K Krithivasan, who at 58 grew to become the oldest candidate to develop into chief government officer of the nation’s largest software program exporter Tata Consultancy Companies on Thursday, is a peaceful however agency chief, in keeping with his colleagues and buddies.The low-key soft-spoken government has arguably by no means been within the limelight – hardly seen on the firm’s quarterly earnings or annual analyst meets. Earlier than Thursday that’s!

“He’s quiet however a really agency enterprise chief,” mentioned Lakshmi Narayanan, former CEO of Cognizant who has identified Krithivasan by way of his skilled circles in Chennai. “Professionals inside TCS would vie for no matter achievements he has completed for the corporate silently…(as) he has all the time remained behind-the-scenes type of a man.”

Additionally learn | All it is advisable to know concerning the incoming TCS CEO K KrithivasanRay Wang, founding father of IT analysis agency Constellation Analysis, mentioned Krithivasan has had “a variety of success with massive offers, productisation and delighting clients”. “I believe the board was in search of somebody who’s a practitioner,” Wang mentioned.

With over 34 years of expertise inside TCS, Krithivasan, an Indian Institute of Expertise (IIT) Kanpur alumnus, is presently president and world head of banking, monetary companies, and insurance coverage (BFSI) enterprise group that accounts for round 32% of the general firm income.

Underneath his management, TCS noticed over 50% of its BFSI offers shifting to progress and transformation (G&T) initiatives – a key initiative by outgoing CEO Rajesh Gopinathan.

Business analysts really feel the corporate going with an inner candidate and a BFSI knowledgeable helps in occasions when the area is anticipated to undergo turbulent occasions because of the macroeconomic state of affairs.

Additionally learn | No dramatic transition; expertise pool deep in TCS: incoming CEO K Krithivasan

Krithivasan can also be seen as a market-facing candidate who will assist TCS in its subsequent section of progress.

“He isn’t the flashy CEO varieties who would need to be within the headlines,” mentioned Sumanth Raman, who labored at TCS Chennai for 20 years and was a healthcare area guide in his final position earlier than transferring on in 2021. “Krithivasan comes throughout as a gentle hand on the wheel. He isn’t overly emotional and may be very targeted.”

However again to the primary level. At 58, is he too previous for the position?

The outgoing CEO and MD weighs in on his behalf. “In TCS, the retirement age for government administrators is 65 years and he (Krithivasan) simply has six years as appointments are 5-year phrases,” Gopinathan mentioned throughout a press convention on Friday. “…once I took over, I used to be requested (whether or not) I used to be too younger; now the query is, ‘is that this man too previous?’ These sorts of questions carry on coming,” he mentioned.

So, what’s Krithivasan’s largest problem within the new position?

Shifting from Chennai to Mumbai, he joked on the press convention.

Krithivasan headed the BFSI vertical for nearly a decade earlier than he was elevated to the BFSI management in 2017 and has in depth expertise with massive offers and progress and transformation applications.

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