Our Leadership Team

Pervinder Johar

CEO AND BOARD MEMBER

Pervinder Johar is the CEO of Avathon. Bringing over three decades of expertise in AI, machine learning, SaaS, robotics process automation, manufacturing, and supply chain management, he has proven himself a distinguished leader in the technology sector. Previously, Pervinder was the CEO of Blume Global, part of WiseTech Global, where he revolutionized logistics by integrating a networked ecosystem that optimally balanced visibility with execution. He has also held senior executive positions at Hewlett Packard, EdgeVerve, Steelwedge Software, CCC Information Services, and Manhattan Associates. Pervinder currently serves as the Chair, Board of Advisors, of 25m Supply Chain, and is a member of the Forbes Technology Council.

Niyati Kohler

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER

Niyati Kohler is the Chief Strategy Officer at Avathon, leading activities driving deal development, brand enhancement, and expanding global operations. Throughout her career, Niyati has focused on aligning all aspects of company strategy, sales and marketing, and fundraising to deliver world-class B2B products with highly efficient quality assurance and program management processes. Prior to joining Avathon, she defined and executed successful go-to-market strategy, mergers and acquisitions, partner networks, and global operations as SVP of Strategy and Operations at Blume Global, a leading cloud-based digital supply chain platform, and excelled in high-impact roles guiding enterprise and major accounts for Xerox and Infosys.

Ibrahim Gokcen

Chief Business Officer

Ibrahim Gokcen is Avathon’s Chief Business Officer. Gokcen most recently was the Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Aon, where he led data and AI governance and launched client-facing risk and workforce AI and analytics products. As Chief Technology Officer of Schneider Electric Digital, Gokcen re-architected key business capabilities on a modern API-first cloud platform and built enabling technology for new IoT- and AI-powered SaaS offerings. His experience also includes leadership positions at General Electric, A.P. Moller-Maersk, and other AI- and tech-forward companies. He has a PhD in AI and is the co-inventor of three patents.

Art Sellers

PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, AVATHON GOVERNMENT

Art Sellers is the Interim President & General Manager and is the VP of Operations for Avathon Government. Art recently retired from the US Army after serving over 27 years as a career infantry officer. He spent his entire career in operational assignments, with over 12 years in the special operations community, 10 years in command billets at every level, and 5 years in combat deployments.

Originally from Keokuk, Iowa, Art graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1995, the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2006 as well as from the Naval War College in Newport, RI in 2018. He not only brings his leadership and warfighting reputation to SGS, but Art also provides relevant perspective from recent operational experiences, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and in response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Additionally, he collaborated with private industry, Department of Defense entities, and the interagency to incorporate A.I. and machine learning into large scale operations and exercises.
Art and his wife, Susan, have been married for 26 years and have two sons, ages 21 and 19, as well as a 17-year-old daughter and reside near Fort Bragg, NC.

Aakash Parekh

GENERAL COUNSEL

Aakash Parekh is the General Counsel and Secretary of Avathon. In this role, he oversees global legal affairs for Avathon and its subsidiary companies. Parekh’s responsibilities include corporate governance, legal compliance, IP strategy, M&A, litigation, corporate financing, public company readiness, and more. Prior to joining Avathon, Parekh spent over a decade in private legal practice, where the IP assets he authored, licensed, or litigated generated hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients.

Parekh holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Texas School of Law.

Santosh Pant

Sr. Vice President of Engineering

Santosh Pant is Senior Vice President of Engineering at Avathon, where he leads the development of the company’s Autonomous AI Platform. A seasoned technology executive, he is passionate about building high-performing teams and delivering scalable, enterprise-grade platforms and products.

With more than 25 years of experience, Santosh has a proven track record of developing platforms and delivering supply chain solutions, consistently ensuring quality across the entire product lifecycle.

Before joining Avathon, he served as Senior Vice President of R&D at Blume Global and held senior engineering leadership roles at several global enterprises.

Dr. Sandeep Gupta

Sr. Vice President of Product

Dr. Sandeep Gupta is Sr. Vice President of Product at Avathon, where he provides thought leadership and oversees long-term product strategy for Avathon’s Autonomous AI Platform. He is a company founder, entrepreneur, and engineering leader, with more than fifteen years of experience in clean energy systems, focusing on product development and strategy.

Sandeep is a key member of Avathon’s product leadership team and collaborates closely with the business development and sales teams. Prior to joining Avathon, Sandeep served as founder & CEO of Ensemble Energy, delivering advanced cloud-based predictive analytics for the energy generation industry. He also served as President and CEO of Helios Engineering and held management position at United Technologies.

