US giant CSC plucks new Australian boss from IBM

US-owned technology solutions giant CSC has appointed a new executive to lead its Australian operations.

Seelan Nayagam has ended a 15-year tenure at IBM to start today as CSC's vice president, general manager, and managing director for Australia.

His predecessor, Gavin Larkings, has departed the company, according to CSC. Larkings spent 15 years running the Australian business.

"Seelan’s proven client focus and extensive experience in emerging and high-growth markets will be of great value for CSC as we build on our leadership and success in the region," said John Maguire, executive vice president and general manager for CSC global sales and marketing and regional operations.

According to CSC, Nayagam's background includes "strategy and sales in high-growth markets including Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and South America".

His last role at IBM was vice president and general manager of application services for Asia-Pacific. Nayagam began his career at PeopleSoft in the 1990s.

"CSC enjoys strong client relationships in Australia and New Zealand and we are excited to help our clients realise the benefits of partner-enabled, next-generation IT solutions," Maguire said.

The change in local leadership comes as CSC changes course on a global scale. In February, CSC chief technology officer Dan Hushon admitted to CRN US that revenues are falling and the company had to become more agile to cater for smaller projects.

Last week, CSC heralded its push for cloud services by adding VMware's hybrid cloud solution to its channel portfolio.

The company that began as Computer Sciences Corporation more than 50 years ago now has 80,000 people internationally across 70 countries, and administers its Australian operations from Macquarie Park in Sydney.