New York Life has announced the appointment of Vikas Sharma (pictured above left) as chief data officer and Achuth Rao (pictured above, right) as head of AI and data (AI&D) product management.

Both will report to Don Vu, New York Life’s chief data and analytics officer, and work closely with Alain Biem, chief data science officer, as well as other AI&D leadership and enterprise partners. Their efforts will focus on developing innovative data and AI solutions that leverage trustworthy data and advanced technology.

Sharma, who brings over 20 years of experience in data and digital transformation, joins New York Life from Farm Credit Bank of Texas, where he served as chief data and analytics officer. At Farm Credit Bank, he led the modernization of the data ecosystem and implemented AI-powered analytics solutions across various business lines.

His previous roles include leadership positions at Capital One, Warner Media/HBO Max, and Walmart. Sharma holds a bachelor of engineering degree from Marathwada University in India.

Rao, in his role as head of AI&D product management, will be responsible for the development and delivery of AI and data products aimed at providing innovative solutions to challenges across New York Life’s operations. He will focus on driving value for customers, agents, and employees.

With more than 25 years of experience in product management, business development, and engineering for AI-driven platforms, Rao most recently served as general manager and vice president of product management at ADP Data Cloud.

His previous experience includes leadership roles at Panasonic Connect, Elsevier, and Yahoo!. Rao holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.

Read More: AI, cyber threats, and third-party risks: The evolving insurance challenges of 2025

Vu noted the significance of these hires, stating that accelerating the company’s progress in AI and data is key to improving stakeholder experiences and enhancing operational efficiency.

"Vikas, Achuth, and their teams will help enable us to advance our data ecosystem and deliver high-quality, impactful, and scalable AI and data solutions across the enterprise," Vu said.

What are your thoughts on this story? Please feel free to share your comments below.