Kinaxis board taps US tech exec Razat Gaurav as CEO, one year after Sicard retirement

January 8, 2026

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Kanata-based supply-chain management company Kinaxis has appointed Razat Gaurav as its new CEO. A graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gaurav has an established track record of scaling global organizations in high-growth markets, according to the company. Previously the CEO at Austin-based software development firm Planview Inc. and Ann Arbor-based spend management firm Llamasoft, Gaurav has also held senior roles at Blue Yonder in Chicago and in the U.K., as well as at i2 Technologies in Chicago and Toronto. He is a board member at SPS Commerce, a publicly traded SaaS company helping businesses exchange data, automate processes and efficiently run supply chains. During his time at Planview, Gaurav helped launch an enterprise-grade next-generation AI platform designed to harness the power of emerging data architectures and multi-agent AI capabilities. This endeavour helped Planview double its revenue while maintaining high operating margins, according to the news release Thursday. "I’m excited to join the Kinaxis team and return to my roots in supply chain,” Gaurav said in the release. “Kinaxis is uniquely positioned to redefine the future of intelligent supply chains. Building on its rich legacy of concurrent planning, I will champion the next generation of AI-driven decision making and supply chain orchestration, using the Maestro platform. I appreciate the Board’s confidence and pledge to lead the company in setting new standards for innovation, building lasting partnerships and creating value for employees, customers and shareholders.” It was not immediately known whether Gaurav would relocate to Ottawa, but “Razat will be spending significant time at Kinaxis HQ in Kanata, where a large base of employees and many members of the executive team are based. He will also be visiting global offices and customers regularly, especially in the months ahead,” Vanessa Cohen, vice-president of corporate communications at Kinaxis, told OBJ in an email. John Sicard, whose career at Kinaxis spanned 30 years, including eight years as CEO, retired at the end of 2024. In August of that year, the company announced the departure of Sicard and chief sales officer Claire Rychlewski – a move analysts at the time said was unexpected. In September 2024, Kinaxis appointed Bob Courteau as executive chair, with Courteau stepping in as interim CEO last January. The search for a new CEO has been ongoing since then. “After a rigorous search, the Board selected Razat to lead the company as CEO,” Courteau said in Thursday’s release. “Razat’s twenty-five years of experience in supply chain solutions, his proven track record in advancing innovation-driven growth, and his passion for developing high-performing cultures make him uniquely qualified for this role.” With Gaurav’s appointment, Courteau will return to his role as non-executive board chair for Kinaxis, the release said.