Cognizant
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CEOs
2019: Change of guard
Cognizant names Voda exec as CEO, February 7, 2019: The Times of India
Ending months of speculation, Cognizant appointed Brian Humphries as its new CEO. Humphries, whose appointment takes effect on April 1, is currently the CEO of Vodafone Business.
Humphries’ appointment brings to end the 12-year reign of co-founder Francisco D’Souza as the company’s CEO, who will now serve as executive vice-chairman till June to facilitate the transition. D’Souza piloted the company during the turmoil of 2008 and helped Cognizant beat rivals, including Infosys and Wipro. In an unexpected development, the company’s president Rajeev Mehta, seen as second-in-command after D’Souza, is also stepping down effective April 1.
Humphries will be Cognizant’s first non-founder CEO and the telecom sector executive has been responsible for Vodafone’s mobility business as well as its more tech-heavy Internet of Things, cloud-hosting, carrier services and security solutions verticals.
However, Humphries is no stranger to the technology sector, and has held previous leadership positions at global tech firms Dell and Hewlett-Packard. “Cognizant is renowned for being laser-focused on its clients’ needs, developing business solutions and services that help clients position their companies for the future,” Humphries said.
Raj Mehta’s sudden exit spurred speculation that he might have been peeved at not being elevated to the corner office. The management increased his compensation significantly last year when nearly $9 million worth stock options were offered and also a $1.3-million cash bonus.
