The data storage, infrastructure, and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. , Hitachi Vantara,  has announced that Ayman Abouelwafa has joined the company as its new chief technology officer (CTO), effective immediately. In this role, Abouelwafa will be responsible for identifying and evaluating emerging technologies and executing a forward-looking roadmap that aligns with the business strategy. Abouelwafa reports directly to Sheila Rohra, Hitachi Vantara’s chief executive officer, and will serve on the company’s executive committee.

“Hitachi Vantara is on a path to grow aggressively and become the number one hybrid cloud company,” said Rohra. “With the addition of Ayman to our leadership team, we are taking an important step in building the foundation for future growth. Ayman is a true visionary who brings a deep understanding of market trends and a fundamental awareness of the role that emerging technology can play in addressing current and future challenges. I look forward to working with Ayman as we look to innovate, accelerate growth, and drive market leadership.”

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A nearly 30-year storage and technology veteran, Abouelwafa was most recently the CTO in the Hewlett Packard Enterprise storage group responsible for driving the commercialisation of technologies and intellectual property, managing strategic research, and leading advanced development programmes focused on next-generation data storage platforms and software. As an HPE fellow, he worked across HPE to drive innovative technical solutions and identify the trends that helped shape technology and business strategies. Abouelwafa has multiple patents and publications covering a variety of storage systems architecture and technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer control, a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer engineering, and a Master of Business Administration.

“Hitachi Vantara represents the gold standard in data storage and hybrid cloud management and is a company that is well poised to continue driving transformative change in the market,” said Abouelwafa. “I look forward to working closely with this incredibly talented team of industry leaders to develop and execute a growth plan that leverages emerging technologies like generative AI to meet customers’ demands – both today and in the future.”