Synopsis
Sridhar Vembu resigns as CEO of Zoho Corporation to become chief scientist, focusing on R&D and rural development while Shailesh Kumar Davey steps in as the new group CEO.Key Takeaways
- Sridhar Vembu transitions to chief scientist role.
- Shailesh Kumar Davey becomes new group CEO.
- Focus on R&D and AI developments.
- Plans for chip-making reported.
- Vembu's commitment to rural development.
New Delhi, Jan 27 (NationPress) Sridhar Vembu, the Founder and CEO of the software giant Zoho Corporation, has stepped down from his role as CEO to take on the position of chief scientist within the company.
In a recent post on the X social media platform, Vembu, who was recognized as the 39th richest person in India with a net worth of $5.85 billion last year, and was honored with India's fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, in 2021, indicated that he will now focus on advancing deep research and development projects.
Zoho provides software and related services via subscription to businesses across various countries.
“Considering the numerous challenges and opportunities ahead, particularly with significant advancements in AI, I believe it's best for me to devote my full attention to R&D efforts, while also pursuing my personal mission for rural development,” he expressed.
Vembu also announced that Shailesh Kumar Davey, co-founder of the company, will step up as the new group CEO.
“Our co-founder Tony Thomas will oversee Zoho US. Rajesh Ganesan will lead our ManageEngine division and Mani Vembu will manage the Zoho.com division,” stated Vembu.
His professional journey began at Qualcomm as a wireless engineer in San Diego, California, before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 1996, Vembu established a software development firm for network equipment providers called AdventNet, which was rebranded as Zoho Corporation in 2009, focusing on providing SaaS solutions for customer relationship management.
In 2019, Vembu relocated to Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu.
In his post on X, he remarked, “The future of our company hinges on our ability to tackle the R&D challenge effectively, and I am eager to embrace my new role with enthusiasm and determination.”
Reports emerged last year indicating that Zoho was exploring opportunities in chip-making and seeking government incentives.
