New Delhi: Guardian India Operations Private Limited (“Guardian India”), the global capability centre for The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (“Guardian”), has announced the appointment of Karunakaran (Karun) Azhisur as Country Head – India.
In his new role, Azhisur will report to Michael Prestileo, Chief Strategy Officer and Chair of the Guardian India Board. He will also continue in his current position as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Guardian India, working closely with Steve Rullo, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, to further drive technology-led transformation and operational excellence across the organisation.
Commenting on the appointment, Michael Prestileo said, “Karun’s extensive global experience and proven ability to drive complex transformations make him an ideal leader for Guardian India. His strategic vision and disciplined execution will be instrumental as we advance our technology strategy and accelerate innovation for our policyholders.”
Sharing his perspective, Karunakaran Azhisur said, “Guardian India’s strength lies in its people and culture. As we move into the next phase of growth, my focus will be on building teams, nurturing leadership, and creating an environment where technology and talent come together to enable transformation.”
Azhisur brings over two decades of global technology and engineering leadership experience, having built and scaled high-performing software, data, and platform teams across the United States and India. His career spans senior leadership roles across global diversified enterprises and Silicon Valley–based technology firms, with deep expertise in product-centric operating models, enterprise-scale transformation, and next-generation digital platforms.
Most recently, he has been leading AI-driven enterprise transformation initiatives, including the development of agentic AI capabilities, modernisation of core technology platforms, and the scaling of globally distributed product and engineering teams. His leadership approach focuses on strong product ownership, engineering and operations excellence, and talent development as critical drivers of sustainable business outcomes.
