A day after announcing his resignation as the Chief Executive Officer of Tata Consultancy Services, Rajesh Gopinathan said he is now feeling “lighter and happier”.
“I had made a decision that the day my mind is not fully into the job I will step down. This is not a seat where I think about my future, this is a seat where I have to think about the future of TCS. The moment the mind wanders to my future, I knew it was better to have someone else sit on this seat,” Gopinathan said at a press conference in Mumbai.
“I have never allowed myself to think about something else while I’m sitting here (as the CEO). Every waking minute I have only thought about TCS. So, it is appropriate that when the mind starts wandering, it is best that you say ok (and) this is the best time to hand it over and then do what it takes to make sure that it is smooth. And you have all the time in the world to think about whatever else that you want to do,” he said.
Gopinathan on Thursday decided to step down as the MD & CEO of TCS six years after taking over the job when N Chandrasekaran was elevated as the Chairman of Tata Sons. Appraising Gopinathan’s CEO stint, Pareekh Jain, an IT expert said, “Managing such a large ship is an achievement in itself. Gopinathan maintained continuity and stability for the firm through some highly uncertain times. From managing the Covid crisis to the headwinds for the tech industry in recent times, Gopinathan has consistently delivered growth for the company, routinely bringing large deals. During his tenure as the CEO of the firm, TCS’ revenue has grown by $10 billion and the market cap for the company has increased by $70 billion.”
‘No clue’
On his future plans, Gopinathan said he has “no clue” at this point but he would explore his options once he exits from TCS.
K Krithivasan has been named as the CEO designate. Krithivasan is presently President and Global Head of the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) business group at TCS. On the matter of transition, Krithivasan added that he will learn the ropes for other verticals of the IT behemoth in collaboration with Gopinathan. Krithivasan will be moving to Mumbai from Chennai for the role.
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Published on March 17, 2023
