Wipro appoints Vinay Firake as CEO of APMEA strategic market unit

IT major Wipro has appointed Vinay Firake as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) strategic market unit (SMU), effective immediately. Vinay will be based in Dubai and report to chief executive Srini Pallia. He will also join the Wipro executive board.

Wipro has undergone significant C-level restructuring this year. On April 6, Wipro appointed Srini Pallia as the CEO and managing director, succeeding Thierry Delaporte. A few days later, Wipro appointed company veteran Malay Joshi as CEO of its largest and fastest-growing market, Americas 1, a unit earlier headed by Pallia.

Firake succeeds Anis Chenchah, who is stepping down to pursue opportunities outside the organisation. Chenchah's last day at Wipro will be May 31, and he will work closely with Firake and Pallia to ensure a smooth transition.

Firake has been with Wipro for 26 years, serving in various leadership roles. He was most recently the senior vice president and managing director of the Wipro Nordics business unit based in Stockholm, where he led operations across all industries and services. Before that, he led the manufacturing and automotive business unit in Europe and held various roles spanning Europe and North America.

"Vinay has successfully led Wipro in diverse regions globally and is the perfect candidate for this role," said Srini Pallia, CEO and managing director, Wipro. "He has the expertise and vast experience to spearhead our business in APMEA, one of our most promising SMUs. Vinay has a great track record in the Nordics business unit, where he was instrumental in signing several prestigious clients, and I am confident that he will bring the same rigour and success to APMEA."

Firake said APMEA is a "pivotal region" in the growing technology landscape, and he is looking forward to collaborating with the team to expand capabilities in this market and drive innovation.

Firake holds a master's degree in business administration specialising in finance and a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from prestigious institutes in India. He has also successfully completed the Global Strategic Leadership Program from the Wharton School and the Executive Leadership Program from Harvard Business School.