MSCI has appointed Kashi Kakarla as Chief Technology Officer and Head of Product Engineering and will open a Silicon Valley office under his leadership.
He will join the company's Management Committee and report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Henry Fernandez. Kakarla will oversee product technology and engineering across all product lines and client segments, while leading the creation of the new Silicon Valley site as an innovation and talent centre.
The appointment comes amid a broader governance change at the index and analytics provider. Its Board of Directors has created a Technology and Data Committee to oversee the group's data and technology transformation strategy and bring board-level expertise in technology and artificial intelligence.
Career background
Kakarla joins MSCI after 17 years at Intuit, where he worked on products and platforms used by millions of customers. Most recently, he led technology and engineering for the Intuit Small Business Platform.
Earlier, he worked on the development of QuickBooks and led new product work for enterprise businesses and accounting firms. He also held engineering leadership roles at SiRF and Motorola.
AI strategy
One of his main tasks at MSCI will be to expand the use of artificial intelligence across the company's products and services. The group aims to change how clients access and use its data, models, analytics and other content, while extending the reach of its products to more investment professionals.
The move highlights how financial data and market infrastructure groups are placing senior technology hires and board oversight at the centre of their AI strategies. Companies in the sector are under pressure to improve how professional investors use complex data sets, research tools and analytics in faster, more automated ways.
MSCI serves clients across financial markets, including asset managers, asset owners, private market investors, hedge funds, wealth managers, banks, insurers and corporates. That breadth means changes to its technology platform can affect users across several parts of the investment industry.
Executive views
Fernandez said Kakarla's experience would support MSCI's efforts to broaden access to its products.
"I am delighted to welcome Kashi to MSCI," said Henry Fernandez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, MSCI. "His deep experience building and enhancing technology makes him the ideal leader to drive the next chapter of MSCI's transformation. In particular, his track record of using AI to modernize and scale complex products is exactly what we need as MSCI looks to increase the number of clients who consume our data, models, analytics and other content and make it easier for them to do so."
Kakarla described the role as a chance to use AI to support product development and growth.
"I'm thrilled to join MSCI at a pivotal moment in its growth story," said Kashi Kakarla, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Product Engineering, MSCI. "Harnessing the power of AI will help us build and scale solutions that help clients reach their goals and sustain MSCI's market leadership."
Governance changes
Kakarla studied at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka and later completed a master's degree in computer science at the University of Adelaide in Australia.
The creation of the Silicon Valley office and the new board committee adds to the significance of the hire, bringing technology leadership closer to both product development and corporate oversight. The committee will help guide and oversee MSCI's data and technology transformation strategies.