Persistent Systems appoints Rajiv Naithani as Chief People Officer

Information technology services firm Persistent Systems has announced the appointment of Rajiv Naithani as its new Chief People Officer (CPO), effective 1 August 2025, according to a regulatory filing with the stock exchanges. The move is part of a planned succession, with current CPO Yogesh Patgaonkar set to retire from his role on 31 July 2025.

Naithani currently holds the position of Senior Vice President – HR & Organisational Development at Persistent. The company stated in its disclosure that he will step into the CPO role from the start of August, taking over responsibility for the company’s human resources function.

According to Persistent’s official filing, Naithani’s new mandate includes driving talent transformation to support business scalability, with a focus on AI-driven intelligence and people-first practices to build a high-performance, future-ready workforce.

Background: Rajiv Naithani

Before joining Persistent Systems, Rajiv Naithani was Chief People Officer at Infogain. His previous roles also include leadership positions at Dassault Systèmes, GlobalLogic, InterGlobe Technologies, and HCL Technologies.

His professional experience spans multiple domains within human resources including people strategy, cultural integration, mergers and acquisitions, leadership development, compensation and benefits, and HR capability building, as cited in the company’s announcement.

Naithani joined Persistent Systems prior to this elevation as SVP – HR & OD and is now moving into the CPO role as part of the internal succession plan.

Outgoing CPO Yogesh Patgaonkar to Retire

Yogesh Patgaonkar, who has been with Persistent Systems for over three years, will retire as Chief People Officer at the end of July 2025. The company confirmed the retirement as part of the same stock exchange disclosure.

Patgaonkar brings over 25 years of industry experience spanning roles as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), business head, executive coach, and facilitator, as stated in Persistent’s announcement.

He joined Persistent Systems during a time of significant organisational growth and transformation and has played a role in shaping the company’s people and culture strategy during his tenure.

Persistent Systems has not issued a separate public statement beyond the regulatory filing, and no further comment was available on Patgaonkar’s post-retirement plans.

Organisational Filing and Disclosure

The leadership transition was first disclosed through an exchange filing dated 24 July 2025, in line with disclosure norms for listed entities. The appointment of Naithani and retirement of Patgaonkar were both included in the filing under leadership changes, with effective dates specified as 1 August 2025 for Naithani’s appointment and 31 July 2025 for Patgaonkar’s retirement.

As per standard governance procedure, the change will be implemented following the retirement of the outgoing CPO.

Persistent Systems is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and regularly discloses key appointments and board-level changes through filings made under Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.

No Additional Commentary

At the time of writing, no separate press release or public remarks from either executive have been made available through the company’s newsroom or official social media channels.