Sandeep holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland.

Lord John Browne

BOARD CHAIRMAN

Lord John Browne: How AI is making renewables more efficient

Lord Browne is Chairman of BeyondNetZero, a climate growth equity venture established in partnership with General Atlantic. He served as Group Chief Executive of international energy company BP from 1995 to 2007, having joined the company in 1966 as a university apprentice. He led BP through a period of significant growth and transformation, including a merger with Amoco in 1998. His landmark speech at Stanford University in 1997 established BP as a global leader in the way it thought about and sought to address climate change. In 2007, Lord Browne joined Riverstone, where he was co-head of the world’s largest renewable energy private equity fund until 2015.

Lord Browne is independent co-Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Council on Science and Technology, Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, Chairman of the Courtauld Institute of Art, and a past President of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

John Thornton

LEAD DIRECTOR

John Thornton is the Executive Chairman of Barrick Gold, the leading gold mining company in the world, the Co-Chairman of The Asia Society, and Chairman of PineBridge Investments. He retired in 2003 as President and member of the Board of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. He serves as a Director of the Ford Motor Company. Thornton is Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. He is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Morehouse College and a trustee, advisory board member, and member of the China Investment Corporation (CIC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, McKinsey Advisory Council, and Schwarzman Scholars. Thornton holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard College, a degree in jurisprudence from Oxford University, and a master’s degree from the Yale School of Management.

Amir Husain

BOARD MEMBER

Amir Husain is the Founder of SparkCognition. He has been named Austin’s Top Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, listed as an Onalytica Top 100 Artificial Intelligence Influencer, and received the Austin Under 40 Technology and Science Award, among several other accolades recognizing his work in artificial intelligence. He serves on the Board of Advisors for The University of Texas at Austin Department of Computer Science and on the NATO Maritime Unmanned Systems Innovation Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Husain has been awarded over 30 patents and has several pending applications. His work has been featured in world-leading outlets such as Foreign Policy, Fox Business News, and Proceedings from the U.S. Naval Institute. He is the author of the best-selling book “The Sentient Machine: The Coming Age of Artificial Intelligence” and a co-author of the compilation “Hyperwar: Conflict and Competition in the AI Century.”

Dr. Hamid Biglari

BOARD MEMBER

Dr. Hamid Biglari is a seasoned executive in financial services with over 30 years of experience. He is currently Senior Partner and Chairman of Asset Management & Financial Services at RedBird Capital Partners, a global private equity firm. Previously, he was a senior executive at Point 72 Asset Management, a global hedge fund, and Citigroup, where he was Vice Chairman and Global Head of Emerging Markets. Prior to Citigroup, Dr. Biglari was a Partner at McKinsey & Company. He is currently a Vice Chair of the Asia Society and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Hamid started his career as a theoretical nuclear physicist at Princeton University where he holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences. An Iranian-American, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2009, given for outstanding contributions to the United States by immigrants.

Pankaj Patel

BOARD MEMBER

Pankaj Patel is a seasoned technology leader with more than 25 years of experience developing highly scalable products and services by building and leading high-performance global engineering organizations. Patel served as the Chief Development Officer of Global Engineering and Executive Vice President at Cisco Systems, Inc. from 2012 to 2016. Patel held multiple executive leadership roles throughout his tenure at Cisco since first joining the company in 1996. Prior to Cisco, he held senior management positions at Apollo Computer/HP, Digital Equipment Corporation, Stratacom, and Redback. Patel holds director positions with multiple technology companies where he is focused on incubating, building, scaling, and advising startups with their strategy and go-to-market.

Sumant Mandal

BOARD MEMBER

Sumant Mandal is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of March Capital, as well as the co-founder of two leading technology incubators in the San Francisco Bay Area: The Hive and The Fabric. Sumant leads investments in cloud driven enterprise platforms, cloud

infrastructure, AI/ML, and network infrastructure as well as companies supporting the Indian market. He currently serves on the boards of numerous market-leading companies. Sumant has an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University. He is a Charter Member of TiE.

Professor Dame Fiona Murray

BOARD MEMBER

Professor Dame Fiona Murray, DCMG CBE, is a Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she is the Associate Dean of Innovation at the MIT School of Management and the William Porter Professor of Entrepreneurship. Fiona is on the Board of the newly formed NATO Innovation Fund (a billion Euro venture fund focused on emerging technology ventures). She also serves on the British Prime Minister’s Council on Science and Technology and was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) and DCMG (Dame Commander) for her services to innovation and entrepreneurship and the international science and technology (respectively). She is a member of the Ministry of Defense Innovation Advisory Panel and the European Innovation Council Joint Expert Group. She received her BA and MA from the University of Oxford in Chemistry and earned an AM and PhD from Harvard University in Applied Sciences.

