Ajei S. Gopal has been appointed new president and chief operating officer of Ansys. Gopal (in photo), who has served as a member of the Ansys board since 2011, will continue to serve on the board, and has also become chief executive officer on January 1, 2017, succeeding to James E. Cashman, who carefully prepared the succession plan in collaboration with the Ansys board in order to ensure a gradual transition. Cashman became chairman of the board of directors effective January 1st. Ronald W. Hovsepian, former chairman of the Ansys board, will assume the role of Lead independent director as parte of this transition.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to lead Ansys – said Gopal -. With an accelerating pace of innovation, Ansys is on an exciting growth trajectory as it executes on its long-term plans. Jim’s vision and tremendous leadership have set a high bar, and I am committed to building on our standard of excellence and pushing the boundaries of innovation to help customers solve their most complex design challenges. I look forward to working with Jim, the board, our leadership team, employees and customers around the globe to continue our legacy and capture the vast market opportunity ahead to drive stockholder value”.