o9 Solutions, a leading software company that is powering enterprise planning and decisioning models across 30-plus industry verticals with its groundbreaking Digital Brain platform, today announced the promotion of Dr. Ashwin Rao, a multi-faceted leader with experiences across Wall Street, industry and academia, to the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Dr. Rao's appointment signals o9's commitment to the breakthrough innovations it is pioneering to transform enterprise decision-making for the new normal of VUCA in the age of AI.
Dr. Ashwin Rao promoted to CTO at o9 Solutions.
Leads APEX (Agile, Adaptive, Autonomous Planning & Execution) innovation.
Pioneering neuro-symbolic AI combining neural networks with Enterprise Knowledge Graph.
Previously held executive positions at QXO, Target, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley.
Adjunct professor at Stanford University teaching AI and reinforcement learning.
o9 serves 30+ industry verticals with Digital Brain platform.
o9's original breakthrough 10x innovation – the Digital Brain platform – was designed to optimize enterprise value by bridging functional, process and knowledge silos. APEX builds on this innovation, recognizing that the next big 10x problem to solve is making change simpler, and transformations faster and more reliable. APEX is powered by a scientific knowledge-powered method and model that understands the complexity of enterprise business models, with powerful "Adaptive" capabilities that are constantly learning and identifying where and why value leakages occur.
Rao, who operates at the intersection of AI, deep domain expertise, and industry experience, has already made immeasurable contributions to the advancement of APEX since joining o9 in November 2025 as Executive Vice President, Next-Gen AI and Technology. His pioneering work in neuro-symbolic AI – combining the pattern recognition of neural networks with the structured, domain-specific intelligence of o9's Enterprise Knowledge Graph – is the differentiated, proven technology powering the APEX model.
Dr. Ashwin Rao stated: "Enterprise decision-making has never been more complex, or more volatile. By combining the power of neuro-symbolic AI with deep industry and enterprise domain knowledge, APEX is systematically transforming how enterprises detect risks and opportunities, plan, decide, execute and learn at scale. This is the future of enterprise intelligence, and I am thrilled to step into the CTO role at such a pivotal moment for o9."
Chakri Gottemukkala, Executive Chairman, Co-Founder and CEO of o9 Solutions, stated: "Ashwin is an outstanding technologist because he understands the constraints and opportunities for true business value generation. His conviction in neuro-symbolic AI, combined with an approach that connects vision to daily practical innovation and execution, will increase o9's value creation potential and speed for our customers."
Previously, Rao held executive positions at QXO, Target, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. He is currently an adjunct professor at Stanford University's Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, where he researches in the field of reinforcement learning and teaches graduate-level courses in AI.
About o9 Solutions
o9 Solutions is a leading Enterprise Knowledge and AI-powered platform helping companies build Agile, Adaptive & Autonomous Planning & Execution Models for transforming enterprise decision-making in environments of rising volatility and uncertainty. o9 brings together game-changing technology innovations — including enterprise knowledge graph modeling, big data analytics, advanced algorithms, neuro-symbolic agentic AI, and innovative management methods — to transform decision-making speed and intelligence.
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