Clayton, Dubilier & Rice has appointed Akhil Johri, former United Technologies Corporation (UTC) Chief Financial Officer, as an Operating Advisor to CD&R funds. Johri worked for more than 30 years at UTC, serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of UTC from 2015 to 2019 and as Special Advisor to the Chairman and CEO from 2019 to 2020. He was also Chief Financial Officer for Pall Corporation, a publicly traded leader in filtration, separation and purification solutions. He currently serves on the boards of Boeing and Cardinal Health.
In his new role, Johri will work on a range of initiatives, including recruiting financial and audit talent to portfolio company management teams and boards and leading continuous improvement initiatives in critical areas such as financial planning and analysis. He joins a group of highly experienced operating professionals who work closely with CD&R funds’ portfolio companies to enhance operational effectiveness in key functional areas, including Human Resources/Talent, Technology, and Supply Chain/Procurement.
“Akhil is highly respected for his strategic insights, as well as his financial skills,” says Nate Sleeper, CD&R’s Chief Executive Officer. “The finance leaders at our funds’ portfolio businesses will benefit greatly from his broad global business background and industry perspective as they adapt to the ever-increasing competition, reporting expectations, scrutiny, and disruptive technologies.”
“CD&R has a well-earned reputation for driving management best practices and operational excellence in collaboration with its portfolio management teams,” says Johri. “I’m excited to contribute to a high-integrity partnership dedicated to generating exceptional investment returns by building stronger businesses.”
Prior to joining Pall Corporation, Johri spent 26 years at UTC in various executive positions of increasing responsibility, including Vice President of Finance & Chief Financial Officer for UTC Propulsion & Aerospace Systems, which included Pratt & Whitney and UTC Aerospace Systems. Before that, he led UTC’s Investor Relations and Financial Planning & Analysis groups. Johri also had senior financial roles at UTC Fire & Security, and Carrier Corporation, including 12 years in the Asia Pacific region.
Johri is a board member and former Chairman of Connecticut Forum, a non-profit focused on developing idea sharing forums that build bridges across the Connecticut community. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and is a chartered accountant.
