PPG Appoints Bhaskar Ramachandran, Vice President and Chief Information Officer; Chris Caruso to Retire

Rhea-AI Summary

PPG (NYSE: PPG) has appointed Bhaskar Ramachandran as the new vice president and chief information officer (CIO), succeeding Chris Caruso, who will retire on March 1, 2021. Ramachandran comes from Jabil Inc., where he led a cloud-based strategy for improved production efficiency. His extensive background includes leadership roles at Textron, Sybase, Prudential Financial, and IBM/PwC. Caruso, who has been with PPG for 24 years, is recognized for his contributions to IT innovation and strategy development.

Positive

• Bhaskar Ramachandran brings extensive IT leadership experience from Jabil and Textron, expected to enhance PPG's technological strategies.
• Ramachandran's cloud-based initiatives at Jabil indicate a focus on efficiency and modernization.

Negative

• Upcoming retirement of Chris Caruso may create a gap in continuity and experience within the IT department.

PPG (NYSE:PPG) today announced the appointment of Bhaskar Ramachandran as vice president and chief information officer (CIO). Ramachandran will succeed Chris Caruso, current vice president, IT, who has announced his intent to retire, effective March 1, 2021.

PPG announced the appointment of Bhaskar Ramachandran as vice president and chief information officer (CIO). (Photo: Business Wire)

Ramachandran joins PPG from Jabil Inc., an American worldwide manufacturing services company. As vice president, IT, and CIO of the company’s largest division, he led the creation of a transformative strategy to introduce a fully cloud-based connected eco-system to make production more efficient and cost-effective.

Prior to joining Jabil in 2015, Ramachandran progressed through IT leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Textron, Inc., a multi-industry company, where he was accountable for strategy development and operational elements of Textron’s SAP center of excellence (COE). In 2013, he was appointed VP, IT, and CIO for the company’s defense and intelligence segment. Ramachandran also previously worked for Sybase, Inc., an enterprise software and services company; Prudential Financial, Inc., an investment and insurance company; and IBM / PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) consulting company, where he led the application infrastructure team that supported implementation of SAP for numerous pharma, retail and manufacturing clients.

Ramachandran earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Madras University in Chennai, India, an advanced diploma in information systems from the National Institute of IT in India, and a master’s in business administration degree from Duke University’s The Fuqua School of Business.

Over his 24-year career with PPG, Caruso has been an instrumental leader in development of IT strategies for PPG’s strategic businesses and functions. He joined PPG in 1996 as IT director for the company’s architectural coatings business, and progressed to provide corporate-wide direction on e-commerce, including development of e-commerce strategies and execution of supporting projects. Throughout his career, Caruso provided IT leadership for PPG’s automotive refinish, protective and marine coatings, architectural coatings, flat glass and fiberglass businesses. In 2016, Caruso was appointed to his current role as vice president, IT. Under his leadership, IDG Communication’s Insider Pro and Computerworld named PPG one of the “Best Places to Work in IT,” and rated the company in the top five companies for career development in 2020.

“Chris’s passion for IT-driven innovation has resulted in multiple patents, and his leadership has resulted in PPG earning several industry awards for IT innovation,” said Tim Knavish, PPG executive vice president. “Chris has made his mark as an engaging, caring and inspiring leader.”

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD™
At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for more than 135 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.1 billion in 2019. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.

We protect and beautify the world is a trademark and the PPG Logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111005308/en/

FAQ

Who is Bhaskar Ramachandran and what is his role at PPG?

Bhaskar Ramachandran is the newly appointed vice president and chief information officer (CIO) at PPG, succeeding Chris Caruso.

Why did Chris Caruso retire from PPG?

Chris Caruso announced his retirement effective March 1, 2021, after 24 years of service at PPG.

What impact may Bhaskar Ramachandran have on PPG's IT strategies?

With his extensive experience in cloud-based technology and efficiency strategies, Ramachandran is expected to positively influence PPG's IT initiatives.

What was Chris Caruso's contribution to PPG during his tenure?

Chris Caruso was instrumental in developing IT strategies that led to multiple industry awards and patents for innovation at PPG.