Beckett Jackson

BOARD MEMBER

Mr. Jackson is a Principal at AE Industrial and a member of AEI HorizonX, the venture capital investment platform formed in partnership with The Boeing Company. Mr. Jackson currently serves on the boards of AEI HorizonX portfolio companies: Accion Systems, BridgeComm, EP Systems, Immfly, and Skylo Technologies. Prior to joining AE Industrial in 2021, Mr. Jackson was an Investing Director at Boeing HorizonX Ventures, working with early-stage companies focused on the future of mobility and space, having led investments in Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE), EP Systems and Immfly. He also helped establish Boeing’s global accelerator program, working with industry and government partners to create a platform to support entrepreneurs building businesses around customer needs. Mr. Jackson was recognized by the Global Corporate Venturing Institute in 2020 as a Rising Star.

Tessy Antony De Nassau

MANAGING PARTNER TAFF SOLUTIONS GMBH

Tessy Antony De Nassau is a business leader and strategic advisor specializing in sustainable enterprise development and international market expansion. As CEO of Human Highness, she leads a sustainable fashion brand, while serving as Partner at Taff Solutions GmbH, directing strategy and communications across European markets.

Her board positions include Elisabeth Luxembourg and UNA Terra Fund Switzerland, complementing her executive roles. Previously, she served 5 years in the military, held the positions of Director for Impact at VICE Media EMEA and Project Manager at Ringier AG Schweiz, putting her key focus on strategic initiatives and stakeholder management.

Notable achievements include co-founding and scaling Professors Without Borders to 21 countries. Her expertise is supported by a Master’s in International Studies and Diplomacy, and a Board Director Diploma, focusing on sustainable business development and organizational transformation.

John Chambers

CEO OF JC2 VENTURES

John Chambers is the founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, where he focuses on helping disruptive startups from around the world build and scale. He served as CEO, Chairman, and Executive Chairman at Cisco for 25+ years where he received numerous awards for his leadership. Chambers is the author of “Connecting the Dots: Lessons for Leadership in a Startup World,” published in 2018. He holds a bachelor of science/bachelor of arts degree in business, and a law degree from West Virginia University, as well as a master of business administration degree in finance and management from Indiana University.

Bernard J. Dunn

Founder and CEO of BJ Dunn & Associates, Former President of Boeing MENA

Mr. Bernard J. Dunn brings an extraordinary background and set of skills to his position as Founder and CEO of BJ Dunn & Associates. He retired in January 2022 as President of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa, culminating a career of over four decades of leadership and managerial experience – nearly all of it international – in both the United States Army and in Corporate America. Well over three decades of that period was spent living and working in the Middle East region, holding positions of increasing responsibility and scope during his military career in Jordan, Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and The Pentagon, with combat experience alongside Arab Forces in Kuwait, and separately in Iraq. This was followed by long years as the senior regional executive for two U.S. Fortune-500 corporations in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates during his business career.

Mr. Dunn is a charter member of the Advisory Council of the Dubai International Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Advisory Boards of Fortem Technologies and the Bauer Aviation Advisory. He has bases in both the United States and Dubai, which provide him a platform from which to operate globally and with the agility and responsiveness that clients need.

Philippe Gilbert

Former President – Supply Chain Solutions at UPS

Philippe Gilbert is an executive business and finance leader whose career is distinguished by his ability to steer multinational corporations toward unprecedented success.

At ARCO Consulting International, LLC, Philippe has been an instrumental strategic advisor for clients, evaluating and enhancing business strategies for leading management consulting and private equity firms.

For a little more than four years, Philippe served as the President of Supply Chain Solutions for UPS, where he led a 27,000-person organization to achieve top financial profitability within the global supply chain sector. His innovative leadership was highlighted by the development of transformative digital platforms, such as the ‘Forwarding Hub’—which generated $150M in top-line revenue within two years—and the enhanced ‘Coyote GO,’ contributing $120M in sales.

Earlier, Philippe added value in leadership roles at DB Schenker Logistics. As Regional CEO for the Americas, he managed the air, ocean, land, and logistics efforts across the US, Canada, and eight countries in Latin America for a business with €2.7B in net sales. As Regional CEO Europe West, Philippe also directed air, ocean, land, and logistics in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and North & West Africa. He orchestrated a successful restructuring, consolidated multiple acquired companies, and centralized operations in a new headquarters outside Paris.

