Infosys picks HR head for IT services arm

Bengaluru: Infosys Ltd has appointed Richard Lobo as the head of human resources of its IT services unit, even as India’s second-largest software services exporter continues with its search for a global HR head.

Lobo was formerly the head of HR for a few industry practices of Infosys.

Bengaluru-based Infosys generates more than 90% of its revenue from IT services, which employs close to 160,000 of the company’s total 180,000 workforce.

The company gets 5% business from Edgeverve, its products and platforms division, and the remaining from Infosys BPO, the back-office unit of the company and its subsidiaries.

Infosys has HR heads for both Edgeverve and Infosys BPO, but this is the first time the 34-year-old company has tasked someone to head the HR practice for its IT services division only.

Earlier in February, chief executive Vishal Sikka undertook a management reshuffle, which saw Srikantan Moorthy, who was the global HR head, moving to the delivery side of business. Lobo, in his new role, will report to U.B. Pravin Rao, chief operating officer, who is also overseeing the global HR practice for Infosys.

“Vishal believes every arm needs different skill-sets of people and a different ways to hire, retain, and evaluate. Hence, the need for an HR for the service business,” said an executive, who did not want to be named.

A spokeswoman for Infosys declined to comment.

Lobo joined Infosys in 2000 and was heading HR functions for manufacturing and engineering service segments of Infosys. In addition, he was also overseeing HR role for Euorpe and Asia Pacific geographies.

In his new role, Lobo will oversee the HR functions for delivery and sales side of Infosys’s IT service business.