Dive Brief:
- Daimler Truck appointed Raghavendra Vaidya as CIO effective June 1, the company said Thursday. Vaidya will lead the company’s IT, replacing Marcus Claesson, who served in the position for more than five years and is leaving at his own request, the company said.
- Vaidya began working for Daimler AG in 2016, before Daimler Truck was spun out as a separate company in 2021. He was initially brought in as SVP of IT at Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India and currently serves as managing director and CEO at Daimler Truck Innovation Center India, overseeing IT Operations in India. Prior to Daimler AG, Vaidya held several leadership roles at GE.
- In a March earnings report, Daimler Truck said it expects an operationally strong 2025 compared with 2024, when it saw softer markets in Europe and Asia despite strong North American sales. The company also noted its push to boost productivity and that it’s currently “working on revisiting and adjusting the Group strategy,” which it plans to present to stakeholders on July 8.
Dive Insight:
Daimler Truck’s CIO appointment is the latest in a growing list of tech executive comings and goings this spring where transformation has emerged as a central theme.
Earlier this month, Naveen Seshadri was promoted to global chief digital officer at Ralph Lauren, an appointment he began in April ahead of the luxury brand’s earnings call later this week. Former chief digital and technology officer Christopher Conrad left the company in January after less than a year in the role and is now chief technology and information officer at clothing retailer Aritzia.
Seshadri, who joined Ralph Lauren in 2024, said he plans to focus on customer experience across every touchpoint -- from physical stores to digital properties. “With a sharp focus on personalization, AI, platform modernization, and cross-channel commercial growth, we’re building for the future with both magic and logic,” he said in a LinkedIn post.
John Armstrong, formerly VP of global enterprise data and applications at Burberry, will become CIO at Regent's University London effective June 2, with the university noting Armstrong’s experience as a “transformational technology leader” in its announcement. In January, Burberry appointed Charlotte Baldwin to the role and said she would start at the end of March.
Drew Martin is now CIO at Fat Brands, which owns 18 restaurant brands including Fatburger, Buffalo's Cafe and Ponderosa. Martin has a varied IT background, previously holding leadership roles at Jack in the Box, Sony and Lytx, a video telematics company.
Meanwhile, Shelia Anderson departed Aflac, where she served as EVP and CIO for just under three years, to become EVP and chief information and digital officer at Unum Group. “The opportunity to build and mature smarter, more customer-centric solutions in this space has never been more exciting and I'm thrilled to be on this journey with this forward-thinking team,” Anderson said in a LinkedIn post.
