Cognizant appoints ex-Infosys president Ravi Kumar as new CEO

Cognizant has announced the appointment of Ravi Kumar S as the new CEO and a member of the Board effective immediately. Kumar succeeds Brian Humphries in both roles. To facilitate a smooth transition, Humphries will remain with the company as a special advisor until March 15, 2023, Cognizant said.

Earlier, Cognizant announced that Ravi Kumar will be joining as the president of Cognizant Americas on January 16, 2023.

In an internal mail to employees, Ravi Kumar said he will focus the next 90 days on listening, learning and understanding Cognizant's portfolio of solutions, teams and culture.

"I have long admired Cognizant and am proud and excited to become a member of your team," he said.

The company also announced that Surya Gummadi will be appointed as the company's America's president.

"The Board is focused on positioning Cognizant to reaccelerate growth and drive shareholder value," said Chair of the Board Stephen J. Rohleder.

"As a proven leader with deep experience developing global talent and building a culture of success, we believe Ravi is the right person to take Cognizant into its next phase of growth."

Rohleder added, "Brian was a resilient leader, providing a steady hand as he steered the company through various challenges, including a global pandemic. We thank Brian for his many contributions to Cognizant, which have helped to position the company to capture a large, growing market and fuel profitable revenue growth. We believe now is the right time for new leadership to fully capitalize on these opportunities."

Humphries said, "I am proud of our team's achievements during my tenure as CEO. Our brand is more visible, our portfolio is stronger, our client relationships are more consultative and we are better aligned to high-growth digital segments within our market. The company is in a great position for success."