Rajesh Gopinathan maybe the new CEO of TCS, but he is not new to the company. Gopinath has been mentored by outgoing CEO Chandrasekaran since 2001.

“He did a terrific job back then. Rajesh is a rare combination of business and finance acumen,” Chandrasekaran said during an analyst call.

Gopinathan had joined TCS from Tata Industries and worked to drive TCS’ newly established e-business unit in the US. He was also involved in the design, structure and implementation of the new organisational structure and operating model of the company.

An electrical and electronic engineer from REC Tiruchi (now NIT, Tiruchi), Rajesh graduated in 1994, before pursuing his Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Ahmedabad.

‘Great view’

Gopinathan is currently the Chief Financial Officer and takes charge as CEO of TCS from February 21.

“He has a great view of the business. Coaching under Mahalingam (former CFO of TCS) has given him vast experience across business and finance,” said Chandrasekaran.

Gopinathan said he had big shoes to fill in. “TCS has evolved into an industry leader during Chandra’s tenure. With continuous guidance from Chandra and support of the TCS team, I am confident of continuing this great journey.” He was appointed as CFO in February 2013, and played a key role in helping TCS become a $16.5-billion global company, with over 3,71,000 employees.

Earlier experience

Prior to that, he was the Vice-President (Business Finance). In this role, he was responsible for the financial management of the company’s individual operating units.

He will need the experience to help TCS grow. Gopinath takes over at a time when TCS is far from its strongest position.

Fast change in technology adoption and headwinds in global economy has had an impact on the company’s recent earnings in the last few quarters. His mentor Chandrasekaran, though, is confident that TCS will continue to grow under the man.

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