The Green Software Foundation is proud to announce a new leadership position with the Steering Committee. Gadhu Sundaram, Vice President of Application Services at NTT DATA UK and co-chair of the Community Working Group, assumed the position of Chair of the Board, effective on January 1st, 2025. Gadhu succeeds Sanjay Podder, managing director and global lead for Technology Sustainability Innovation at Accenture, who is stepping down after a year of successful service.
As we welcome Gadhu into his new role, we want to thank Sanjay for his unwavering dedication and leadership. Sanjay will continue working with the GSF as a member of the Green AI Committee.
“I have been proud to watch the Green Software Foundation hit several important milestones in the past year, including ISO standards for Software Carbon Intensity measurement and establishing a committee to focus on Green AI standards and practices. We’ve made real progress towards a more sustainable future, while recognizing there is much remaining to be done. Accenture will continue working with GSF with a focus on Sustainable Generative AI, a critical priority for our future,” said Sanjay. “Appointing Gadhu to this role will help GSF continue to pioneer innovations in sustainable software and technologies that are vitally important to the future of our planet.”
Introducing the New GSF Chair
Gadhu has been involved in the work of the GSF for the last three years and has played an important role in developing the Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) Standard while also overseeing the implementation of the SCI standard in real-life scenarios.
He sees potential in the duality of his role, “The NTT Data’s commitment to becoming sustainable by design across its entire portfolio creates a dynamic ecosystem where challenges can be brought back to GSF to shape standards, while simultaneously allowing us to adopt and apply those standards to address real-world challenges for NTT DATA and its customers. This symbiotic relationship will undoubtedly guide and enhance my approach in the new role.”
For the last three decades, Gadhu has been active in the technology field, delivering digital services to customers worldwide, but his early experiences instilled a deep connection to nature. Joining both paths, he is committed to aligning technological innovation with sustainability.
“I had the privilege of growing up in one of the world’s top ten biodiversity hotspots, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is home to a rich array of wildlife. My community has lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, embodying a sustainable way of life. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of exploring the woods and encountering incredible wildlife—I saw my first leopard at the age of six.”- he shares.
Driving Sustainability Forward: Key Priorities for 2025
As Chair of the GSF, Gadhu will take the lead in executing our strategy. Taking on a new position, he has a clear vision of the direction we should follow to support the widespread adoption of green software. He highlights key challenges: change management—aligning an enterprise’s sustainability ambitions with IT organization goals and translating these into actionable KPIs for individual engineers, the confusion around selecting appropriate methodologies and metrics, and the siloed approach to measurement.
He reveals, “One of our key focuses is welcoming the new members from the SSIA, which includes launching a new working group and exciting collaborative projects.”
Other priorities include scaling the adoption of the Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) standard by developing domain-specific SCI standards and introducing an accreditation and certification program. Building on the success of the Green Software Practitioners course, we plan to release additional educational offerings and expand the Green Software Champions program.
“We are also working to make the GSF more inclusive by introducing new committees that will enable contributions from non-members, broadening engagement across the community. These initiatives aim to deepen our impact and accelerate the adoption of green software practices worldwide.” - adds Gadhu.
Get Involved
The GSF invites all stakeholders to congratulate Gadhu on his new role.
The foundation is led by Avanade, BCG X, Google, GitHub, Intel, Microsoft, NTT Data, Siemens, and UBS.
To contribute to GSF’s governance and build standards in software and hardware, join us.
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