SATS Ltd. (SATS) has announced the appointment of Sandeep Sakharkar as chief digital officer (CDO) effective March 17, 2025.

The air cargo handling and ground services provider said prior to this role, Sakharkar's past experience include senior roles at Johnson & Johnson, Footlocker and most recently as Global CIO of GXO Logistics. He is also the founder of early-stage data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and process automation start-up, Datanoetic, where he remains non-executive chairman.

"With an extensive background in digital transformation and technology leadership, [Sakharkar] brings over two and a half decades of experience in harnessing emerging technologies to solve complex industry challenges. In this newly created role, he will lead the development and execution of the company's digital strategy, ensuring a seamless integration of advanced data analytics, automation, artificial intelligence and operational excellence into the company's global operations," SATS said in the announcement.

The new appointment comes as SATS advances its digital transformation following the WFS acquisition, focusing on enhancing industry standards with more efficient and adaptable service solutions.

"The focus will be on leveraging technology to enhance transparency, optimise supply chain performance, and elevate the end-to-end customer experience," SATS said, adding that this appointment reflects its commitment to innovation and reinforces its position as a forward-thinking leader in the global aviation cargo logistics, ground handling, and food solutions industry.

"As the logistics and aviation industries continue to evolve, digital excellence is critical to staying ahead," Kerry Mok, president and chief executive officer of SATS Ltd., said.

"With Sandeep's proven track record, we are poised to unlock improvements in data-driven decision-making, operational efficiency and customer-centric innovation."

Sakharkar, for his part, welcomed the appointment, noting that together with the SATS team, the company will "scale digital capabilities, harness the power of modern digital, data and AI capabilities, and ensure our customers receive the highest levels of reliability, speed, and service."