• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Techinformation technology

India’s Infosys Faces a Recruitment Headache After CEO’s Dramatic Exit

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 20, 2017, 10:32 PM ET
Images From Inside An Infosys Campus As Returning Chairman Murthy Revives Growths
Employees walk past an Infosys Ltd. logo at the company's campus in Electronics City in Bangalore, India, on Monday, Jan. 27, 2013. Infosys, India's second-largest software exporter, raised its annual sales growth forecast for the second consecutive quarter as economic recovery prompts clients in Europe to spend more. Photographer: Vivek Prakash/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesVivek Prakash—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The dramatic departure of Vishal Sikka as chief executive of Infosys, following a months-long public battle with the tech giant’s founders, has left the company with another messy problem: how to find someone willing to replace him.

With the boardroom row still simmering, the pressure will be on to do that fast.

The company’s last CEO hunt in 2014 was a major challenge. Sikka, the eventual choice who was plucked from a top job at SAP , was the first chief appointed from outside the group of founders. His brief was to turn around a faltering business.

Three sources familiar with internal discussions three years ago said they expected an even tougher challenge now.

“It was extremely hard to find an external candidate last time, and the spat is going to make the job even more difficult now,” said one of the sources.

“I think there is very little chance there will be an external candidate.”

The new boss will be taking on a company in better shape than it was in 2014: Sikka has led efforts to diversify Infosys away from basic IT outsourcing services into more lucrative new areas, like cloud, automation and artificial intelligence.

Infosys’ share price surged 22 percent between Aug. 1, 2014, when Sikka took office and Thursday, outperforming the broader Nifty IT index, which gained 6.3 percent in the period.

For more on business in India, watch Fortune’s video:

But his successor will also join during one of the most turbulent patches ever for the $150 billion Indian IT services sector. The industry is facing squeezed margins, Brexit question marks over European businesses, and uncertainty in the United States, thanks to visa policy changes.

Infosys’ chairman, R Seshasayee, told reporters the company would not look for a major change in culture or strategy and was confident it could still attract talent.

“There may be some people who get excited by these kinds of challenging situations,” said a senior Infosys source. “But anyone who is comfortable and doing well will think long and hard before taking this job.”

The company has not publicly identified potential successors, though the interim chief executive Pravin Rao, CFO Ranganath D Mavinakere, deputy COO Ravi Kumar S and Mohit Joshi, the head of banking, financial and insurance services, are among the top internal candidates, according to the company source.

Staying On

In an unusual move, the board of India’s No. 2 IT services company accepted Sikka’s resignation, but named him executive vice chairman until a replacement was found. Rao reports to him.

The board also blamed Narayana Murthy – one of the company’s co-founders, a heavyweight in Indian business and one of the most vocal critics of the board – for the exit and for undermining his efforts to transform Infosys.

That leaves any successor likely to continue to face a board at odds with powerful minority shareholders: the men who created the company and transformed outsourcing four decades ago.

Infosys and its founder executives, led by Murthy, have been at odds since February. Sore points include increases in Sikka’s salary, what they argue was the overpriced acquisition of the Israeli automation firm Panaya and severance packages offered to some executives.

While the board has consistently backed Sikka publicly, some shareholders like Avinash Vazirani of Jupiter Asset Management say directors have not done enough to build investor confidence.

“I think the question is whether the board enjoys the support of the investors and shareholders,” Vazirani said on an investor call on Friday.

“There has clearly been a failure on the part of the board to get the company in the situation where it is now.”

Infosys’ co-chair, Ravi Venkatesan, told investors on Friday the board would seek to settle the dispute before making permanent changes at the top.

“We will have to find ways to put this decisively to bed, so that by the time we have a couple of viable candidates, there is more stability,” he said.

Yet the abrupt departure of the man seen as an innovator in the global software industry has raised fresh questions over Indian corporate governance practices.

India will be the battleground for many such corporate tussles as companies transition from founder- and owner-led companies to entities run by professional CEOs and boards, said Shriram Subramanian of InGovern, a shareholder advocacy group.

The public row at Infosys is reminiscent of Cyrus Mistry’s unceremonious ouster in November as boss of Tata Group: another professional chief executive exiting over differences with a key shareholder – in that case, the Tata family patriarch, Ratan Tata.

“A belligerent attitude towards the founders of an iconic company will keep friction levels high and the search for an external CEO tough,” Ankur Rudra, an analyst with CLSA, warned in a note.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

How foodservice giant Sodexo is embracing AI and robotics to reshape the kitchen
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How foodservice giant Sodexo is embracing AI and robotics to reshape the kitchen
By John KellJuly 1, 2026
1 hour ago
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s AI models are back online after a two-week government standoff—settling the company and administration into a fragile truce
By Tristan BoveJuly 1, 2026
1 hour ago
Nikesh Arora, chief executive officer at Palo Alto Networks
SuccessJobs
CEO of $248 billion cybersecurity company says workers are about to face a ‘Darwinian moment’ thanks to AI: Evolve or get cut
By Emma BurleighJuly 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for July 1, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
5 hours ago
In this photo illustration, a Cisco logo is displayed on a smartphone with Artificial Intellingence (AI) symbols in the background.
AICFO Daily
Cisco is rolling out AI agents to every single one of its 90,000 employees
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 1, 2026
5 hours ago
senate
CommentaryCongress
One rare bipartisan AI bill is moving through Congress. Here’s why it deserves to pass
By Neil Björkman and Betsy BrewerJuly 1, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
6 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
4 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
11 hours ago
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
Commentary
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
By Marc AndersenJune 30, 2026
1 day ago
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
Newsletters
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
By Diane BradyJuly 1, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.