Indian American finance and technology leader Sai Cherla has joined New York Life Insurance Company as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer – Technology, Data, AI and Ventures.
In this role, Cherla, a National Institute of Information Technology, India, graduate will lead enterprise-scale transformation across agile delivery, operating models, and strategic execution, with a mandate focused on improving speed, accountability, and business outcomes across technology and innovation functions, the company announced.
As part of her responsibilities, she will oversee portfolio operations, vendor governance, and workforce strategy, with a strong emphasis on building high-performance teams, modernizing delivery practices, and aligning talent, data, and platforms to drive sustainable growth and operational excellence.
“From my very first conversations, what stood out wasn’t just the scale and ambition of the work, but the people,” she posted on LinkedIn. “New York Life truly operates as a family – grounded in purpose, mutual respect, and long term commitment to doing what’s right for policyholders, our colleagues and the communities we serve.”
Prior to joining New York Life Insurance Company, Cherla built deep transformation and operating leadership experience in financial services and technology organizations.
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She served at BMO Financial Group for over 6 years, progressing through senior leadership roles including Chief Administration Officer, Technology and Operations, and Vice President & Head of Transformation Management Office and Supplier Governance (Tech and Ops).
In these roles, she supported the Technology & Operations transformation agenda, strengthened supplier governance, and helped establish efficient operating models to improve productivity and execution discipline. She also served as Vice President & Head of Project Management Office, Workforce Transformation, reinforcing her strength in enterprise operating rhythm, governance, and workforce enablement.
In addition, Cherla served as a Member, Board of Directors at BMO Trust Co. for over five years, and as a Board Member at the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) for over 5 years, reflecting her sustained leadership engagement beyond core enterprise roles.
Earlier in her career, she was Vice President, Corporate Program Management Office at International Financial Data Services (IFDS), leading enterprise-wide project management leadership, governance, and the establishment of standardized portfolio delivery and release management practices.
She also spent over six years with Sun Life, where she held senior roles including Assistant Vice President – Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management Office (EP&PMO), leading enterprise portfolio and project management mandates, IT governance, and KPI definition and tracking.
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She also served as Assistant Vice President – E-Business Solutions, accountable for global e-business project portfolios and cross-organization delivery alignment, and previously as Director, Special Projects and Business Analysis and Director, E-Business, leading major portfolios and large-scale delivery programs.
Cherla began her earlier professional journey with roles in technology delivery and program management, including Program Manager at CGI, Project Manager at Amdocs, Production Manager at Sigma Systems, and Technical Head at NIIT Limited, where she led one of NIIT’s largest technical education centers with significant people and operational responsibility.
Alongside her corporate leadership work, Sai is active in the technology ecosystem. She is a Limited Partner at The Firehood, supporting the advancement and leadership of women in technology.
She is also the CEO and Founder of The Firehood: Women in Tech Network, a management consultancy organization that focuses on advisory and executive assignments across banks, startups, and consulting organizations in areas such as technology transformation, partner/vendor management, coaching, and organizational strategy.
Cherla holds an MBA (EMBA) from the University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management. She also did a Post Graduate Program, Computer Science and Systems Management at India’s National Institute of Information Technology and earned a BA in Public Administration from Osmania University, Hyderabad besides a Pharmacy Program at Delhi University.