Parekh excited to lead Infosys as CEO

“I am excited to lead the company on its path of helping clients digitally reinvent themselves for sustained growth,” said Parekh in his maiden address to nearly 2 lakh Infosys techies operating at its development centres the world over. Admitting that 2018 got off to a great start for him as he began his journey as CEO of an iconic company, he told the Infocions that each of them had an important role to play in the world of continuous technology disruptions.

Earlier, Parekh took charge as the new CEO and MD as senior executives, including Chief Operating Officer UB Pravin Rao, welcomed and greeted him at the company’s corporate office in the Electronics City on the city’s outskirts. “Soon after the senior management briefed Parekh about the company’s activities and made a presentation on its current business, he addressed the employees through video-conference,” a company official said. The Infosys Board on December 2 appointed Parekh, 53, for the top executive post for five years with effect from January 2 to December 31, 2022. 

Parekh is the second non-founder executive of the $10-billion firm after the exit of the first non-promoter CEO Vishal Sikka in August following a spat with its co-founders over governance issues last year. 

The company, however, has not disclosed details of Parekh’s annual compensation, including perks and stock options, if any, so far. Prior to joining Infosys, Parekh was an executive board member of the Paris-headquartered global consulting, technology and IT firm Capgemini.

Salil Parekh taking over as CEO is hugely positive for Infosys as he is a team builder who understands the business and changing market environment, says the company’s former chief financial officer TV Mohandas Pai. Parekh being based in Bengaluru, company’s headquarters, would also make a difference as most clients visit the campuses before they sign the deals and the teams working on their projects there, Pai said. “It (Parekh as CEO) is hugely positive for Infy. They will have a CEO who understands the services business, who understands the changes that are happening and what needs to be done,” he said.