Mumbai: The Board of Directors of Tata Sons, at its meeting today, appointed Mr. N. Chandrasekaran as Executive Chairman. This is as per the unanimous recommendation of the Selection Committee. Mr. Chandrasekaran shall take charge from February 21, 2017.

The Board of Tata Sons said: “Mr. Chandrasekaran has demonstrated exemplary leadership as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services. We believe he will now inspire the entire Tata group to realise its potential acting as leaders in their respective businesses, always in keeping with our value system and ethics and adhering with the practices of the Tata group which have stood it in good stead.”

Mr. Chandrasekaran was the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services since 2009. A Tata lifer, he had joined the company in 1987. He was appointed as a Director on the board of Tata Sons on October 25, 2016.

Mr. Natarajan Chandrasekaran was the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT solution and consulting firm, a position he has held since 2009. A Tata lifer, he had joined the company in 1987.

He was appointed as a Director on the board of Tata Sons on October 25, 2016.

Under his leadership, TCS has generated consolidated revenues of US $16.5 billion in 2015-16. With over 371,000 consultants, TCS has become the largest private sector employer in India with the highest retention rate in a globally competitive industry. TCS remains the most valuable company in India ended 2015-16 with a market capitalization of over US $70 billion. Under Mr. Chandrasekaran’s leadership, TCS was rated as the world’s most powerful brand in IT Services in 2015 and recognized as a Global Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute across 24 countries.

A technopreneur known for his ability to make big bets on new technology, Mr. Chandrasekaran has been driving TCS’ strong positioning in the emerging Digital Economy with a suite of innovative Digital products and platforms for enterprises, some of which have since scaled into sizeable new businesses.

He was also appointed as a Director on the board of India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India in 2016. He has served as the Chairperson of the IT Industry Governors’ at the WEF, Davos in 2015-16. He has been playing an active role in the Indo – US and India – UK CEO Forums. He is also part of India’s business taskforces for Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan and Malaysia. He served as the chairman of NASSCOM, the apex trade body for IT services firms in India in 2012-13 and continues to be a member of its governing Executive Council. Mr. Chandrasekaran has received several awards and recognition in the business community. Recently he was awarded “Business Leader award” at the ET Awards for Corporate Excellence 2016. He also awarded Qimpro Platinum Standard Award 2015 (Business) and Business Today’s Best CEO 2015 (IT & ITEs). He was voted the ‘Best CEO’ for the fifth consecutive year by the Institutional Investor’s 2015 Annual All-Asia Executive Team rankings. During 2014 was voted as one of CNBC TV 18 – ‘Indian Business Icons’. He was also awarded CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2014 in business category. Mr. Chandrasekaran was presented with the “Best CEO for 2014” by Business Today for the second consecutive year. He has also received the Medal of the City of Amsterdam – Frans Banninck Coqc – in recognition of his endeavour to promote trade and economic relations between Amsterdam and India.

Mr. Chandrasekaran was conferred with the honorary doctorate by JNTU, Hyderabad, India (2014). He has received Honorary Doctorate from Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Netherland’s top private business school (2013). He has also been conferred honorary degrees by many Indian universities such as the Gitam University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (2013), KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha (2012); and the SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (2010). Mr. Chandrasekaran joined the company in 1987 after completing Masters in Computer Applications from Regional Engineering College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu.

Beyond the office, Mr. Chandrasekaran is an avid photographer, and a passionate long-distance runner who has completed several marathons around the world including Amsterdam, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, Mumbai, New York, Prague, Stockholm, Salzburg and Tokyo. Born in 1963, he lives in Mumbai, with his wife, Lalitha, and son, Pranav.

On his appointment as the Chairman of Tata Sons, Mr. N. Chandrasekaran has said:

“I am humbled and honoured to be chosen to lead a truly great institution that occupies a unique position in the hearts of people in India and the world. I am proud to have been part of the Tata family for over 30 years and assuming this position is a great privilege.

“I want to thank the Tata Sons Board and Mr. Ratan N. Tata for their confidence in me to lead this trusted institution that has a rich heritage.

“At the Tata group, we are at an inflection point. I am aware that this role comes with huge responsibilities. It will be my endeavour to help progress the group with the ethos, ethics and values that the Tata group has been built on.”

DeshGujarat