John Cahill and Ram Krishnan to join Board effective immediately.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Dec 19, 2024 – Autodesk, Inc. today announced the appointment of two new independent directors to its Board of Directors. John Cahill, former chairman and CEO of Kraft Foods, and Ram Krishnan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Emerson, will join the Autodesk Board as independent directors effective immediately. Their appointments follow a comprehensive search process led by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and aided by a leading independent search firm. In addition, Lorrie Norrington has informed the Board of her intention not to stand for re-election at Autodesk’s 2025 Annual General Meeting.
“We are thrilled to welcome John and Ram to the Autodesk Board, both of whom have proven track records of leading large and complex organizations,” said Stacy J. Smith, chairman of the Autodesk board of directors. “Their appointment enhances the breadth and depth of experience and expertise on the Board and reflects our unwavering commitment to continue providing effective oversight of Autodesk’s strategy, which is generating significant shareholder value.”
Mr. Smith continued, “John brings a track record of strong leadership, financial acumen, operational expertise, and value creation. As Chairman and CEO of Kraft Foods, he oversaw the merger of Kraft and Heinz to create one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies. John also served in a variety of leadership and financial roles at Pepsi Bottling Group, including as Chair and CEO, where he was instrumental in its separation from PepsiCo and the execution of its IPO.”
“Ram adds tremendous industry and technological expertise, as well as customer insight, which will be highly valuable to Autodesk as we continue to transition our business model and optimize our go-to-market strategy. As COO at Emerson, Ram has helped to lead its transformation into a leading industrial technology and software company, particularly in complex lifecycle automation, including overseeing the acquisition of National Instruments and a majority ownership stake in Aspen Technology. We look forward to partnering with Ram as the Board works to support Autodesk’s strategic efforts to create value for shareholders.”
“The appointments of John and Ram bring further top-tier leadership and global business experience to Autodesk at an important time in our journey,” said Andrew Anagnost, Autodesk president and CEO. “I look forward to working closely with them to benefit from their insights and guidance, as we continue building on our momentum and executing against our goals to drive growth, enhance margins, deliver robust free cash flow, and create value for shareholders.”
“I am honored to join the Autodesk Board of Directors,” said John Cahill. “Autodesk has a strong reputation of innovation and industry leadership, and I am excited to leverage my expertise and work with the rest of the Board to contribute to its strategic execution and profitable growth.”
“Autodesk’s leading technology, disciplined approach, and track record of success clearly demonstrate the company’s continued strength and momentum,” said Krishnan. “I look forward to joining the Board and leveraging my experience in support of Autodesk’s long-term success.”
The addition of these independent directors is part of Autodesk’s longstanding commitment to strong corporate governance. The Autodesk Board is comprised of an independent and engaged set of directors with diverse expertise and experience to effectively oversee the execution of Autodesk’s strategy to enhance shareholder value. With these appointments, the Autodesk Board has added five new independent directors in the last six years. Autodesk intends to reduce the size of the Board by its 2025 Annual General Meeting.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve on the Board of this outstanding company during a period of transformational growth,” said Ms. Norrington. “I am confident that this Board will continue to work with Autodesk’s management team to oversee the company’s strategy to deliver long-term shareholder value, and I look forward to great progress in the months and years ahead.”
Mr. Smith said, “We greatly appreciate Lorrie’s extraordinary contributions to Autodesk over the years. Her deep technology and operational expertise have helped propel the company’s success and created tremendous shareholder value. She has been instrumental in driving strong corporate governance. On behalf of the full Board, I thank Lorrie, and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
For more information, visit autodesk.com.
