Thierry Delaporte new CEO of Indian IT firm Wipro
Capgemini veteran Thierry Delaporte has been appointed to lead Indian IT services giant Wipro. Delaporte takes over from Abidali Neemuchwala as CEO – a role that he will perform while based in Paris.
Neemuchwala, who took over as CEO of Wipro in early 2016, announced his departure from the firm earlier this year, effective from June 1st. Delaporte will take over from his Paris base in the first week of July, and will report to Wipro chairman Rishad Premji, who will manage Wipro’s operations in the interim. According to Livemint, Premji has expressed his confidence in Delaporte’s suitability for the job.
Delaporte has been at global tech and consulting firm Capgemini for more than 25 years, having made his way up the ranks and worked in a diverse array of fields and regions. Having joined as an Internal Auditor from Arthur Andersen in 1992, he was first made CEO of Capgemini’s Switzerland & Austria division in 1998.
He has since been the CEO for the regions of Asia Pacific, Australia & New Zealand, Spain & Portugal, and North America. In 2009, he was named the firm's global CEO for outsourcing, followed by roles as global chief operating officer (COO) as well as CEO for the Financial Services Global Business Unit.
His vast expertise will inform his new role, which begins amid broadly challenging circumstances for Wipro. The IT services and digital consulting firm has been particularly hard hit by the Covid-19 crisis, having seen a significant dip in their business since the crisis intensified in key markets across the globe.
As a result, the firm has refrained from providing revenue forecasts for the next quarter, and has reportedly been taking significant financial measures to mitigate the damage. Some of these measures include budget cuts, squeezing discretionary expenditure, and payment renegotiations.
Delaporte takes over to steady the ship, and bring Wipro back on track to meeting its pre-crisis targets. The services sector has faced mixed consequences under the circumstances. Remote working tools have afforded these firms a degree of continuity in their operations, although cuts in third-party spending across the business environment has significantly depleted the client pool.
Business continuity will be a key immediate priority for Delaporte in his new role. Prior to the crisis, Wipro was in a strong position in India and across the globe, with a vibrant innovation ecosystem and clients across key markets. It remains to be seen how the firm emerges from the crisis.
