Quicksplained: Who is Srinivas Pallia, the new Wipro CEO?

Wipro announced on Saturday that Srinivas Pallia will take over as the company’s next chief executive officer (CEO) with immediate effect.

He will be based in New Jersey and report to Rishad Premji, the company’s chairperson, as per Mint.

He will take over for Thierry Delaporte, who left the position after four years “to pursue passions outside the workplace.” The sudden resignation of the former CEO is unexpected, particularly considering that Premji publicly supported Delaporte during the company’s annual general meeting in July of last year, as per CNBC-TV18.

In case you missed it, Wipro, which performed well during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been struggling for the past 18 months, despite its core consulting business being one of its main drivers.

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Congratulations Srini Pallia, CEO of Americas 1, for 30 years at @Wipro! Srini exemplifies the Spirit of Wipro, building trust and respect inside and outside the organization. Thank you for your inspiring #leadership and countless contributions to Wipro over the years. #OneWipro pic.twitter.com/s3xFrOm2R9

— Wipro (@Wipro) February 1, 2022

Here’s all we know about the new CEO of the IT giant.

Who is Srinivas Pallia?

2. Associated with Wipro for over 32 years, Srinivas Pallia started his stint as a product manager in 1992, and has held various roles, including marketing and brand manager, general manager of US Central Operations, and vice president of Enterprise Business in the US, according to NDTV.

3. As global head of business application services and senior vice president, he oversaw revolutionary projects on a global level before taking over as CEO of Wipro’s RCTG Business Unit.

4. In addition, he presided over the Consumer Business Unit as President prior to taking on the role of CEO for the Americas, as per Mint.

5. Pallia is a member of the Wipro Executive Board and the Inclusion and Diversity Council.

6. He holds an engineering Bachelor’s degree from the esteemed Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and a Master’s degree in management studies, as per Financial Express.

7. Pallia further honed his skills by studying the advanced leadership programme at the McGill Executive Institute and the leading global business executive programme at the Harvard Business School.

8. In May 2008, Business Today listed Pallia as one of India’s 25 Hottest Young Business Executives.

9. Throughout his tenure at Wipro, he has received numerous honours, including the All Star Team of the Year Award in 2006 and the Most Valuable Player and Chairman’s Club Award in April 2004. In July 2010, Pallia received an award for impacting Wipro’s competency ratings and influencing analysts, as per NDTV.

10. Chairperson Rishad Premji called Pallia “an ideal leader to lead Wipro at this pivotal moment for our company and industry.” According to Mint, he added, “His client-centric approach, growth mindset, strong execution focus, and his commitment to Wipro’s values, make him the perfect fit as we enter the next chapter of growth and profitability.”

11. The new CEO said he is “truly honoured” to have been chosen to lead the company. “I am excited to build on the strong foundation established by Thierry and lead Wipro on its next growth trajectory. I have built my entire career at Wipro, and I have a deep appreciation of our 78-year history and our incredible team of more than 240,000 associates.”

With inputs from agencies