Infosys: campaign to become CEO?
By Bala Shah

Early 2009, Infosys HR boss Mr. Mohandas Pai (whom many call ‘Quick Sack Murugan’) publicly labeled 2100 juniors that it sacked as ‘non performers’. Senior managers whose variable pay was cut were not labeled ‘non-performers’. Techgoss had then questioned why, like the laws of the jungle, only those who could not fight back were labeled ‘non-performers’.

After Techgoss published its first article on April 13, 2009 questioning the morality of humiliating sacked employees, British tech website The Register also picked up the Techgoss story.

Mr. Pai has not been heard making similar comments in the recent past.  In fact, in September, Infosys went on record to say they had actually ‘over hired’.

After rival Nandan Nilekani left Infosys, Mohandas Pai is positioning himself to become the next CEO. And possibly step into Nandan’s shoes.

Mr. Pai is taking up every opportunity to build a higher media profile.  In late Dec, 2009, Mr. Pai even went on TV to state that the ‘Infosys brand is bigger than its founders’. Probably a hint that unlike in the past, future CEO’s need not be one of the founders. Mr. Pai was not among the Infosys founding team. At another lecture at the end of December, he told the Indian Government on how it should give cash to poor people rather than subsidies.

Mohandas Pai has a BA (Commerce) from St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bangalore, and a basic law degree from Bangalore University. He is also a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA).

Although a very capable manager and a finance guru, Mr. Pai is supremely ambitious. According to Infosys insiders Mr. Murthy’s support of Mr. Pai ensured that he virtually had a free hand in the hiring process.

Apparently, the only person who stands up to Mr. Pai within Infosys is the current Chief Financial Officer, Mr V. Balakrishnan who succeeded Mr. Pai in 2006. Mr. Pai was the Chief Financial Officer till 2006 but was quoted as saying he wanted to move to HR to ‘give youngsters a chance’. Mr. Pai now heads HR, Finance and Admin in Infosys.  According to Infosys insiders, Mr. Pai hired new key HR people once he took over. At least two members of the Infosys Executive Council support Mr. Pai.

Everyone else is either scared of Mr. Pai or does not want to get involved in any confrontation.  The highly regarded CFO Mr V. Balakrishnan has won great respect within Infosys for standing up to Mr. Pai. 

One has always wondered why such a capable manager and rising star in Infosys sometimes has a cold hard streak.  The answer may lie in speech Mr. Pai gave in Bangalore on Dec 26.  Apparently, Mr. Pai was inspired by criminals and smugglers like Haji Mastan in his younger days.

DNA reported on Mr. Pai’s speech

“
Bangalore: It is highly unlikely to hear a corporate leader like TV Mohandas Pai, director (HR and E&R), Infosys, say that as a youngster, his role models included smuggler Haji Mastan.
 
Pai was delivering a lecture on "India at 2030" organized by the Institute for Social and Economic Change at Central College on Saturday.

"Smugglers like Haji Mastan were our heroes because they were rich. When I had just graduated in 1979, there were no jobs, no money, nothing. The angst of my generation is best captured in the film Deewar, where Amitabh Bachchan essayed the role of the angry young man. No one had predicted what India would be like by 2010," said Pai.
“

An Infosys source close to the Board told Techgoss that internally it is expected that Shibulal will take on responsibility of CEO of Infosys in next financial year. Mr. Pai has started his campaign to succeed Mr. Shibulal.