His appointment will be effective from
April 1, 2019. Following his appointment, Francisco D'Souza, who co-founded
Cognizant and has served as CEO since 2007, will serve as full-time Executive
Vice Chairman.
Information technology company Cognizant has
announced that it has named Brian Humphries, currently the CEO of Vodafone
Business, as its CEO and a member of the Board of Directors. Humphries'
appointments will be effective April 1, 2019.
Following Humphries' appointment, Francisco
D'Souza, who co-founded Cognizant and has served as CEO since 2007, will serve
as full-time Executive Vice Chairman to facilitate the transition through June
30, 2019. Thereafter, he will remain on the Board as Vice Chairman.
As CEO of Vodafone Business, Humphries has been
responsible for its global enterprise, consisting of all business-to-business
fixed and mobile customers, as well as Vodafone's Internet of Things,
Cloud-Hosting, Carrier Services and Security Solutions.
Vodafone Business is part of Vodafone Group, one
of the world's largest telecommunications companies. During his time leading
Vodafone Business, the division accounted for nearly a third of the Vodafone
Group's service revenue with approximately €12 billion in sales globally.
Humphries previously held leadership positions at global technology leaders
Dell and Hewlett-Packard.
"With a strong track record of success
across different companies, cultures and roles, Brian is the right executive to
lead Cognizant and build on its 25 years of growth, success and
innovation," said Michael Patsalos-Fox, Cognizant's Chairman of the Board.
"Our industry is entering a dynamic new growth stage. Brian is a broadly
experienced technology executive with a proven track record of driving
enterprise-wide transformation through focused execution, often in challenging
and highly competitive market segments. Brian brings a global perspective and a
keen knowledge of our businesses and the technologies with which we innovate.
We're confident he has the ideas, energy, ambition and insights to extend the
remarkable track record of success under Frank's leadership."
"It is an honor and a privilege to join
Cognizant, which has been at the forefront of the digital revolution – driving
innovative and transformational change for many of the largest enterprises in
the world," said Humphries.
"Cognizant is renowned for being
laser-focused on its clients' needs, developing business solutions and services
that help clients position their companies for the future. I look forward to
building on the great work and collaboration Cognizant has with clients, the
development of innovative solutions and its operational execution and strength.
The opportunity to lead Cognizant is an exciting one."
D'Souza said, "During my 25 years at
Cognizant, including the last 12 as CEO, and the last seven months as Vice
Chairman, I've had a bird's-eye view of the world-changing technology
revolution that is reshaping how we work, live and play. Cognizant has been
fortunate to play a leading role in that transformation. While I have enjoyed
serving as CEO, I believe this is the right time for me to step aside and for
the Company to name a new leader to build on the strong foundations we've
created and take Cognizant into the future."
D'Souza added, "The Company has the strategy
and people in place to continue to deliver innovative technologies and
solutions that help our customers realize their full potential in a digital
world. I know Brian will help Cognizant deliver on its commitments to our
clients and continue to build value for our shareholders. I am committed to
continuing to support Cognizant as we make this transition and beyond as Vice
Chairman of the Board. I want to thank Michael Patsalos-Fox and our fellow
Board members for their support and my many colleagues for their engagement and
hard work, which have made Cognizant the success it is today."
Brian Humphries' Experience and Expertise
Brian Humphries joined Vodafone from Dell where
he most recently held the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of
its Infrastructure Solutions Group, based in Boston and Geneva. Previously, he
was President of Dell's Global Enterprise Solutions, a group with approximately
$15 billion in revenue, and before that he was Vice President and General
Manager, EMEA Enterprise Solutions.
Before joining Dell, Humphries was with
Hewlett-Packard where his roles included Senior Vice President, Emerging
Markets; Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development; and Chief
of Staff to the Chairman and Chief Executive. He also served as Chief Financial
Officer of HP Services. The early part of his career was spent with Compaq and
Digital Equipment Corporation.
He received his Bachelors of Business
Administration with Honors, from the University of Ulster in 1996.
Source: People matters 07 Feb, 2019
