Infosys CEO Quits Citing ‘Malicious and Personal Attacks’

The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys, Vishal Sikka, stepped down from his post with immediate effect on Friday morning. The former CEO posted his resignation letter on his verified Twitter handle adding the link to his personal blog.

The tech giant, Infosys also released a statement regarding the decision taken by the board to accept Vishal Sikka’s resignation and the appointment of U.B. Pravin Rao, the Chief Operating Officer, as the interim managing director and chief executive officer. Infosys added the board had commenced a search and organized the succession plan for the appointment of a new managing director and chief executive officer. 

Sikka cited “continuous distractions and disruptions” and “increasingly personal attacks against him” as the reasons for his resignation in his letter. “I cannot carry out my job as CEO and continue to create value, while also constantly defending against unrelenting, baseless/malicious and increasingly personal attacks,” he added.

Post the resignation, the company’s stock dipped in the early morning trade, falling to Rs. 958.00, registering a fall of 6.62% over its previous closing price on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE.)

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and others have battered the company with allegations of poor governance including criticism of their acquisitions and executive pay. Murthy has also reportedly quoted three independent directors of the company saying Sikka was not “CEO material”, but more suited to be the chief technology officer, in an email to advisors.

This marks the second time that the company has plunged into a leadership crisis since the founding members retired from the top management. Infosys, which is the country’s second largest software firm, has seen a number of senior level executives resign recently, including Anirban Dey, the Global Head and Chief Business Officer of Edge products, Yusuf Bashir, the MD and Head of Infosys Innovation Fund and Ritika Suri, the Executive Vice President.

Sikka, who took over the position as the CEO in 2014, has been under fire from Murthy for flying private charters to meet customers and setting up an office in Palo Alto. His resignation comes a day ahead of a board meeting which was supposed to consider a proposal for huge share buyback. The complete resignation letter can be read here.