GCCs for Fortune 100 companies. Most recently, he held the position of Global CIO for the Hydro Power Business at GE Vernova.
Prior to his role at the Hydro business of GE Vernova, Karun spent eight years in a variety of senior roles at GE and GE Vernova. These include the position of Regional CIO for Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as heading GE Gas Power's Global Software Engineering and GE's India Digital Hub. Additionally, he served as a board member for GE India Industrials.
Commenting on the appointment, Shiney Prasad, Country Head, Guardian India, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Karun to Guardian India as we continue evolving our technology and operations capabilities. His appointment is progress in our commitment to bringing together exceptional talent and transformative technology - a combination that is core to our strategic vision.”
On his appointment, Azhisur said, “Leadership in an organization that places equal emphasis on innovation and well-being aligns perfectly with my vision for digital transformation. I am delighted to join Guardian and look forward to building technology and talent that can make a sincere impact in the lives of consumers and communities.”
Karunakaran holds a postgraduate degree in Management from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, and a Bachelor of Technology degree from Anna University, Chennai. He will be based out of Guardian’s Chennai campus.