IT giant Cognizant has announced Ravi Kumar as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing the outgoing Brian Humphries, effective immediately. Mr. Kumar was the president and COO of Infosys until October 2022, before leaving the company to join Cognizant the following week as President of Cognizant Americas.
Mr. Humphries had resigned from the post that he held for four years, a move that has been linked to Cognizant’s recent underperformance, including revenue decline in the third quarter of 2022. The company said he will stay on as a special advisor till March 15 to facilitate smooth transition.
Mr. Kumar worked in Infosys for over 20 years, and served as the company’s president for the last six years of his stint. He also served on the boards of TransUnion and software services provider Digimarc Corp. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Shivaji University and his M.B.A. from Xavier Institute of Management, India.
“I am honored to join Cognizant, a company I have long admired for its dedicated client focus and its track record of innovation,” said Mr. Kumar. He will also join the board.
“I am proud of our team’s achievements during my tenure as CEO,” said Mr. Humphries. “Our brand is more visible, our portfolio is stronger, our client relationships are more consultative and we are better aligned to high growth digital segments within our market. The company is in a great position for success. It was an honor to lead our talented associates and I wish Ravi and the leadership team all the best for the future.”
Cognizant also announced that Surya Gummadi has been named president of Cognizant Americas, while Stephen J. Rohleder, a member of Cognizant’s board since March 2022, has been elected chair of the board.
In the statement, Cognizant said it would announce results for the fourth quarter of 2022 on February 2, 2023, after markets close.
