New leadership will stick to mid-term growth strategy: Cognizant CEO

We have focused on high-quality sustainable revenue growth, but at the same time focused on running the business efficiently, he said

Francisco D’Souza, co-founder and current CEO, Cognizant, in a conversation with Debasis Mohapatra & Peerzada Abrar, exudes confidence about a smooth leadership transition and higher growth. Edited excerpts:

What prompted you to step down? What is the rationale behind the reshuffle at this juncture? 

I spent 25 years in Cognizant, literally half of my life. I spent the last 12 years as CEO. I am proud of what the team has built. In these 12 years, Cognizant's revenues grew from $1.4 billion to $16 billion. We moved Cognizant into the Fortune 200 (list). Our employee base rose from 39,000 to