Philippe assumed increasing levels of accountability via promotion during his roles with GEODIS. In his final role as Executive Vice President, Geodis Wilson he directed an integrated network in 57 countries and more than 80 agents in the company’s freight management division.

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg

Chairman of Spitzberg Partners LLC

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is Chairman of Spitzberg Partners LLC, a global investment and advisory firm (New York). He served as German Minister of Economics and Technology and then as Minister of Defense in the cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mr. zu Guttenberg was a Member of the German Parliament, a Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Secretary General of Germany’s CSU party. He is a Distinguished Statesman at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and served as Senior Advisor to the European Commission. He sits on several corporate and not-for-profit boards as well as advisory boards. In addition, Guttenberg is a bestselling author, filmmaker and podcaster. He holds a German law degree and a PhD in Finance (UK).

Jim Moffatt

Former Chairman and CEO of Deloitte Consulting

Jim Moffatt has close to 40 years of business experience, 32 of which were spent at Deloitte Consulting. During his tenure at Deloitte, he held many roles, including Vice Chairman, CEO of Global Consulting, and Deputy CEO of the U.S. Through his career, Moffatt advised numerous Fortune 500 clients, and has extensive experience with strategy, growth, innovation and transformation. Moffatt currently serves as an advisor to various private equity and venture capital firms, and also serves as an advisor to, or on the advisory boards of, a number of their portfolio companies, including Icerti, and Kyriba. He currently is a board member of First Hawaiian, Inc., Digital Transformation Opportunities Corp., Optiv, a cybersecurity solutions integrator, and AmplifAI Solutions, Inc. He is Vice Chairman and executive committee member of UCLA Anderson School Board of Advisors, and is an advisory board member at the Centre of Neuro Skills. He was awarded the 2016 John E. Anderson Distinguished Alumni Award and the 2020 UC San Diego Alumni Changemaker Award. He has also been recognized by UCLA Anderson as one of its “100 Inspirational Alumni.”

Bill Shea

Former CEO DCLI

Bill Shea: How AI is making supply chains more resilient

Bill Shea served as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of DCLI from 2012 until his retirement in 2023. In that capacity, Bill shaped the strategic vision of DCLI and facilitated the acquisition of major legacy chassis fleets while maintaining oversight of the company’s growth and financial performance. His career in the transportation industry spans more than 40 years, and he has been instrumental in the development of multiple companies. In 2010, he oversaw the creation of DCLI and was the thought leader behind the 2015 creation of the Pool of Pools, the grey daily-use chassis pool that operates in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Stuart Sandlin

President of Hapag-Lloyd North America

Stuart Sandlin is the President of Hapag-Lloyd North America and a member of the company’s global Executive Committee. He is dedicated to leading Hapag-Lloyd as a customer-centric and empowered organization, with a strong focus on becoming the leading carrier in liner shipping for service quality.

Stuart holds degrees in International Economics and Industrial Engineering, with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. Since beginning his career with Hapag-Lloyd in 2001, he has held a variety of commercial and sales leadership roles across key global locations, including Atlanta, Hamburg, Houston, and Piscataway.

In 2015, Stuart joined UASC as CEO of the Americas, returning to Hapag-Lloyd in 2017 through the merger of the two companies. His experience has consistently centered on delivering innovative, customer-focused solutions across the shipping and logistics value chain.

Stuart also serves on several advisory boards, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the University of Tennessee’s Supply Chain Board, and Norfolk Southern’s Customer Advisory Board.

Jackie Sturm

Corporate Vice President, Global Supply Chain Operations at Intel

Jackie Sturm is the recently retired Corporate Vice President of Global Supply Chain Operations in Intel’s multi-billion-dollar Global Supply Chain, which has been cited in Gartner’s Supply Chain Top 25 for 20 years. Jackie is a committed advocate for value-added manufacturing, engineering and trade as the economic foundations of thriving societies. Jackie sponsors targeted advancement programs to address challenges faced by women and under-represented minorities in technology.

Jackie is currently Board advisor to Avathon, an AI Platform company, Gartner’s Supply Chain practice, and is previous board member of Aptare and KM Labs as well as prior advisor to Banff Int’l Research Station for Mathematics, Howard University Center for Excellence in Supply Chain Management, and Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Prior to joining supply chain, Jackie held various finance positions at Intel, including CFO for Technology and Manufacturing,
as well as at Hewlett Packard, Ridge Computer, and Apple.

