LOUISVILLE, KY. – Goodwill Industries of Kentucky has hired Gauri Bhalerao to be its vice president of information technology. Bhalerao joins Goodwill after a decade at Yum! Brands, Inc., in Louisville, where she most recently held the position of director of global applications.
As the VP of IT, Bhalerao is responsible for establishing the organization’s vision for technology, driving innovative technology solutions and developing a forward-thinking IT strategy, as well as lead both system/application- and infrastructure-related projects. Bhalerao is accountable for defining short- and long-term strategic priorities for Goodwill and establishing and executing IT strategy that paves the way for business success and aligns with the nonprofit’s mission and goals.
Furthermore, the purpose of Bhalerao’s role is to secure data for decision-making and deliver a stable IT environment and enterprise-level network. Bhalerao reports to Mark Hohmann, Goodwill’s chief financial officer, and is a significant part of the executive leadership team.
For Yum! Brands, Bhalerao most recently served as the director of global applications from 2022-2023. In that role, Bhalerao managed a team of technologists to drive strategy and innovation of several global applications and platforms. Over a decade spanning 2013-2023, Bhalerao held several management and senior management positions of increasing responsibility before being named director of global applications.
Bhalerao obtained a Master of Computer Science from the University of Louisville, a Master of Computer Management from Pune University in India and a Bachelor of Science in Physics, Chemistry and Math from Nagpur University in India. Bhalerao is the cofounder and chair of the Women in Technology Employee Resource Group, a speaker, mentor and member of the organizing committee for ROCK IT, a women-in-technology conference in Louisville and is a board member at Actors Theatre.
About Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 100-year-old nonprofit organization that operates in 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The organization is committed to using resources from its 67 retail stores to help build pathways out of poverty for individuals who need a hand up in life. In 2022, Goodwill helped place 2,368 Kentuckians into jobs with 877 of its employer partners and inside its own retail stores. Goodwill uses approximately 90 cents from every dollar generated in its retail stores to operate programs and services that help Kentucky’s hardest-to-serve job seekers build the life they desire.