Wipro named the 56-year-old, an avid hiker who has spent 32 years in the Bengaluru-based company, to the top job on Saturday, after his predecessor, Thierry Delaporte, quit in a surprise move.
Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill Courses
“I will be a relentless advocate, urging us to focus on execution, embrace bold ideas, and take calculated risks to propel us forward,” Pallia said in his first email to staff after assuming the role on Sunday. ET has seen a copy of the email.
Meanwhile, in an emailed letter to employees, Delaporte said his task – bringing about a deep structural transformation at India’s fourth-largest IT services firm – has been accomplished. “I’m handing this over to my successor, who will drive excellence on the back of this transformation, and move towards execution of all the investments we’ve made,” he said.
Delaporte added that Pallia, who was one of his “strongest leaders in the executive team” and who knows Wipro better than most others, was the “natural choice” for the top job.
During his four-year stint, the firm has reported 35% revenue growth and a 25% increase in profit, apart from making 12 acquisitions, Delaporte wrote in the four-page emailed letter, which has also been seen by ET. “Wipro’s stock price has grown 2.5x in value during this time… Now with the foundational elements of the transformation in place, my main goal is complete,” he wrote.
Discover the stories of your interest
Over the last few years, Wipro has been criticised for its underperformance compared with larger rivals. There has also been an exodus of senior executives from the company.Justifying his work, Delaporte said Wipro is seen as a “transformation partner” by its clients and is set for future growth. In the past four years, the company has also improved its diversity and inclusion standards – the number of women directly reporting to him has shot up from 5% to 35%, he said.
Radical transformation
“Together with the leadership team, we initiated an ambitious and radical transformation like no other company in our industry has undertaken in the last two decades. We have made bold changes, and big improvements since. From defining a new market strategy to resetting the operating model for client centricity and agility; from simplifying processes for faster-decision making to doubling down on delivery and account excellence – Wipro’s position today is one of strength, respect and confidence,” Delaporte elaborated in the email.
He said the 12 acquisitions that Wipro made were no mean feat and that two of those “happen to be among the largest ones in Wipro’s history: Capco and Rizing”.
His advice to employees: “Protect your bold ambitions and big goals, feed them with discipline and attention to excellence, have faith in your company, and confidence in yourself.”
ET reported on Monday that Pallia will need to deal with one of the most challenging business environments for the Indian IT industry, shareholders who are getting impatient due to a delayed turnaround at Wipro and sky-high expectations. He will have to quickly drive large deals back at Wipro as well as retain key talent.
