John Brown
Member
o9 appoints Dr. Ashwin Rao as Executive Vice President of Next-Gen AI and Technology, bringing a proven AI visionary to its senior leadership team to drive the future of enterprise planning, decision-making and value creation on the company’s Digital Brain platform.
The appointment underscores o9’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence, generative and agentic models across enterprise planning, demand forecasting, supply chain orchestration, and real-time decisioning all core facets of the company’s AI-powered architecture.
Deep AI Expertise Meets Enterprise Software Leadership
Dr. Ashwin Rao brings more than two decades of deep experience in AI, data science and technology leadership across business, academia and financial markets. Prior to joining o9, he held roles as Chief AI Officer and Chief AI Scientist at leading distributor and retail enterprises, where he led multidisciplinary AI, data science and engineering teams to build advanced solutions for pricing, forecasting, merchandising and supply chain operations.Before that, Rao spent 15 years at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, where he led teams developing quantitative algorithmic models and high-performance solutions for trading decisions a background that blends advanced computational research with real-world business applications. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University’s Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering (ICME), teaching graduate courses on AI/ML and optimal decisioning under uncertainty.
Rao holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Computer Science from the University of Southern California and a B.Tech. in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay credentials that further underpin his ability to lead cutting-edge AI and technology initiatives at scale.
A Strategic Role in Shaping o9’s AI-Driven Platform
In his new role, Dr. Rao will work closely with o9’s world-class R&D team and executive leadership to advance the strategic architecture and execution of AI across the company’s flagship o9 Digital Brain platform, an enterprise AI solution used by customers in more than 30 industry verticals.o9’s platform combines enterprise knowledge graphs, generative AI, real-time analytics and advanced optimization algorithms to support Agile, Adaptive & Autonomous Planning and Execution Models helping enterprises make smarter, faster decisions amidst rising volatility and uncertainty. With Rao’s guidance, these capabilities are expected to accelerate value creation, improve forecast accuracy and deliver tighter alignment between planning and execution.
Dr. Rao will also serve as a key interface with o9’s premier customers and partners, helping shape and implement AI strategies that address complex business challenges from demand-supply orchestration to revenue and margin optimization across global supply chains.
Leadership Perspectives & Organizational Vision
Upon joining o9, Dr. Rao said he was “immediately drawn to the power of the platform and Enterprise Knowledge Graph technology,” noting that advancements in generative and agentic AI, combined with o9's innovative modeling, represent transformative potential for enterprise planning and decision intelligence.Chakri Gottemukkala, o9's Co-Founder and CEO, emphasized that Dr. Rao's rare combination of scientific depth, real-world AI leadership, and experience scaling advanced technologies will help accelerate the company's mission of delivering next-generation planning and execution models capable of navigating dynamic global markets.
Why This Appointment Matters for the Industry
Elevating Enterprise AI Capabilities
Dr. Rao's appointment reflects wider industry momentum toward embedding agentic and generative AI into mission-critical business systems. His leadership will likely strengthen o9's ability to innovate in areas such as predictive planning, autonomous decision workflows, and scenario modeling that enterprises increasingly rely on to stay competitive.
Deepening Value for Global Customers
With o9's solutions deployed across supply chain, manufacturing, retail, CPG and other sectors, Rao's expertise is expected to deliver faster time-to-value, richer AI insights, and tighter alignment between enterprise strategy and operational execution particularly in environments marked by uncertainty and rapid change.
Advancing Responsible AI Adoption
As AI becomes central to business planning, the presence of a seasoned AI leader helps guide ethical, scalable, and technically robust adoption ensuring technology serves overarching business objectives rather than just tactical use cases.Looking Ahead: A New Chapter for AI-Powered Enterprise Planning
Dr. Ashwin Rao's arrival marks a significant milestone in o9's evolution as an enterprise AI software leader. By tapping his deep expertise across academia, financial markets and operational AI systems, o9 aims to deliver smarter, faster and more integrated decisioning solutions empowers global enterprises to navigate complexity, uncertainty and growth with confidence.CXO Insiders is a platform for C-suite leaders, offering expert insights, industry trends, and strategic guidance. It covers leadership, technology, marketing, HR, and operations to support executive decision-making.
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