Wipro appoints NS Kannan as independent director on the board

Indian IT services company Wipro has appointed financial services industry veteran NS Kannan to its Board of Directors for five years effective October 1, 2023, subject to the approval of shareholders.

Rishad Premji, Chairman of Wipro said, “We are pleased to have Kannan on our Board. Kannan is a veteran of the financial services industry, and Wipro will greatly benefit from his leadership experience, and expertise across finance, strategy, corporate governance, risk management, and beyond.” 

Kannan will serve as an Independent Director on the board. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial services domain, including banking and insurance. He has recently superannuated as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd. 

On his appointment, Kannan said, “I am excited and honoured to join the board of Wipro, an iconic values and purpose-driven company that is a key technology partner to some of the most respected clients globally. I look forward to contributing to its next phase of growth and impact.”

Previously, the financial services industry veteran served in various leadership roles in the ICICI group, including as Executive Director and CFO of ICICI Bank. He has also served as the Chairman/ Non-Executive Director of various ICICI group companies.

Kannan has also been part of various committees constituted by the Government of India and various regulatory bodies, including, appointed by RBI as an advisor to resolve DHFL as the First Financial Service provider under the Indian Bankruptcy Code, Member of the Corporate Bonds and Securitisation Advisory Committee of SEBI, and Chairman of the Regulatory Review Committee formed by Life & General Insurance Councils.

He was also a member of the Insurance Advisory Committee constituted by IRDAI, and RBI Steering Committee on the implementation of Indian Accounting Standards. Kannan holds a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from NIT, Trichy, Chartered Financial Analyst from the ICFAI, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Bangalore.

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