Capgemini Exec to Take Over as Wipro CEO
Thierry Delaporte becomes first non-Indian chief executive of Bangalore-based IT consultancy
IT outsourcer and consultancy Wipro has named Capgemini Group executive Thierry Delaporte CEO, the first non-Indian to take the top post at the company based in Bangalore, India.
The Lowdown: Delaporte, who most recently was COO for Capgemini, takes over for Abidali Neemuchwala, who in January announced plans to step down from the job for family reasons after four years as CEO and managing director.
The Details: Delaporte, who also will be managing director and will be based in Paris, takes over an $8.5 billion company with 175,000 employees on six continents. He will report to Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji, who will run the day-to-day operations of the company until July 5. Neemuchwala, who has been at Wipro since 2015 after almost two dozen years at Tata Consultancy, stepped down Monday.
According to reports, Delaporte was chosen to help Wipro break out from a decade of slow growth that has lagged competitors, a trend that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A report in CXO Today noted that Delaporte was chosen on the basis of his deep experience leading successful businesses and faces a range of structural and cultural challenges at Wipro.
Background: Delaporte has spent the past 25 years with Capgemini. Along with being COO and a member of its Group Executive Board, he also has been CEO of the company’s Global Financial Services Strategic Business Unit and head of all global service lines. He oversaw Capgemini’s operations in India and led the group’s transformation agenda, including developing and driving strategic programs across various business units.
The Buzz: “I am delighted to welcome Thierry as CEO and managing director of the company,” Premji said. “Thierry has an exceptional leadership track record, strong international exposure, deep strategic expertise, a unique ability to forge long-standing client relationships, and proven experience at driving transformation and managing technological disruption. We believe that Thierry is the right person to lead Wipro in its next phase of growth. I want to thank Abid for all that he has done for Wipro and for making this transition as smooth and seamless as possible despite his personal commitments.”
“I am deeply honored to be invited to lead Wipro, an extraordinary company and an exemplary corporate citizen with a deep technology heritage built on a strong foundation of values,” Delaporte said. “I look forward to working closely with Rishad, the board, senior leadership, and the hugely talented employees of Wipro to turn a new chapter of growth and build a better tomorrow for all our stakeholders.”
Related Links:
CXO TODAY: Is Thierry Delaporte the Right Choice as Wipro CEO?
CHANNELNOMICS: Wipro Launches Microsoft Business Unit
