When enterprise AI moves from experimentation to execution, leadership becomes the difference between ambition and measurable impact. That’s exactly where Carla Ramchand steps in.
Global professional services firm Cognizant has appointed Ramchand as Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ), signaling a renewed push to strengthen its regional footprint and accelerate enterprise AI adoption.
Ramchand takes over from Rob Marchiori, who exited earlier this year to pursue a leadership role in digital technology and AI at Westpac. In her new role, she will oversee more than 1,500 technology professionals across the region, guiding organizations as they transition from AI experimentation to scalable, outcome-driven deployments.
Driving AI from Concept to Business Value
At the core of Ramchand’s mandate is Cognizant’s AI Builder strategy—a framework designed to help enterprises translate AI investments into tangible business outcomes. While many organizations across A/NZ have begun exploring AI, a significant gap remains between pilot programs and enterprise-wide implementation.
Ramchand’s focus will be on closing that gap.
Reporting to Ganesh Ayyar, President of Asia Pacific and Japan at Cognizant, she is expected to lead initiatives that align AI capabilities with operational efficiency, customer experience, and long-term digital transformation goals.
Ayyar highlighted her appointment as a strategic move, emphasizing her ability to scale teams, deliver client outcomes, and navigate complex global environments.
A Proven Track Record Across Global Tech Leaders
Before joining Cognizant, Ramchand served as CEO of Avanade, where she spent nearly a decade in leadership roles. During her tenure, she played a critical role in expanding the company’s consulting operations across multiple international markets, contributing to both growth and organizational maturity.
Her leadership extended beyond operations—she was actively involved in Avanade’s global executive committee, Asia Pacific leadership team, and diversity and inclusion initiatives, reflecting a well-rounded approach to enterprise leadership.
Prior to Avanade, Ramchand held senior positions at IBM and Telstra, including serving as Executive General Manager for cybersecurity at IBM. This background provides her with deep expertise across enterprise IT, cybersecurity, and large-scale transformation programs.
Timing the Market Shift in A/NZ
Ramchand’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the A/NZ market. Organizations across industries are facing mounting pressure to convert rapid technological change into measurable performance improvements.
AI, while widely adopted in concept, still presents execution challenges—particularly in integrating solutions into existing systems, scaling use cases, and ensuring return on investment.
For Cognizant, this creates a strategic opportunity.
Ramchand noted that businesses in the region are increasingly focused on outcomes rather than experimentation, and that Cognizant’s combination of local expertise and global capabilities positions it well to support this transition.
Strengthening Cognizant’s Regional Position
With a growing demand for enterprise AI, cloud transformation, and digital modernization, Cognizant’s A/NZ business is entering a new phase of competition and expansion. The company’s ability to deliver end-to-end transformation—spanning strategy, implementation, and scaling—will be critical in capturing market share.
Ramchand’s leadership is expected to reinforce this positioning by:
- Strengthening client and partner relationships
- Expanding AI-led transformation programs
- Driving execution across large-scale enterprise initiatives
As enterprises move beyond experimentation and into real-world deployment, the focus shifts to leadership that can bridge strategy and execution.
Cognizant is betting that Ramchand brings exactly that.