Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan who is widely seen as one of the contenders for CEO’s role of Infosys after the retirement of incumbent S D Shibulal, got the backing on his mentor N R Narayana Murthy, now chairman emeritus of the company.
Describing Balakrishnan as an ‘extraordinary individual’, Murthy said he continues as a very important member of the board apart from having his “plate full with several critical responsibilities” in the company.
“I have no doubt at all that the Nominations Committee will look at him at the time when they have to choose the next CEO,” Murthy said in reply to an email query from Business Standard on Friday.
Commenting on Balakrishnan’s stepping down as the CFO, Murthy said he represents the best traditions of Infosys. “In keeping with that tradition, he has decided to voluntarily give up the CFO position in favor of a younger candidate – Rajiv Bansal – like Mohan (T V Mohandas Pai) did in 2006,” he added.
Murthy is said to be the one who inspired Balakrishnan to join Infosys and is believed to have been enjoying his patronage so far.
Earlier, Infosys CEO & MD Shibulal had said in a television interview that apart from Balakrishnan, Infosys’s head of Europe & BFSI B G Srinivas and Head of the US and Manufacturing Ashok Vemuri are the contenders for his successor.