Infosys has extended the tenure of its CEO Vishal Sikka by two years and announced a hefty increase in his package. In a regulatory filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the company said the board had re-appointed Sikka as managing director and chief executive from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2021.
Sikka took over as Infosys’s first non-founder CEO in August, 2014. Under his previous contract, his term was to end in June, 2019. At the time of joining, his annual compensation package was $ 5.1 million. This is now proposed to be raised substantially to $ 11 million (Rs. 75 crore), which would make him the highest paid CEO in the Indian IT industry. The package includes base pay, variable pay, restricted stock units and stock options.
The company’s chairman said, “Vishal has been able to provide Infosys a clear vision and strategy towards achieving industry leading financial performance. To ensure that the momentum that has started is sustained through 2020, the board has decided to extend the contract term and revise the CEO compensation to align it with global benchmarks in the industry. The new compensation structure also ensures a strong alignment between company performance and larger shareholder interests.”
The 49-year-old Sikka has rolled out an ambitious plan to make Infosys a $ 20 billion company by 2020. The visible changes brought about at Infosys under Sikka’s leadership included doing away with the formal dress code, increasing WFH options, and increasing maternity leaves.
Last year, Infosys had earned $8.7 billion in revenue.