XPO Logistics, a leading global provider of transport and logistics solutions, has announced that Sandeep Sakharkar will become the chief information officer of GXO Logistics, Inc., the intended spin-off of XPO’s logistics segment. Sakharkar currently serves as XPO’s senior vice president – logistics technology. He will lead GXO’s global systems development when the logistics segment’s technology organization transitions to GXO.

Sakharkar’s 20-year career includes roles as global vice president – core retail and infrastructure with Foot Locker, Inc., and EMEA director of digital technology with Johnson & Johnson. Earlier, he served as Johnson & Johnson’s IT director for the Asia Pacific region and as practice head with Cognizant Technology Services in Europe. He holds a post-graduate certification in management from Warwick Business School, Warwick University, in the UK.

Mario Harik, chief information officer of XPO Logistics, said, “Sandeep has an outstanding track record of achieving transformational change for global companies through digitalization and data science. Under his leadership, GXO’s technology organization will have a single-minded focus on realizing the company’s full potential as a leader in e-commerce fulfilment and advanced warehouse automation — major tailwinds driving growth in logistics outsourcing.”

As previously announced, XPO expects to spin off its logistics business in the second half of 2021, with GXO becoming a separate, publicly-traded logistics company. GXO will be the second-largest contract logistics provider in the world, with a value proposition that includes technology-driven capabilities in e-commerce, food and beverage, consumer electronics, industrial, reverse logistics and other key sectors. The logistics operations currently include approximately 890 locations in 27 countries.