The Hartford Brings In Two Senior Leaders to Strengthen Tech and Operations

The Hartford has made two major leadership changes to strengthen its technology and operations. The company announced that Shekar Pannala will take over as Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Jeffery Hawkins will become the Chief Data, AI, and Operations Officer. These changes are part of the company’s efforts to accelerate its digital transformation and improve operational efficiency.

Both leaders bring decades of experience in their fields and will report directly to Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift. Their appointments come as Deepa Soni, the previous Chief Information and Operations Officer, steps down to pursue an external opportunity. Soni will support the transition to ensure things move smoothly.

“Over the past several years, we have made tremendous progress on our Technology and Operations strategy, including digitizing processes, modernizing foundational technology infrastructure, and investing in cloud, data, and AI,” Swift said. “Our new structure enables us to focus more deeply on our critical technology and operations​​ priorities and build on our competitive advantages.”

Shekar Pannala

Shekar Pannala is a seasoned technology executive with over 30 years of experience. Before joining The Hartford, he was the Global CIO at Chubb, leading large-scale technology programs across different business units and geographies. His leadership there focused on driving innovation and improving system performance at scale.