MAYASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9NetApp, a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, announced today the appointment of Andrew Sotiropoulos as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific (APAC). Andrew will be based in Singapore and will oversee NetApp's operations as well as the company's expansion plans in the region. His priorities include expanding NetApp's enterprise storage and cloud business, strengthening its partner ecosystem, and extending NetApp's leadership in regional markets. He reports to NetApp President Cesar Cernuda.Previously, Andrew has worked in the Technology industry for over three decades, leading PAN-regional teams to drive business growth and capitalize on emerging opportunities. He was most recently Pure Storage's VP of Asia Pacific and Japan. Andrew has also served as a team leader at IBM and Lenovo. He was the Asia Pacific leader of IBM's Global Technology Services division. He has extensive experience leading organizations in Asia Pacific and global roles in both the product and technology services sectors.Andrew succeeds Sanjay Rohatgi, who will leave the company to pursue opportunities outside of NetApp after nearly four years leading the company's sales team in Asia Pacific. "As a global company, and having spent many years in APAC, we understand the importance of establishing and strengthening long-standing relationships with the region's business communities", said Cesar Cernuda, President of NetApp. "I am delighted to have Andrew join us to help us continue the growth of our business as we empower our customers wherever they are on their respective cloud transformation journeys"."NetApp is unwavering in its commitment to assisting APAC organizations in mitigating complexities and accelerating their digital transformation journeys across on-premises and hybrid multi-cloud environments", said Andrew Sotiropoulos, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NetApp Asia Pacific. "I am excited to build on NetApp's 30-year foundation, allowing customers to accelerate innovation, reduce costs, and improve agility". NEWSROOMNETAPP APPOINTS ANDREW SOTIROPOULOUS AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER FOR APAC OPERATIONSAreport from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) speculates that growth in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region will increase to 4.6 percent this year from 3.8 percent in 2022, with India and China leading the way. It stated in its recently released 'Regional Economic Outlook--Asia and Pacific' that the region would contribute roughly 70 percent of global growth. "Asia and the Pacific will be the most dynamic of the world's major regions in 2023, driven primarily by the buoyant outlook for China and India", according to the report.Based on the forecast, India and China will contribute roughly half of global growth this year, with the rest of APAC contributing an additional fifth. Further included, "Asia's dynamism will be driven primarily by the recovery in China and resilient growth in India, while growth in the rest of Asia is expected to bottom out in 2023, in line with other regions"."This year appears to be challenging for the global economy, with global growth slowing as the effects of tightening monetary policy (consistent interest rate hikes) and Russia's war in Ukraine continue to weigh on economic activity", according to the IMF. In addition, persistent inflationary pressures and recent financial sector problems in the United States and Europe are also adding uncertainty to `already complex economic landscape'.APAC growth is also being boosted by China's reopening of its economy following extended COVID-related restrictions. However, the IMF cautioned that this dynamic outlook does not imply that policymakers in the region can afford to be complacent. "Monetary policy should remain tight until inflation returns to target over time". China and Japan are the exceptions, with output falling short of potential and inflation expectations remaining subdued", it concluded. ASIA-PACIFIC TO CONTRIBUTE 70 PERCENT OF GLOBAL GROWTH
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