Will Wipro be able to hold on to Thierry’s 18 ‘musketeers’?
Delaporte’s exit and Pallia’s induction as CEO have stoked talks about an executive panel rejig
Thierry is gone. What happens now to ‘Thierry 18’? The reference here is to the 18 members of the executive committee of Wipro, India’s fourthlargest IT services company, who joined the firm after Thierry Delaporte took over the CEO’s role in July 2020. Now, with Delaporte gone, these 18 find themselves in a company without the person who got them in.
The departure of Delaporte early this month, one year short of completing his full term, and the induction of Srinivas Pallia, a Wipro veteran, in the corner office has stoked apprehensions about a reorganization within the executive committee—one of Wipro’s highest decision-making bodies—or another top-level exodus. Experts, incidentally, are divided over the possible impact.
An analysis by Mint shows that at least three of the ‘Thierry 18’ came from Capgemini, akin to Delaporte.
Anis Chenchah worked with Capgemini for 15 years until he joined Wipro in April 2022 as CEO of Wipro’s Asia-Pacific, Middle-East and Africa (Apmea) region. Amit Choudhary, who had also worked in the French IT firm for 15 years, joined six months later and was handed the COO baton. Lastly, Ajit Mahale, who worked in Capgemini until January 2021, joined Wipro as its chief delivery officer in February 2023.
In their earlier roles in Capgemini, Chenchah, Choudhary, and Mahale held positions of CEO for Capgemini Business Services, chief operating officer (COO) and executive vice-president (EVP) of Capgemini’s global financial services strategic business unit, and vice-president (VP), respectively.
Of these 18, six members are based in India, and 12 abroad. With the other 13 who were in the committee before Delaporte also being from overseas, this implies that 4/5th of the executive committee is based abroad. That is perhaps to be expected as Wipro gets nearly 90%
EXECUTIVE search firms differ on the future of not just “Thierry 18” but also the executive panel
SOME expect a churn, with “3–4 exits immediately, and a bigger churn over six months to a year”
of its revenues from the Americas and Europe.
Mint’s queries to Wipro were unanswered until press time.
Executive search firms have differing opinions on the future of not just the “Thierry 18” but also of the executive committee itself.
Some, like Ritu Sethi of ABC Consultants, expect definite churn. Sethi, who is partner-technology, offshoring and outsourcing at the New Delhi-based senior executive search firm, said she expects 3–4 immediate exits, and a bigger churn over six months to a year, in an emailed
OTHERS don’t see any movement from Wipro’s executive committee on back of Delaporte’s exit will be on Wipro.”
Others, such as Navnit Singh of Korn Ferry, don’t see any movement from Wipro’s executive committee just because Delaporte has departed from the company.
“If Thierry has hired someone, everyone was involved in that decision-making, and it was not a unilateral decision,” said Singh, chairman and regional managing director of the executive search firm. “All members of the executive committee are there on the basis of their performance and will be there on that basis.”
On Wipro’s latest CXO changes involving internal candidates being given the top job, Singh said internal candidates always have higher motivation. “Additionally, internal candidates know the environment, the company culture, and loyalties to those individuals are also high,” he added.
An executive of a third search firm said chances of a mass departure of executive committee members leading to instability look bleak. “I can expect some reorganization within Wipro, but the existing executive committee members will not be sacked,” said the Delhibased executive on the condition of anonymity. “We expect most of the 18 members who joined the Wipro executive committee after Thierry joined as CEO to stay. It is important they show their mettle now and perform without the person who bought them in being in the company,” said the executive.
The executive added that Wipro would want to avert another top-tier exodus and the resulting instability by talking to them. On 25 December 2023, less than six months before Delaporte’s exit, Mint reported that at least 22 senior executives ranked senior vice-president (SVP) and above had left the company after Delaporte took over as CEO.
ONE expert believes Wipro would want to avert another top-tier exodus by talking to them
response to Mint’s queries.
“We expect that as much as 40% of the current executive committee leaders brought in by Thierry Delaporte may depart in the next year,” said Sethi. “The people already there in the executive committee will take some time to settle under the new leadership and all eyes