Cognizant Technology Solutions today confirmed that Gordon Coburn has resigned as the president of the technology outsourcing and IT services company.
Rajeev Mehta, who has spent more than 20 years at Cognizant, will be the new president of the company, replacing Gordon Coburn.
An official statement from Cognizant did not mention about the main reasons for the departure of Gordon Coburn. The statement did not even thank Gordon Coburn for his contribution to the technology outsourcing company.
Cognizant faces corruption related probe
US-based software major Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation on Friday announced an internal investigation under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act into certain payments made to facilities in India, IANS reported.
The probe led the company to appoint its IT Services Chief Executive Rajeev Mehta on September 28 as its president, a day after incumbent Gordon Coburn resigned on September 27.
“The investigation is being conducted under the oversight of the audit committee and is focused on a small number of company-owned facilities,” said Cognizant in a regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The company has notified the Justice Department and the SEC and is cooperating with both agencies.
The internal investigation is in its early stages, and the company is not able to predict what, if any, action may be taken by the Justice Department, SEC or any governmental authority in connection with the investigation or the effect of the matter on the company’s results, cash flows or financial position.
Rajeev Mehta, 49, who has been with the company since 1997, was chief executive of its IT Services since December 2013.
For the past decade, Rajeev Mehta has been responsible for leading its market-facing teams in delivering growth.
“He has a deep understanding of new technologies and new delivery models, and their potential to fundamentally transform businesses. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Raj in the coming years as we execute on our Cognizant 2020 strategy focused on helping our clients become digital enterprises,” said Cognizant CEO Francisco D’Souza.
Earlier, Raj — as chief executive officer, IT Services at Cognizant — was responsible for market-facing activities across the company as well as for delivery across Cognizant’s IT Services business.
At Cognizant, Rajeev Mehta also worked as group chief executive, Industries & Markets responsible for leading industry vertical and geographic market operations on a global basis.
As COO, Global Client Services at Cognizant, Rajeev Mehta was responsible for sales, business development and client relationship management organizations.
Co-founded by Indian-origin Kumar Mahadeva and D’Souza two decades ago, the Nasdaq listed $12.4-billion IT major has its largest software development centers in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
In its previous avatar, the company was an IT arm of Dun & Bradstreet Satyam Software in Chennai and was spun off as Cognizant Corporation in 1996 after it bought 24 percent equity stake of Satyam for $3.4 million. Its headquarters was shifted to the US in 1997.
With about 100 development and delivery centers worldwide and 244,300 employees, Cognizant is ranked among the top performing and fastest growing firms globally.
