Cognizant taps Infosys veteran as Chief Learning Officer
NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES — Cognizant has appointed Infosys veteran Thirumala Arohi as its Chief Learning Officer (CLO), a newly created role.
“After 28 wonderful years as I bid farewell, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Infosys,” Arohi said in a LinkedIn post.
“I carry forward not only cherished memories but also the lessons and experiences that will always remain with me.”
The Economic Times reports that the strategic hire underscores the Cognizant’s intensified focus on enterprise-wide reskilling and upskilling to compete in the rapidly evolving age of artificial intelligence.
Cognizant and Infosys ranked #7 and #11, respectively, in the OA500 2025, an objective index of the world’s top 500 outsourcing companies.
Reskilling to compete in the AI era
The creation of a CLO position reporting directly to the Chief People Officer signals a fundamental shift in Cognizant’s operational priorities. This move reflects a broader industry trend where IT outsourcing firms, whose models are heavily dependent on human capital, are urgently reinventing their business and delivery models.
The appointment is a direct response to the disruptive force of AI, positioning learning and skilling as a critical strategic pillar rather than a support function.
The mandate of Arohi is strictly focused on the future, as it is charged with the responsibility of reinventing the entire learning environment at Cognizant.
He will lead the activities of finding new upskilling models and spearhead the intellectual argument about the future of work, in line with the role of ensuring that the 343,800-strong workforce, which comprises more than 70% of the company, headquartered in India, can remain competitive.
This program forms the foundation of Cognizant’s growth plans, as it has just increased its annualized revenue outlook to $20.7 billion to $21.1 billion, representing a 4.7% to 6.7% year-over-year growth.
Intensified focus on talent and growth in India
The appointment of Arohi is the latest in a series of strategic high-level hires Cognizant has conducted in India, following the country’s utmost significance to its global approach. It is also worth recalling that Cognizant appointed Ravi Kumar S, a former long-serving Infosys President, as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The latest hires are Sailaja Josyula as the worldwide head of its global capability centre (GCC) service line in Hyderabad, and Vishal Salvi as the worldwide practice head, cybersecurity in Pune. The hires enable the concentration of leadership in major service lines nationwide, where the majority of the workforce is located.
It is not only in talent development, but also in strategic expansion, as the company is building up its mergers and acquisitions (M&A) team in India by appointing senior consultants from prominent firms.
“Thiru will be responsible for the entire learning ecosystem, reimagining learning programmes and platforms, exploring innovative upskilling models and strategic partnerships, and driving thought leadership that shapes the global narrative on talent, technology, and the future of work,” Cognizant stated.
This aggressive assertion of its Indian leadership and corporate development teams is an indication that it is operating in two directions: organic growth achieved by upskilling and inorganic growth achieved by expanding its capabilities and market share within a very short time.
The company is currently able to support these ambitious investments with its current financial performance, as evidenced by a 14% rise in second-quarter net profit to $645 million.
This leadership change strategically positions Cognizant to transform its vast workforce into a competitive advantage driven by AI.
