Sudhakar Ramakrishna
CDK Global has named Sudhakar Ramakrishna President and CEO, effective Oct. 5, as the automotive retail software provider undergoes a leadership transition following several years of investment in its technology platform.
Ramakrishna will also join CDK’s board of directors, according to an Aug. 27 company announcement. He succeeds Brian MacDonald, who is retiring and will become a senior strategic advisor to Brookfield and CDK during the transition.
The change puts an experienced technology executive at the helm of a company whose software is embedded in dealership operations, as CDK increasingly focuses on artificial intelligence, analytics and customer insights.
Ramakrishna most recently served as President and CEO of SolarWinds, an infrastructure management software company. He previously led Pulse Secure and held senior positions at Citrix, Polycom, Motorola, 3Com and U.S. Robotics. His experience spans cloud technology, mobility, networking, security and collaboration.
“We are grateful to Brian for his leadership and the lasting impact he has had on CDK. He returned to the company at an important moment and led a multi-year transformation that strengthened CDK’s strategy, product roadmap and financial foundation,” said Doug Bayerd, Managing Partner in Brookfield’s Private Equity Group and a CDK director.
CDK said it has invested more than $500 million over several years to develop its platform from a system of record into what it describes as a system of intelligence and engagement.
The company said its automotive-specific data includes 257 million unique customer IDs representing most U.S. consumers and vehicles on its platform, providing a foundation for AI, analytics and customer insights.
“CDK has the people, scale, expertise and product depth to help customers get more from the solutions they rely on to operate their businesses,” said Ramakrishna. “Our opportunity is to deliver more customer value and success through innovation, disciplined execution and reliable delivery.”
