Letters: All not well at Infy

This refers to the editorial "Infosys still in flux" (December 24). Nobody doubts the intentions of N R Narayana Murthy or the beneficial effects his return is having on the fortunes of the company. But the series of high-level exits in the past six months, particularly that of V Balakrishnan from the Infosys Board, sends out a clear message that all is not well with Murthy's style of functioning. By taking effective charge of the company as its executive chairman, Murthy has rendered the position of chief executive officer (CEO) redundant, if not irrelevant. It is this realisation that must have weighed with Balakrishnan, who must be aware that he was a front runner to succeed S D Sibhulal as the next CEO. And for the same reason, it will be difficult for Infosys to attract top-notch talent, especially from outside the company, to fill in this position when it gets vacant. The fact is that the company does not need a CEO so long as Murthy remains its executive chairman. As and when a firm schedule is drawn up for Murthy's second retirement, a global search can be launched a year in advance to locate the right person to fill the slot.

Parthasarathy Chaganty Mumbai

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