Cognizant appoints Rajesh Varrier as global head of operations & CMD, India

Nasdaq-listed IT major Cognizant today announced the appointment of Rajesh Varrier as Global Head of Operations, effective September 2, 2024. Additionally, he will be appointed as Chairman and Managing Director, India, assuming the role on October 1, 2024.

The appointment was announced as Rajesh Nambiar leaves Cognizant to become president of nasscom .

Varrier will be an Executive Vice President of Cognizant, reporting to Ravi Kumar S, Cognizant's Chief Executive Officer. Varrier will be based in Bangalore, India.

“Rajesh Varrier is a respected, experienced executive whose operational rigour and entrepreneurial spirit align well with Cognizant. As we drive further operational excellence, efficiency, and a sharp focus on execution into our business model, this role is a natural orchestration point for our India-based operations,” said Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S.

“Additionally, the job of India Chair is deeply important to our culture, and my years of working with Rajesh Varrier give me great confidence that together, with our growing leadership team in India, we can continue to build upon our already strong foundation to be the employer of choice in India.”

As Global Head of Operations and Chairman and Managing Director, India, Varrier’s responsibilities will include operations, Delivery Excellence, workforce planning, the India Leadership Council, expansion in India, and other key responsibilities.

“Cognizant’s reputation is rooted in its talented associate base and the quality outcomes it delivers for its global clients,” said Varrier.

Prior to joining Cognizant, Rajesh Varrier served as EVP, Head of Global Services and Infosys Americas, as well as Global Head of Infosys’ Digital and Microsoft businesses.

He also previously served as SVP of Digital Experience for the Microsoft business at Infosys. Before joining Infosys, Varrier was CIO and Digital Officer for Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance and founder of the analytics firm Activecubes. He holds both an undergraduate degree in Physics and a postgraduate degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai.

Current India Chair Rajesh Nambiar will leave Cognizant at the end of September to become president of nasscom . Kumar added, “I am excited to see Rajesh Nambiar's appointment as the incoming president of nasscom , an organisation Cognizant has partnered with for decades. Under his leadership, we will continue to collaborate to further strengthen the Indian IT industry. I wish Rajesh Nambiar success and look forward to working with him in his new role.”