Gentle but firm, consultative yet decisive, thoughtful yet action-oriented?that?s how Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy described S Gopalakrishnan, when he first took over as the CEO of Infosys. Give it to his genteel ways, Kris, as Gopalakrishnan is widely known, didn?t appear to be as charismatic as his predecessors?Murthy and Nandan Nilekani when he took over the reigns of Infosys from Nilekani. But, the 52-year-old from Kerala quickly proved his mettle.
Kris is one of the seven founders of Infosys, which was set up in 1981 with a meagre Rs 10,000. A master in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kris began his career at Patni Computer Systems in 1979. But two years later, he joined Murthy, Nilekani and four others to set up Infosys, which is today India?s second largest software company in terms of sales.
?The environment was totally different at that time. It took us 23 years to get to the first billion, and just 23 months to the second billion,? says Kris. He admits that when Infosys was founded, no one had thought that it would become the face of the Indian IT industry one day. ?As you grow larger, your goals also change. Every five years or so, we look at where we have reached and then make projections about what?s possible to achieve in the future,? he adds.
Before taking over as the CEO and managing director of Infosys, Kris held several top ranking positions at Infosys, including that of chief operating officer, president and joint managing director. Since his past responsibilities included customer services, technology, investments and acquisitions, Kris is well prepared for his present role.
Apart from looking up to Murthy for his leadership, vision and commitment to Infosys, soft spoken Kris admires Bill Gates for creating Microsoft and his vision for the PC, and Mahatma Gandhi for his vision for India.
Handling the top job at Infosys, Kris is not left with much time to pursue personal interests. However, in his spare time he could be found in the company of books. Though he doesn?t have a favourite, he likes to read novels, including John Grisham’s court room dramas along with books of general interest and history. These days, he is indulging in Ramachandra Guha’s India After Gandhi and is just beginning to read The Black Swan.
Though it?s more of a pastime, yet Kris reads more to remain abreast with the latest. ?We are in the technology business. I make sure that everyday I spare at least an hour for reading. I prefer reading business and technology related stuff, about people?s experiences, their accomplishments in life and the challenges,? he says.
For someone at his position, it would be difficult to completely separate personal and professional life. But, Kris impresses again with a unique strategy. ?You kind of segment your life in different compartments. When you are at home, you try and give 100% to your family and when you are at work, you give 100% to work,? says Kris. He is married and has an eight-year-old daughter. His wife is aligned with the Infosys foundation as one of the trustees.
Starting his day as early as 7.30 AM, he leaves office around 8 PM. ?I try not to bring work home. But given the 24X7 nature of our business, I can?t help it sometimes. We have clients in different parts of the world. So, sometimes if there is an important call or emergency, I have to handle it,? he says matter-of-factly.
Though travelling is his hobby, he doesn’t like hectic travelling. A nature lover, Kris is one of those who go to one place and just relax. Like books, he doesn?t have any favourite destinations, either. So he takes two vacations every year and tries different locations. ?But, my daughter wants to go to Disneyland every year. So I have to accommodate that occasionally,? he smiles.
Though Kris comes across as a serious person, he is as crazy about cricket and movies, as any other Indian. He likes watching tennis and Twenty20 cricket excites him. But, again time plays spoilt sport. ?Sometimes I watch movies at home on DVDs or in the flights nowadays,? he says.
Kris says his family understands all this. But life for him has changed in many other ways since he took over Infosys. There is a lot more external interface. ?To top it all, internally also, there is an expectation that ultimately the decision would be taken by me as the CEO,? he sighs. But, something that has not changed much is his relationship with Nilekani and Murthy. ?They are always available whenever I need them. So that?s the best thing for me,? he says. The three are good friends and so are their families. ?There is a lot of give and take. We have similar values because of our middle-class upbringing. Our aim is to make Infosys more successful. Individual ambitions come later. Infosys comes first for all of us,? thumps Kris.
As far as his leadership style is concerned, Kris believes in delegating, especially in areas, which he knows are not his points of strength. For example, he lets Infosys CFO Balakrishnan take the lead in financial matters. When it comes to customers and technology, he trusts his decision-making. If he knows his strengths, Kris is also well aware of his weaknesses. ?Sometimes you get emotionally involved and lose your subjectivity, that?s a weakness,? he admits. He doesn?t hesitate in admitting that stepping into the shoes of Murthy and Nilekani was not easy. He adds modestly, ?Leadership at Infosys is very down-to-earth. That?s part of the organisation?s values.? It?s a characteristic that is very well ingrained in Kris, too!
Interestingly, Kris earlier aspired to become a doctor. It was only after pursuing post graduation in physics from IIT, Madras, that he got introduced to computers. Kris considers himself a lucky man. ?I got some lucky breaks. There is no doubt about it. There are a lot of other people who are hardworking and maybe more smarter than I am,? he says.
Blessed with a cool head, Kris generally doesn?t get upset while at work. Would he like to change something about himself? He replies in negative. But, given a chance, he would like to see the state of infrastructure in the country changed. ?When everybody knows it needs to be done, why can?t we all agree to do it? Why does it take so much time?? he asks. Education is another issue that he is passionate about. ?I will try to work on initiatives that can lead to better education,? says an optimistic Kris.
So what is his opinion of his achievements? ?What I have achieved through Infosys is significant. I need to build upon that. Infy?s success will be my success now,? he says. For the man who has lived with the dream called Infosys for 27 years now, it?s time to focus on larger deals and map new geographies. And he is already at it!
fact file
* S Gopalakrishnan, 52, is one of the seven founders of Infosys, which was set up in 1981.
* A master in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kris began his career at Patni Computer Systems in 1979.
* Two years later, he joined Murthy, Nilekani and others to set up Infosys
* Kris served as the chief operating officer of Infosys since April 2002 and as the president and joint managing director since August 2006
* Infosys is the second largest software company of India in terms of sales and is listed on the NASDAQ