Infosys scouting for chief to head BPO business

Infosys BPO CEO Swami Swaminathan is approaching retirement in July

Software services major Infosys today said the company has started the process of finding a new chief executive for its BPO business in view of Swami Swaminathan is approaching retirement in July.

"We have retirement policy at the top echelons. Swami will be retiring somewhere in July. So we have to find the next CEO. We have started our process in this regard," Infosys BPO Head V Balakrishnan told reporters here.

When asked as to who would replace Swami, Balakrishnan said, "Once the company decides on the issue, we will let you [media] know."

Swaminathan, who has over 30 years of experience in multiple roles including general management, finance and accounting, assumed charge as the CEO and Managing Director of Infosys BPO in January 2010. Before that, he was senior VP and head of global delivery and horizontal practices.

Change in leadership roles at Infosys is a common practice. The company had moved BG Srinivas and Ashok Vemuri to other verticals in February last year. Srinivas was shifted from the manufacturing and engineering business to head the company's financial services and insurance vertical, while Vemuri shouldered Srinivas' responsibility.

The then Chief Financial Officer V Balakrishnan stepped down from the post to take up responsibility of leading BPO and India business space at the time of July-September quarter results.

Also Rajiv Bansal, Vice-President (Finance), assumed charge as the new CFO from November last.

Over the last two years, the IT firm has been undergoing a management transformation, with founder chairman NR Narayana Murthy retiring in August 2011. Some top executives like TV Mohandas Pai, too, moved out in the same year.