JDA names Tyco executive as new CEO

JDA Software Group has announced that chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Bal Dail is stepping down and that the company’s Board of Directors has appointed former Tyco executive Girish Rishi as the company’s new CEO.

The leadership change is effective immediately; however, Dail will remain at JDA through the first quarter of 2017 to help ensure a seamless leadership transition. He will also continue as a senior advisor to New Mountain Capital.

“I am excited to lead JDA as its new CEO, and I thank Bal for his leadership and impact across all aspects of the business,” Rishi said. “Our customers are undergoing enormous change with omni-channel, new dynamics in the global supply chain and automation at the edge with a trend towards the Internet of Things (IoT), mobility and analytics. To that end, I look forward to building upon JDA’s demonstrated innovation and solutions capabilities, as we leverage our partner ecosystem to best serve our customers.”

Rishi becomes JDA CEO after serving as executive vice president at Tyco International, responsible for the firm’s global retail solutions and North America building automation business that together generate more than $4 billion in annual revenue. He brings extensive general management experience in both emerging and established technology companies to JDA. He has led businesses that have delivered category-leading, mission-critical enterprise software offerings, mobility solutions and innovative vertical IoT applications. With more than 20 years of retail supply chain experience, Rishi has had intimate engagements with some of the world’s leading retailers, transportation and logistics companies, and manufacturing organizations.

Prior to his role at Tyco, Rishi was senior vice president for the Enterprise division of Motorola Solutions where he transitioned the portfolio to new application frameworks that delivered a compelling user experience. Previously, he held positions of increasing responsibility in early-stage, high growth companies, including at Symbol Technologies, where he led the Europe, Middle East and Africa theater. He serves as a board member of Digi International, is a member of the board of directors at UI Labs, and is a member of the board of regents at the University of Hartford. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from Johns Hopkins University, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Hartford and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Mumbai.

“New Mountain, Blackstone and everyone involved with JDA thank Bal for the outstanding leadership he has given the company over the last three years,” said Steve Klinsky, CEO of New Mountain. “We look forward to having Bal back at New Mountain’s headquarters, and to having Girish and JDA’s great executive team in place to take the company to the next level of innovation and growth.”

Additionally, software industry executives Michael Capellas and Lloyd (Buzz) Waterhouse have been named chairman and vice chairman of JDA’s Board of Directors, respectively. Capellas, CEO of strategic technology advisory firm Capellas Partners, joined the JDA Board in October 2016. His career as a global technology leader has spanned from innovative technology start-ups to large corporate turnarounds. Waterhouse joined the JDA Board and New Mountain Capital as a senior advisor in 2015. He was most recently the CEO of McGraw-Hill Education, one of the world’s largest learning sciences companies.