Srinivas Pallia, a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience, has been appointed as the CEO and Managing Director of Wipro since April 2024. As a veteran of the $10.8 billion global technology giant, Srini has held key positions, including President of Wipro's Consumer Business and CEO of Americas 1, showcasing his exceptional ability to drive market growth. With his deep expertise in strategy development and team leadership, Srini is poised to elevate Wipro's market position. A distinguished alumnus of IISc, Harvard, and McGill, Srini enjoys hiking with his family in New Jersey.
Mr. Pallia was born in 1967 and grew up in India. Between 1990 and 1992, he earned his Master of Technology from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). He also attended advanced leadership programs focused on global business strategies and management at McGill University and Harvard Business School. This strong educational foundation fueled his successful career in technology and management, ultimately leading him to become the CEO of Wipro Limited.
With a remarkable three-decade tenure at Wipro, Srinivas Pallia has embodied transformative leadership, driving growth, innovation, and excellence. His journey began in 1992 as a young product manager in Bengaluru, followed by a steady ascent through eight leadership roles across diverse geographies.
Pallia's leadership expertise spans key business units, with notable stints as General Manager, Vice President, and President in Minneapolis and New Jersey. His successful tenure as CEO of the Americas showcased his commitment to growth and innovation, making him the ideal candidate for Wipro's top role.
A strong advocate for continuous learning, Pallia has enhanced his leadership skills through advanced programs at McGill University and Harvard Business School. His IT transformation and inclusion expertise has earned him prestigious accolades, including the Most Valuable Player and Chairman's Club Award.
Pallia's deep connection to Wipro, his resilience during industry shifts, and his passion for hiking reflect his dynamic approach to work and life. As CEO and Managing Director, Pallia is poised to lead Wipro's ongoing evolution, driving growth, innovation, and success.
Wipro has undertaken significant initiatives to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its business operations and client offerings. These initiatives showcase Wipro's commitment to harnessing the power of AI to drive innovation, efficiency, and growth.
1. Wipro Enterprise Generative AI (WeGA) Studio: This tool accelerates the development and deployment of customized generative AI applications by leveraging NVIDIA AI Enterprise software tools.
2. Partnership with IBM: Wipro's Enterprise AI-Ready Platform, built on IBM's Watsonx, facilitates enterprise adoption of generative AI. The partnership also includes a centralized IBM TechHub@Wipro for joint clients.
3. Collaboration with Dell Technologies: Wipro and Dell Technologies have expanded their collaboration to provide AI enterprise solutions, reducing costs, mitigating risks, and streamlining processes.
4. AI for Healthcare: Wipro is transforming healthcare by integrating autonomous technologies, AI, and ML to enhance patient care, streamline operations, and support genetic research.
5. Automation Strategy: Wipro's human-centric, technology-agnostic automation strategy enables sustainable change for enterprises and improves processes and user experiences.
6. AI for Energy Sector: Wipro provides AI-driven playbook solutions in the energy sector, enhancing efficiency and safety through predictive maintenance, cognitive assistants, and image recognition.
7. Wipro’s Lab45: Lab45 is an AI platform that delivers generative AI solutions to enterprises, accelerating digital transformation.
8. Wipro's AI360 initiative: Launched in July 2023, this initiative integrates AI into every platform, tool, and solution, resulting in a 65% increase in AI use cases.
9. Responsible AI Framework: Wipro embeds responsible AI principles in its solutions, ensuring accuracy, trust, transparency, and compliance with data privacy regulations.
10. Participation in Industry Events: Wipro attended the NVIDIA AI Summit India 2022, showcasing its efforts to advance AI technology.
Srinivas Pallia's appointment as CEO of Wipro reflects the company's confidence in his leadership abilities. In his first year, he is expected to earn up to $6 million, including a base salary of $1.75 million to $3 million and performance-based variable pay linked to specific revenue and profit targets.
Additionally, he has been granted long-term stock incentives totaling $4 million, delivered in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and Performance Stock Units (PSUs). These incentives will vest over three years, ensuring his interests remain aligned with Wipro's strategic objectives and underscoring his commitment to the company's growth and transformation.
Srinivas Pallia of Wipro has had a distinguished career spanning 32 years, marked by commitment and progressive leadership. Starting as a product manager in 1992, he has held eight leadership roles across locations, including Bengaluru, Minneapolis, and New Jersey. Key achievements in his career include driving IT transformation and global strategy, for which he received the Most Valuable Player Award and was named to the All-Star Team of the Year.
As CEO and Managing Director, Pallia oversees 240,000 employees worldwide and promotes an environment of inclusion and diversity. In a challenging period marked by underperformance and several leadership transitions at Wipro, Pallia's resilience, vision, and expertise in transformation are crucial for steering the company toward a promising future.
Wipro has been involved in several controversies. Allegations of discrimination, settlements by the SEC, phishing breaches, mass firings, and contract violations have raised debates over ethics, cybersecurity, and employee rights.
Discrimination Allegation: Five former employees of Wipro have filed a class action in the US accusing the company of employment discrimination favoring South Asians and Indians in hiring, promotions, and termination. Charges also include improper use of H-1B visas and biased recruitment practices. Wipro stated it will not comment on pending litigation that asks for fair employment methods.
SEC Settlement: The IT major Wipro agreed to settle a six-year-old investigation in the US SEC probe over alleged violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Wipro avoided a long-drawn litigation process and paid over $5 million without accepting the charges.
Phishing BreaIn 2019: Wipro was criticized for handling a phishing attack on employee accounts and client sys2019. Even after hiring forensic experts, the delayed acknowledgment during an investor call created further controversy regarding Wipro's cybersecurity measures and transparency.
Mass Firing: Wipro had fired 300 employees for moonlighting, which was detected through UAN numbers. This decision became a talking point about the rights of employees, working from home, and ethics in the IT industry, and Chairman Rishad Premji strongly opposed employment with competitors.
Contract Violation: Wipro is filing a contract violation lawsuit against an ex-executive who left the company to work at Cognizant. The lawsuit alleges that the executive breached non-compete provisions upon joining a direct competitor company, which could endanger the plaintiff's business interests.