Mumbai, Standard Chartered has appointed Kavita Kulkarni as Chief Technology and Operations Officer for India and South Asia. Based in Mumbai, she will also become a member of the bank’s India Country Management Team.
In her new role, Kulkarni will oversee the execution of Standard Chartered’s technology and operations strategy across India and South Asia. She will focus on accelerating digital innovation, modernising the bank’s technology infrastructure, strengthening operational resilience and supporting its strategic growth priorities across the region.
Kulkarni brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across banking, wealth management, technology and operations. She has worked with multinational financial institutions across India, the United Kingdom and the United States, leading large-scale transformation programmes involving technology modernisation, automation, artificial intelligence and operational excellence.
Prior to joining Standard Chartered, Kulkarni served as Managing Director and Chief Information Officer for Private Banking and Wealth Management at Barclays Bank. She led the global technology function and drove initiatives focused on technology modernisation, automation and the adoption of artificial intelligence across delivery cycles.
At Barclays, she also served as Head of Wealth and Private Bank Technology and Operations for India. Her previous assignments include Chief Operating Officer for Risk Management Change in Asia-Pacific at Credit Suisse and Chief Operating Officer for Wealth and Investment Management Technology in India at Morgan Stanley.
Kulkarni has also held leadership positions at Shalmala Finance Limited, Eight Capital Management and HSBC Private Bank. Her career spans technology strategy, banking operations, risk transformation, workforce planning, process excellence and customer-focused business transformation.
Commenting on the appointment, PD Singh, CEO, India and South Asia, Standard Chartered, said, “As we continue to invest in innovation and strengthen our capabilities, Kavita’s deep expertise combined with her extensive global leadership experience will help us deliver simpler, faster and more resilient banking experiences for our clients, while supporting our long-term growth ambitions in the region.”
Kulkarni holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science from Karnataka University and an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Standard Chartered is an international banking group operating across 54 markets. The bank provides corporate and investment banking, wealth management and retail banking services, with a strong presence across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
