Wipro’s Sunita Rebecca Cherian steps down after nearly 30 years

Sunita Rebecca Cherian, Wipro’s chief culture officer and senior vice-president for human resources, has announced her retirement, bringing to a close nearly three decades at the Bengaluru-headquartered IT services company.

Cherian shared the news in a LinkedIn post, saying she was stepping away from corporate life with “a treasure trove of memories and heartfelt gratitude” for the support she received during her career. “After nearly three decades with Wipro, the time has come for me to turn the page and begin a new chapter,” she wrote, reflecting on a journey that began when she joined the company straight from campus.

Cherian joined Wipro in 1996 and went on to build a wide-ranging career across multiple functions. Over the years, she held responsibilities spanning sales, human capital strategy, board-level strategy, total rewards, workforce transitions, mergers and acquisitions, organisational design and HR shared services. She also played a role in shaping Wipro’s sustainability agenda, as well as its inclusion and diversity initiatives.

As chief culture officer, Cherian was closely associated with efforts to strengthen organisational culture and align people practices with Wipro’s broader transformation goals, at a time when the IT services industry has been grappling with rapid technological change, shifting workforce expectations and increased competition for talent.

Cherian holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum. Wipro has not yet announced a successor or detailed changes to its leadership structure following her retirement.

Her departure marks the exit of a long-serving leader who witnessed and contributed to Wipro’s evolution from a domestic IT services provider into a global technology company. How the firm builds on its culture and people strategy in the next phase is likely to be closely watched, particularly as large IT firms navigate slowing growth, automation and changing employee dynamics.