Lakshmi Narayanan, or Lakshmi as he is known, is a technology industry professional, with over 30 years of experience in Europe, India, and the United States. Lakshmi’s leadership experience includes corporate governance, customer relationship management, and organization strategy. As a founding member of Cognizant, Lakshmi has been responsible for providing leadership for the company’s high-touch customer relationship and delivery
excellence model.

In his role as the Vice Chairman of Cognizant, Lakshmi guides strategic programs around customer advocacy, education, training, and leadership development.

He is the past chairman of NASSCOM and was a member of the Board of U.S. India Business Council.

Lakshmi has received awards and recognition from the industry, media, and academia. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Science and has pursuits in inclusive growth, education, and non-profits through Cognizant Foundation and other institutions.

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Francisco D'Souza has over 20 years of experience in the information technology industry in both operational and advisory roles. Prior to his current position, Francisco was Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for Cognizant’s global delivery, marketing and sales, business development, and client services organizations. Previously, he led the company’s North American and European operations.

He joined Cognizant when it was founded in 1994. Earlier in his career, Francisco spent four years at various divisions of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, holding key positions in marketing, strategic planning, and new business development in Germany, the U.S. and India.

Francisco was named one of the nation’s best CEOs in Institutional Investor’s 2010 All-America Executive Team ranking. He received an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of the Year^© 2007 Award in the information technology services category for New Jersey and was a finalist in 2004. He also received the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Economic Times of India in 2005. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Carnegie Mellon University and the Board of Trustees of The New York Hall of Science.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Francisco has traveled widely in countries ranging from Panama to Hong Kong, where he obtained his Bachelor's degree from the University of East Asia. He also received an M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University.

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Gordon has over 18 years of financial management experience in the information technology industry. He joined Cognizant in 1996 as the company began shifting its focus towards external sales and an IPO. Gordon oversees the company's worldwide financial planning and analysis, as well as accounting, treasury/tax, and investor relations functions. In addition, his responsibilities include global talent management, M&A, internal systems, and infrastructure.

Prior to joining Cognizant, Gordon spent six years with The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, where he held key financial management positions at the operating and staff levels.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of NASDAQ-listed Corporate Executive Board Company. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of TechAmerica. Gordon obtained his Bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. from The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College.

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R Chandrasekaran (Chandra) has over 25 years of experience in the global IT industry. His experience spans key functions such as corporate strategy, customer relationship management, business development, and operations management.

Chandra has been with Cognizant since its inception in 1994, propelling its growth into a global delivery organization, spearheading new solutions, and championing crucial process initiatives. As an Executive Officer at Cognizant, he drives delivery management, capacity growth, and process initiatives, proactively nurturing key alliances and leveraging business partnerships. In addition, he focuses on emerging markets such as India, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East, among others.

Prior to joining Cognizant, Chandra worked in various delivery and business development roles with Tata Consultancy Services. In 2008 he received the “Distinguished Alumni Award” from the National Institute of Technology (formerly the Regional Engineering College) in Trichy, where he also earned his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He holds an M.B.A. from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

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Raj has more than 20 years of operational management experience in the IT industry. He is responsible for the company’s sales, business development, and client relationship management organizations across all industries and geographies to ensure they continue to drive industry-leading growth. In addition, Raj focuses on expanding Cognizant’s customer relationships as well as improving customer satisfaction scores.

Previously, Raj served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cognizant’s Financial Services Business Unit with full P&L management responsibility. He was also responsible for establishing the Central Region in the U.S. and securing some of Cognizant’s largest clients.

Prior to joining Cognizant in 1997, Raj was involved in implementing GE Information Systems’ offshore outsourcing program and also held consulting positions at Deloitte & Touche and Andersen Consulting. He obtained his B.S. degree from the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University.

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