Vishal Sikka’s resignation: Founders’ coup leaves a void at Infosys - Hindustan Times
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Vishal Sikka’s resignation: Founders’ coup leaves a void at Infosys

Reuters, Mumbai | ByUna Galani
Aug 18, 2017 01:19 PM IST

But Sikka’s decision leaves a void while the industry is going through a structural transformation, including a crackdown on vital worker visas to the United States

For Infosys , a new chief executive is not the answer. Vishal Sikka delivered outsize returns in three years at the helm of India’s second largest outsourcer by market value. No wonder that the resignation of the company’s first professional CEO amid an ugly spat with founder shareholders prompted a roughly 9 percent plunge in the share price.

Infosys chief executive Vishal Sikka resigns.(Reuters Photo)
Infosys chief executive Vishal Sikka resigns.(Reuters Photo)

When a bad CEO quits, a company’s share price normally rallies. Not so here, hence the destruction of $3 billion-plus of market value. Infosys investors have lost a leader who delivered total returns up to 15 percentage points above rivals Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro.

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The manner of his departure suggests the board is not in control. It said it regretted Sikka’s decision and was “profoundly distressed by unfounded personal attacks on members of our management” on everything from deals to pay.

Indeed, it is a founders’ coup. One, Narayana Murthy, owns less than 1% and has no formal position. He has been a vocal critic. Others have opposed Sikka through conventional means. Together Infosys’ founders possess barely 13 percent of the company.

Context news

Infosys said on Aug. 18 that Vishal Sikka resigned as managing director and chief executive with immediate effect. Sikka will now be executive vice-chairman until a permanent CEO is found, taking a nominal $1 annual salary.

Chief Operating Officer U B Pravin Rao was named interim managing director and CEO of India’s second-biggest software services company by market value.

In a statement, the company’s board said it regretted Sikka’s resignation and was “profoundly distressed by the unfounded personal attacks on members of our management”.

Sikka blamed a continuous stream of “false, baseless, malicious and increasingly personal attacks” that were “amplified by the very people from whom we all expected the most steadfast support”.

For months, the company’s founders have been publicly critical of management, criticising Sikka’s pay and the severance packages paid to other executives. Infosys shares fell about 7% to 947 rupees by mid-morning in Mumbai.

To be sure, Sikka was not perfect – and Infosys changed under his leadership. The old guard was conservative. In contrast, Sikka set a too-lofty goal to achieve revenues of $20 billion by 2020. A decision not to publish an independent investigation into a $200 million acquisition following whistleblower allegations was also less than ideal.

But Sikka’s decision leaves a void while the industry is going through a structural transformation, including a crackdown on vital worker visas to the United States. A high-calibre international professional will not want to dive in knowing the perils of pushing change. Bringing back one of the company’s founders would be a step backwards. And the bullied board offers no reassurance that it will stand up for whoever is chosen. That leaves shareholders high and dry.

Most of them last year abstained from voting to keep Sikka following an increase in his compensation that was tied to performance and, therefore, aligned with shareholder interests. In April, founders forced the board into appointing a co-chairman, which confused the chain of command.

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