Guardian appoints Karunakaran Azhisur as the Country Head – India

New Delhi, India – January 21, 2026 – Guardian India Operations Private Limited (“Guardian India”), the global capability centre for The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (“Guardian”), today announced the appointment of Karunakaran (Karun) Azhisur as Country Head – India.

In his new role as the Country Head – India, he will be reporting to Michael Prestileo, Chief Strategy Officer and Chair of the Guardian India Board. Furthermore, Karun will continue to serve as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Guardian India, partnering closely with Steve Rullo, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, to drive technology-led transformation and operational excellence.

“Karun’s extensive global experience and proven ability to drive complex transformations make him an ideal leader for Guardian India,” said Prestileo. “His strategic vision and disciplined execution will be instrumental as we advance our technology strategy and accelerate innovation for our policyholders.”

“Guardian India’s strength lies in its people and culture,” added Karun. “As we move into the next phase of growth, my focus will be on building teams, nurturing leadership, and creating an environment where technology and talent come together to enable transformation.” 

Karun brings over two decades of global technology and engineering leadership experience, having built and scaled high-performing software, data, and platform teams across the U.S. and India. His background spans senior leadership roles in global diversified enterprises and Silicon Valley–based technology firms, with deep expertise in product-centric operating models, enterprise-scale transformation, and next-generation digital platforms.

Most recently, Karun has been leading AI‑driven enterprise transformation initiatives, building agentic AI capabilities, modernizing core technology platforms, and scaling globally distributed product and engineering teams. His leadership philosophy emphasizes strong product ownership, engineering & operations excellence, and talent development as key enablers of sustainable business outcomes.