Rekha M. Menon, chairperson and senior managing director at Accenture India was on Thursday appointed as the chairperson of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) for 2021-22. In the 30-year history of NASSCOM, she becomes the first woman to head the IT industry’s apex body.

Menon, who became its vice-chairperson last April, succeeded UB Pravin Rao, chief operating officer of Infosys. Krishnan Ramanujam, head of business & technology services of TCS will be the vice-chairperson for 2021-22.

It’s noteworthy that around 40 percent members of NASSCOM’s new executive council are women.

After her appointment, Menon spoke about the role the industry has been playing amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic which “continues to test the resilience of more than 40 lakh people” associated with the sector.

Rekha Menon

A leading voice of the IT sector

Menon has been a leading industry voice on advanced technology-led innovations, according to Accenture website.

Menon, who lives in Bengaluru, was an entrepreneur for over 25 years before joining Accenture in 2004. She had co-founded two technology companies — Talisma Corporation and Aditi Services — and a not-for-profit. She was also on the executive management teams of Levis, Cargill and Akzo Nobel.

At Accenture, she had held several strategic and leadership roles — her last two being the lead for Geographic Operations for India, ASEAN and APAC Delivery Centres and Human Resources lead for Growth Markets — before becoming its Chairperson and Senior MD.

Other roles

Apart from NASSCOM, Menon is also a member of the National Council of CII, co-chair of CII’s Indian Women Network and USIBC’s India Advisory Council.

Besides, she is on the Board of Governors of her alma-mater, XLRI School of Business, where she was a gold medallist. She also holds a position in India’s National Executive Board for American Chamber of Commerce.

She regularly features on the list of most powerful business women in India and she has also been recognised among the top 10 LGBT Ally Executives globally.

Among her other interests Menon is a voracious reader and keeps herself fit through hiking and cycling.

(Edited by : Jomy)

First Published:Apr 23, 2021 9:36 PM IST