Rajesh Gopinathan, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), announced his resignation in a press conference held on Thursday. Gopinathan, who has spent 27 years with the Tata Group, including 22 years with TCS, expressed “mixed feelings” about leaving the company, but stated that he believed the timing of his departure was right.
“It’s an odd day today, but I am very happy to announce that after 22 years with TCS, I am stepping down and handing over charge to Krithivasan. It has been a fantastic journey for me….(I have been working with) 22 years with TCS and 27 years for the (Tata) Group”
“Overall it’s a day of mixed feelings for me. I am happy where we are. I am also a bit sad now that the reality of the momentousness of this step is slowly sinking in,” he added.
Gopinathan, who will be succeeded by Krishnan Ramanujam, expressed his appreciation for the mentorship of Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, who he said drove the company to great heights over the years.
“I enjoyed a lot under the mentorship of Chandra (Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran). I saw him drive this company to become one of the leading IT providers globally. The last 6 years have been an absolute thrill to lead this company,” added Gopinathan.
On having the (resignation) discussion with Chandra
When asked about the timing of his resignation at a time when the IT global sector is under stress, Gopinathan stated that it was, in fact, the most stable time in the last 10 years. He added that the decision to resign was made after much thought and reflection and that he believed it was better to step down now rather than later.
“I asked myself: If not now will there be a better time? Frankly, I don’t think there could be anything better. Therefore it made most logical step”.
On broaching the subject of resignation with Tata Group chairman, the outgoing TCS CEO said he has had the discussion of stepping down quite a few times but decided a week earlier to finally act on it.
“I have been having discussions with Chandra oft and on. In moments of retrospection, I have always been telling him that at some point I want to do it (resignation). And this is the way it happens with everybody that you get up one day and decide to pull the trigger as it were…”.
What’s next for outgoing CEO of India’s biggest IT company
As for his plans after leaving TCS, Gopinathan said his first priority was to ensure a smooth transition. He stated that he would be available to assist the company, its shareholders, and the new CEO as needed. Once the transition is complete, Gopinathan plans to take some time off and spend it with his family. He also expressed interest in working on some new ideas in the future.
“But there are some ideas that I have that I will like to work on. Gopinathan further added that he could freely work on those ideas sometime later.
