Hari Chandrasekaran
Houston,TX
Summary
Technology leader with 20+ years in energy trading and operations. Proven record driving IT transformation, cloud adoption, and AI/analytics innovation across generation, trading, and retail platforms. I am known for delivering resilient and scalable systems supporting growth, compliance, and digital acceleration.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Calpine Corporation
01.2021 - Current
- Spearheaded IT transformation for large energy generation and trading firms with 70+ plants, 3 retail brands and 3,000+ employees.
- Promoted to CIO in January 2021 and currently serving in this capacity.
- Established company-wide data lake and analytics platform on Azure Synapse, enabling advanced forecasting, outage prediction, and retail customer performance.
- Partnered with operations to deploy AI/ML for predictive maintenance in gas and geothermal assets, reducing forced outages.
- Integrated IT/OT cyber defenses with Azure Sentinel; aligned with NERC CIP and TSA security standards.
- Transitioned the corporate network from MPLS to Cisco SD-WAN, enhancing flexibility and reducing operational costs.
- Migrated unified communications and call center solutions from Cisco to RingCentral, improving service levels and lowering capital expenditures.
- Accelerated Calpine’s data and AI strategy by building scalable cloud-based platforms and modern analytics environments.
Vice President, Information Systems
Calpine Corporation
03.2018 - 01.2021
- Spearheaded IT infrastructure transformation by migrating Calpine’s on-premises data center to Azure Cloud.
- Took over responsibility as VP of Applications; successfully led projects to upgrade Calpine's EAM suite (Maximo) and ERP (PeopleSoft), adding functionality and ensuring a stable, modernized environment.
- Managed post-acquisition integration of retail companies—including Champion Energy, North American Power, and Noble Solutions—onto the Calpine technology platform.
- Consolidated multiple AD and O365 tenant’s post-merger; delivered hybrid collaboration and single sign-on across the enterprise.
- Executed enterprise-wide transformation initiatives and strengthened operational resilience.
Director, Information Systems
Calpine Corporation
06.2013 - 03.2018
- Started as Director for Commercial Applications; led the migration of legacy ETRM (Nucleus) to Allegro, improving business processes across the commercial platform.
- Led enterprise IT and operations across energy trading, generation, and market operations.
- Directed modernization of energy platforms, ISO/RTO integration, and cybersecurity frameworks.
- Delivered data platforms supporting dispatch analytics, regulatory reporting, and asset optimization.
- Architected and operated data platforms integrating ETRM, ISO/RTO interfaces, settlements, and analytics.
AVP, Information Technology
BNP Paribas / Fortis
05.2006 - 05.2013
- Led the project to implement Dodd-Frank regulations for commodity trading compliance.
- Championed Project UBL—a unified invoicing and financial system for Commodities, Equities, and Fixed Income.
- Managed support and operations of commodity trading systems for trading floors in London, New York, and Singapore.
- Delivered reporting and reconciliation systems tailored for commodities and energy business units.
Technical Consultant
SunGard Consulting Services
07.2002 - 04.2004
- Worked as senior consultant responsible for design and development of Scheduling and Contract modules for GMS (Gas Management Software) for Pipelines in North America.
- Developed web-based platform supporting nomination, capacity release, and confirmation for the GMS platform suite.
Technical Architect
Dynegy
04.2000 - 06.2002
- Worked as part of the architecture team implementing Open link Trading Platform.
- Developed architecture for enterprise integration between Trading System, BackOffice applications, and ERP Financials.
- Implementation of TIBCO middleware for integration between Open link and exchanges for trade integration.
Education
Master of Science - Information Systems
Alagappa University
India12.2012
Executive MBA -
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH07.2022
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
University of Madras
India04.2006
Skills
- ERP: PeopleSoft, Allegro, Maximo & Coupa
- Cloud: Azure, AWS, Hybrid Data Platforms
- Tools: Power BI, Azure Fabric, ServiceNow
- Domains: NERC/TSA Compliance, Cybersecurity, Energy Trading, Plant Systems (SCADA/EMS)
- Leadership: IT Strategy, M&A Integration, Governance, Vendor Management
- Operational excellence
Timeline
Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Calpine Corporation
01.2021 - Current
Vice President, Information Systems
Calpine Corporation
03.2018 - 01.2021
Director, Information Systems
Calpine Corporation
06.2013 - 03.2018
AVP, Information Technology
BNP Paribas / Fortis
05.2006 - 05.2013
Technical Consultant
SunGard Consulting Services
07.2002 - 04.2004
Technical Architect
Dynegy
04.2000 - 06.2002
Master of Science - Information Systems
Alagappa University
Executive MBA -
Dartmouth College
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
University of Madras
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