Parekh, who will take over on January 2, was a Capgemini board member New Infosys CEO seen as determined man

New Delhi, Dec. 2: Salil S. Parekh, the new CEO of Infosys, is described as a soft-spoken yet determined man by those who know him.

And, they said, these skills will certainly come handy when he takes over the top role at India’s second largest IT company that is recovering from a year-long acrimony between the previous management and the founders, led by N.R. Narayana Murthy.

Parekh, 53, was chosen from over two dozen candidates in a search that lasted about three months and covered a wide canvas of names within Infosys as well as alumni and external aspirants. He is slated to take over on January 2, 2018 for a period of five years, according to a statement by Infosys.

Parekh had joined Capgemini in 2000 after the consulting division of Ernst and Young was acquired by the French IT services company. He occupied various leadership positions in the Group. Parekh played a pivotal role in building Capgemini’s operations in India and then, in Capgemini's acquisition of iGate in 2015.

He holds degree in a Masters Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and a Bachelors degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the IIT, Bombay.

People who know him describe him as a turnaround manager with expertise in mergers and acquisitions.

This is the second time the company is bringing in an outsider for the top job. — PTI