Tenarai appoints ex-GlobalLogic chief Shashank Samant

Tenarai has appointed Shashank Samant to its Board of Directors, adding former GlobalLogic Chief Executive Officer to the AI-focused company's board.

The appointment comes as Tenarai looks to strengthen its position in enterprise artificial intelligence after relaunching from Infogain under a new identity. Samant joins with immediate effect.

Samant is best known in the technology services sector for his time at GlobalLogic, where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure, the company grew from a specialist engineering business into a much larger international group before its sale to Hitachi in a deal valued at USD $9.6 billion.

He later served as Executive Chairman of Hitachi Americas. He currently holds board and advisory roles at Hitachi Energy, Eureka Forbes, Cyderes and Turing, and sits on software boards at Mercedes-Benz and Hilti. He is also a member of the governance council at UC Irvine's Centre for Digital Transformation.

For Tenarai, the appointment adds a director with deep experience in engineering services, digital transformation and AI adoption. Based in Silicon Valley, the company works with Fortune 500 clients across technology, retail, travel, insurance, healthcare and telecoms.

The business has also been repositioning itself in the market. It now describes itself as an enterprise AI company focused on helping large organisations move from early AI adoption to implementation in day-to-day operations.

Dinesh Venugopal, Chief Executive Officer of Tenarai, said the appointment reflects this stage in the company's development.

"We're delighted to welcome Shashank to the board. He brings more than three decades of global technology and services experience, having led and scaled some of the most esteemed companies in our industry," said Dinesh Venugopal, Chief Executive Officer, Tenarai.

"He has been at the forefront of major industry shifts, from digital engineering to AI, and understands how to translate those shifts into real enterprise value. As we accelerate our business and outcomes for our enterprise customers, his perspective and experience will be invaluable."

Board expansion

The appointment stands out because Samant has been involved in some of the biggest strategic shifts in the outsourced engineering and software services market over the past two decades. His experience spans the transition from product support work to software-led development, cloud projects and, more recently, AI-related programmes.

That background aligns with Tenarai's effort to define itself in a crowded AI services market. Established consulting and technology groups are competing to help large companies integrate AI into workflows, customer operations and software development, while boards face pressure to show returns on those investments.

Samant framed the opportunity in similar terms in his remarks on joining the board.

"I am pleased to join the Tenarai team as they enter this next chapter," said Shashank Samant, Board Member, Tenarai.

"The industry is moving from AI adoption to AI deployment to deliver impact within enterprises. It's a phase where AI-led precision engineering is important to both tech and enterprise sectors. Tenarai's nimble-by-design architecture and its focus on human-AI collaboration represent the future of the industry. I look forward to working with Dinesh and the board to turn AI potential into tangible enterprise outcomes for our global clients."

Investor view

The appointment also drew support from Apax, the private equity group linked to the business. Its comments suggest shareholders see board composition as part of the effort to build Tenarai's profile and scale in a market attracting both capital and competition.

Rohan Haldea, Partner at Apax, said Samant's operating experience would be valuable as the company grows.

"Shashank is one of the most accomplished leaders in the industry and is the ideal addition to the Tenarai board at this pivotal time," said Rohan Haldea, Partner, Apax.

"The team is building a business of significance and scale, and Shashank's experience and counsel will be instrumental in accelerating that vision."

Tenarai has not disclosed any further governance changes beyond Samant's appointment. What is clear is that the company is adding a director whose career has been shaped by large-scale growth, board advisory work and one of the sector's biggest acquisitions: the USD $9.6 billion sale of GlobalLogic to Hitachi.