Wipro CEO Delaporte Resigns As Srini Pallia Takes Over

‘Over the past four years, I have been working closely with Thierry and our entire leadership team on an ambitious transformation journey, which has allowed us to optimize our structure, enhance our leadership, and improve our overall efficiency. I am excited to build on this strong foundation and lead Wipro on its next growth trajectory. There’s a lot of work still to be done ahead of us,’ said new Wipro CEO Srini Pallia in a prepared statement.

Wipro has appointed Srini Pallia as its new CEO and managing director to replace Thierry Delaporte, who has stepped down from the role after four years.

Pallia (pictured) is a 32-year veteran of Wipro, and until his appointment Saturday to his new role served as CEO for Americas 1, which is the company’s biggest and fastest-growing strategic market. Pallia joined Wipro in early 1992 as a product manager, the same year he received his master of technology from the Indian Institute of Science.

Pallia, in a LinkedIn post dated Sunday, wrote that he has seen Wipro’s “remarkable resilience and adaptability.”

“Over the past four years, I have been working closely with Thierry and our entire leadership team on an ambitious transformation journey, which has allowed us to optimize our structure, enhance our leadership, and improve our overall efficiency. I am excited to build on this strong foundation and lead Wipro on its next growth trajectory. There’s a lot of work still to be done ahead of us. As we enter a new era fueled by rapid technological progress, I am energized by the possibilities ahead for our company and our industry,” he wrote.

Delaporte in a LinkedIn post dated Monday wrote he will remain with Wipro for another two months to help enable a “seamless transition.”

During his four-year tenure, Delaporte oversaw a revenue growth of 35 percent, a 25-percent increase in profit, and a company market capitalization growth of 250 percent.

“But Wipro’s incredible journey is about so much more than numbers. I came in to fundamentally transform and modernize Wipro for the future. It has been a priority to perform while transforming; to introduce client-centric guiding principles of agility, excellence, and investments in new technologies and systems,” he wrote.

Delaporte also wrote that he is looking for new opportunities.

“I wish Wipro all the very best as it strides forth to conquer new goals. We have travelled a long journey, but the time has come for me to move on. I am excited about my next move and look forward to sharing it here when the time is right,” he wrote.

Wipro, ranked No 15 on CRN’s 2023 Solution Provider 500, was not able to provide more information on the changeover in the CEO role other than a press release by press time, citing the company’s quiet period. Pallia did not respond to a CRN request for more information by press time.

Wipro is India’s fourth-largest IT services company after TCS (Tata Consultancy Services), Infosys, and HCL Technologies. However, if the list includes Cognizant, which is headquartered in the U.S. but has a huge presence in India, Wipro would be considered the fifth-largest, according to Forbes.

Delaporte, who was born in France, was the first non-Indian CEO of Wipro. Pallia was born in India.

Delaporte took over as Wipro CEO when Abidali Z Neemuchwala stepped down for family commitments.

Forbes called Delaporte’s term at Wipro a “four-year experiment with a foreign CEO.”

Delaporte “put the company through a couple of difficult re-orgs, even as Covid was raging. Most recently a growth office he’d created to land big contracts was shut down and top exits included the somewhat shocking departure of CFO Jatin Dalal, in September 2023, who until then was seen as Wipro lifer,” Forbes wrote.

Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji, in a prepared statement, called Pallia an ideal leader for Wipro at a pivotal moment for the company and the industry.

“Over the past four years, Wipro has undergone a major transformation under the most challenging external conditions. Srini has been an integral part of this journey. His client-centric approach, growth mindset, strong execution focus, and his commitment to Wipro's values, make him the perfect fit as we enter the next chapter of growth and profitability.

“I’d like to express my gratitude to Thierry for his leadership at Wipro. The changes he implemented have better positioned us for the future. We have optimized our structure, enhanced our leadership, prioritized partnerships, and improved our overall efficiency. This provides a strong foundation for Srini to effectively build upon,” Premji said.