ST Engineering iDirect CTO Sridhar Kuppanna

ST Engineering iDirect has named CTO Sridhar Kuppanna as CEO to succeed Don Claussen in leading the company. 

Claussen had served as ST Engineering iDirect CEO for about three years. The company did not provide an explanation for the change in leadership. 

Kuppanna has been with ST Engineering iDirect for two and a half years. He is credited with leading development of the company’s technology roadmap and product strategy, including advances in cloud‑native, multi‑orbit connectivity, AI‑driven network automation and 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN). 

Kuppanna is set to oversee the company’s Intuition-led modernization strategy, execution and delivery. Intuition is the company’s cloud-native, multi-orbit ground segment architecture. 

“Sridhar’s leadership and deep technical insight will accelerate our modernization strategy and strengthen our commitment to open, interoperable, software‑driven solutions. His vision for cloud‑native, multi‑orbit, and AI‑enabled innovation aligns directly with where our customers are headed and where the industry is moving,” ST Engineering iDirect Chief Marketing Officer Julie Bettinger said in a statement on LinkedIn. 

This comes after parent company ST Engineering reported in November that the business assessed a $667 million impairment charge last year. ST Engineering cited Starlink gaining market share and consolidation among other satellite operators as factors leading to a weaker operating environment.

In a February update, ST Engineering said the segment will deliver year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter of 2026, and the business achieved $43 million in annualized savings from cost cutting measures.