Could not work amid unrelenting malicious personal attacks: Infosys' Vishal Sikka

Announcing his resignation as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of software giant Infosys Ltd, Vishal Sikka wrote in a mail to employees that he "could not" do his job as a CEO with "unrelenting, baseless, malicious and increasingly personal attacks".

"...It is clear that despite our successes over the last three years, and the powerful seeds of innovation that we have sown, I cannot carry out my job as CEO and continue to create value, while also constantly defending against unrelenting, baseless, malicious and increasingly personal attacks," Sikka's letter to Infosys employees, that he had shared on his personal blog, reads.

"For days, indeed weeks, this decision has weighed on me. I have wrestled the pros and cons, the issues and the counterbalancing arguments. But now, after much thought, and considering the environment of the last few quarters, I am clear in my decision," he said.

Sikka, who the Infosys Board has appointed the Executive Vice-Chairman till a new CEO and MD takes over by March 31, 2018, said he will "closely work with the Board and the management over the next few months to ensure smooth transition".

Sikka said in his mail that he had started his journey with the company with a "calling", to help reshape it around innovation and entrepreneurship.

"In 2014, we started with a very challenging set of conditions, and in the last three years, we have decisively turned things around," he added.

"I am proud of how we have upheld our values, our culture, our integrity, whilst we have gone about this massive transformation," Sikka stated.

He wrote that he "remains passionate about the transformation opportunity" for the company and industry, but "we all need to allow the company to move beyond the noise and distractions", he said.

Sikka, 50, a former German software major SAP's Executive Director, joined India's second largest software exporter on August 1 2014, replacing S.D. Shibulal, the company's last promoter co-founder to hold the top executive post.

The Board of the software company blamed its founder N.R. Narayana Murthy for the sudden and dramatic resignation of Sikka.

--IANS

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