Jackie is a recipient of several Intel Quality Awards and she has been recognized with the Intel Achievement Award – Intel’s highest standard of excellence. Jackie is a member of Harvard Women on Boards and has been recognized with the 2016 AWESOME Legendary Leadership Award, Alcott Global Top 5 (#2) Supply Chain Leaders in 2024, IBM’s Top Female Digital leaders, Most Inspirational by ISES, a member of Supply Chain Digital’s “Top 100 Women in Supply Chain” and as #16 in “Top 100 Leaders in Supply Chain” in 2021. Known for her leadership, insights, and
collaboration, Jackie has over 20 years of rigorous Financial Management for Fortune 50 players, start-up expertise, board membership of for profit and non-profit entities, and robust operational expertise including supply chain, M&A, and customer engagement.

Dr. Ronald D. Sugar

Former Chairman and CEO of Northrop Grumman Corporation and Current Chairman of Uber

Dr. Donald D. Sugar served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Northrop Grumman from 2003 until his retirement in 2010. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman in 2001, Dr. Sugar held senior operating, technical, and financial positions at TRW Inc. and Litton Industries. He serves as the Chairman of Uber Technologies, and sits on the boards of Chevron, Apple, and Amgen. Dr. Sugar is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, trustee of the University of Southern California, member of the UCLA Anderson School of Management board of advisors, and former Presidential Appointee to the National Security Telecom Advisory Committee (NSTAC). He is a fellow of both the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Royal Aeronautical Society, and also has been honored as UCLA Alumnus of the Year.

David Warrick

EVP, Overhaul, Former General Manager Global Supply Chain at Microsoft

David Warrick is a prominent figure in the field of global supply chain. He spent 23 years at Microsoft Corporation, where he served as General Manager of Global Supply Chain and Supply Chain Technology Officer. During his tenure, he was involved in every product launch from Windows 2000 to the latest Surface and Xbox products. He led multiple global teams and played a key role in major acquisitions, including Nokia.

In his current EVP role at Overhaul, David is responsible for the strategy and growth of the business and is a key member of the Executive Team. He also serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board for Algo and also Interos, where he supports and advises the CEO and Executive Teams. Additionally, David is a Co-founder and Operating Partner at Insurge Partners, a consulting firm focused on digitizing and optimizing supply chains.

David is deeply embedded in the supply chain sector, working with early-stage companies, private equity, and venture capital, as well as the Visibility Council. He holds a degree in manufacturing engineering, is a chartered engineer, and frequently speaks in the industry.

Bob Stearns

Former CTO Compaq & MD Stearnhill Partners

Bob Stearns is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Stearnhill Associates, which provides private investment capital and management consulting services to early-stage companies in classic high tech, medical science, and energy ventures. Stearns serves as an advisory member of Boards and Councils for organizations including LiquidPiston, Statum Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and more. Previously, he has held leadership positions across organizations including Compaq Computer, McKinsey & Company, and Motorola. Stearns holds a degress in Chemistry and Sociology from Brown University and a Master of Science in Physical Chemistry from MIT.

Bart De Muynck

Former Vice President Research at Gartner

Bart De Muynck is an industry expert and thought leader with over 30 years of global experience in Supply Chain and Logistics. Bart has worked for major international companies such as EY, GE Capital, Penske Logistics, PepsiCo, and several technology companies. Bart spent 8 years as a Vice President of Research at Gartner and most recently served as the Chief Industry Officer at project44. Bart is a sought-after speaker who is currently advising multiple companies and industry organizations within the logistics sector. Bart is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council, SCLA, the World Economic Forum and CSCMP’s Executive Inner Circle.

Leadership Team

At the helm of Avathon are some of the most distinguished and experienced leaders across all global industries.

Board Members

Advisors

Jackie Sturm

Our Company

Partners

Industries

Resources

Connect

Legal

Pervinder Johar

Niyati Kohler

Ibrahim Gokcen

Art Sellers

Aakash Parekh

Santosh Pant

Dr. Sandeep Gupta

Lord John Browne

John Thornton

Amir Husain

Dr. Hamid Biglari

Pankaj Patel

Sumant Mandal

Professor Dame Fiona Murray

Beckett Jackson

Tessy Antony De Nassau

John Chambers

Bernard J. Dunn

Philippe Gilbert

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg

Jim Moffatt

Bill Shea

Stuart Sandlin

Jackie Sturm

Dr. Ronald D. Sugar

David Warrick

Bob Stearns

Bart De Muynck