Akamai has appointed Kumud Kalia as chief information officer.

Mr. Kalia will be responsible for leading the global strategy, development, and operation of the applications and infrastructure that support Akamai’s business processes. His focus will be on creating an agile and efficient user experience for Akamai’s customers, employees, and partners. Mr. Kalia will report to Paul Sagan, Akamai President and CEO.

Mr. Kalia most recently ran the Information Services organization for Direct Energy, an energy and services business operating in the U.S. and Canada with over $10 billion in revenue.  He holds an honors degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Wales and is a chartered engineer. He was named by Computerworld as ‘Best in Class’ among the Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2008.

Mr. Kalia will be based in Akamai’s San Mateo, CA, office.