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K V Kamath, the lead independent director at information technology giant Infosys, doubles as chairman of the nominations committee entrusted with the uphill task of choosing its next chief executive officer (CEO), the first one in over three decades to be a non-founding member. An email interview with Kamath on this subject by Business Standard.
Why is S D Shibulal in a hurry to leave even before his superannuation date? Any pressure?
He was due to retire in March 2015. The board meeting prior to his scheduled retirement date is on January 9, 2015 and Shibu has offered to step down from this date or earlier if we were able to complete the search and appointment process. This is routine and I believe how successions happen.
Is it the right time to start the search process, when the company is yet to come back to a stable phase of growth and the concentration of the management should be to look after new avenues and grow the business?
As I mentioned, Shibulal was due to retire in March 2015 and we had to start looking for a new CEO. We have initiated the search now to ensure we have a seamless management transition to the next leader.
What are the chances of external candidates being considered? The company has already made it clear that the two presidents are in contention for the post.
We have clearly said we will be looking at an internal slate and an external slate of candidates and then decide on the one best placed to serve the interests of all stakeholders of the company.
What are the chances of a foreign national?
We are focused on identifying a leader who truly represents the values Infosys stands for, understands and drives strategy, and is best equipped to lead the company into its next phase of evolution. No other constraints limit the search.
What would be the scope of the new CEO, with Narayana Murthy quite active as the executive chairman? Or would Murthy prefer to shed his executive role after the new CEO comes on board?
Murthy is executive chairman and wholetime director, appointed for a period of five years commencing on June 1, 2013. His term is scheduled to come to an end only in 2018.
