Murty best person to head Satyam: Kiran Karnik

The newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of the crisis-hit Satyam Computer Services A S Murty is the best person to manage the company, according to company's board member Kiran Karnik.

"He (Murty) is the best person. He has an advantage, because he knows the customers and the employees," Karnik said when asked why the board decided to pick up a person for the important job from within the company.

Karnik said this after reportedly briefing Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta about developments in the Satyam case, along with other government-appointed board nominees including HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh and CII Chief Mentor Tarun Das.

Murty, who has been with Satyam for 15 years and was currently heading the company's global delivery unit, would assume charge as CEO with immediate effect.

On the possibility of takeover of the IT company, Karnik said, "He is the CEO... We don't know what the new person would do. We are going ahead. We have already said all options are open."

In addition to Murthy, the Satyam board also roped in Homi Khusrokhan, a Tata group veteran, and chartered accountant Partho Datta, as special advisers to help the company in management and finance areas, respectively.