Wipro ropes in Accenture's Amit Kumar to head its consulting division

Wipro

Software major Wipro on February 14 announced the appointment of Amit Kumar as Managing Partner and Global Head of Wipro Consulting, effective immediately.

"Amit will report to CEO and MD Srini Pallia and join the Wipro Executive Board," the Bengaluru-headquartered company said in a statement.

The appointment comes at a time when Wipro has been highlighting that the consulting business, led by its subsidiary Capco, has been doing well in the past couple of quarters. "Capco, has grown 11% year-on-year. Bookings are up 9% year-on-year," Chief Financial Officer Aparna Iyer told analysts on January 17, 2025, after declaring the third quarter results.

Wipro is also doubling down on inorganic expansion in the space, announcing on December 16 the acquisition of Massachusetts-headquartered IT services consulting firm Applied Value Technologies (AVT) for $40 million to augment its existing application services capabilities.

Prior to joining Wipro, Kumar served as the Managing Director for Accenture Consulting, where his roles included the Americas Market and Industry X Consulting over the last 17 years.

Kumar will lead Wipro’s efforts to drive consulting-led, Artificial Intelligence-powered growth, and guide clients through business and technology changes. He will leverage Wipro’s expertise to deliver transformative AI, data, and industry solutions, helping businesses scale and grow amid digital disruption.

“His (Kumar's) experience in driving exponential business growth, combined with his passion for innovation and results-driven approach, makes him the ideal leader to propel our consulting business into an exciting new future and deliver superior value to our clients,” Pallia was quoted as saying in the release.

With over 24 years of consulting experience across North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific, Kumar brings expertise in industries such as High-Tech, Chemicals, Energy, Retail, Automotive, and Consumer Goods. He brings expertise in Business Transformation, Operational Excellence, Engineering, Manufacturing Digitization, and Supply Chain Management.

Kumar is a graduate of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and holds a master’s degree in

management from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune. He will be based

in the greater New York area.

Glance at Leadership

At Wipro’s latest earnings press conference, Chief Human Resources Officer Saurabh Govil said it’s "business as usual" when asked whether senior leadership exits had stabilised.

The company has stepped up its efforts in developing leadership. The company expects Wipro Leadership Institute to train over 600 leaders by FY25. This would be through a combination of in-house leadership and programs curated with leading global institutes.

Additionally, Pallia highlighted that the company will not hesitate to go to the market and get leaders. "We will continue on that journey," Pallia had said in January.

Meanwhile, the senior leadership exits seem to have stemmed now, with the company poised for growth.

On November 25, Wipro appointed Omkar Nisal as its new Europe Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Pierre Bruno. Bruno was the fourth big departure from the Wipro stable after Pallia took charge on April 6 from Thierry Delaporte.

While Chief Technology Officer Subha Tatavarti resigned on August 12, Chief Operating Officer Amit Choudhary and Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) president Anis Chenchah resigned in May.

Interestingly, Choudhary, Chenchah, and Delaporte have all worked in France-headquartered IT firm Capgemini. Bruno, Tatavarti, Choudhary, and Chenchah were appointed during Delaporte's tenure at Wipro.