Putting an end to the search that lasted for nearly two months, Salil Parekh has been finally chosen and named the CEO and Managing Director of Infosys. 

Salil Parekh, 53, a former member of the Group Executive Board at Capgemini is to take charge of Infosys on January 2, 2018, for a period of five years. 

This is the second time that Infosys has chosen an external candidate to lead its operations. Vishal Sikka was the first non-founder CEO. But he resigned in August, subsequent to which chief operating officer Pravin Rao became the interim-MD and CEO. He will now step down from his role but will continue as the chief operating officer and a whole time director until August 2022. 

As reported in ET, this is what Nandan Nilekani, said in a filing on the Bombay Stock Exchange, "We are delighted to have Salil joining as the CEO & MD of Infosys. He has nearly three decades of global experience in the IT services industry. He has a strong track record of executing business turnarounds and managing very successful acquisitions. The Board believes that he is the right person to lead Infosys at this transformative time in our industry."

Salil is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay with a Bachelor of Technology degree in Aeronautical Engineering.  And he also has degrees in Master of Engineering in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. 

The appointment happened soon after, co-founder Nandan Nilekani was named as the chairman on 25th August.  

In 2000, Salil Parekh joined Capgemini after the consulting division of Ernst and Young was acquired by the French IT services company. He helped build Capgemini's India operations and also played a key role in Capgemini's acquisition of iGate in 2015. Now, he has joined Infosys during a challenging time. And as reported by NDTV, the IT industry experts consider him to be the right choice. In their opinion, his experience in handling multi-cultural work environment combined with his strong grip on technology and sales make him the perfect choice for leading Infosys. 

Even Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy appreciated this appointment and said, "I'm happy that Infosys has appointed Salil Parekh as the CEO. My best wishes to him.”

Salil Parekh’s rich experience, in Ernst and Young and Capgemini, is expected to lead Infosys towards its future vision.