Salesforce.com, the U.S. based customer service platform is making a big management announcement today. The company has appointed former banker Arundhati Bhattacharya as its newest India Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson. She will join the team from 20th April, said the company on Wednesday.
Ms. Bhattacharya, a highly respected figure globally, had worked with the State Bank of India (SBI), India’s biggest bank in all measures and among one of the biggest globally, for over 40 years, fulfilling different roles over the course of her service period. She retired from the institution in 2017 after serving as the first woman chairman of the over 200 year old bank.
“I could not be more excited to join the Salesforce team to ensure we capture this tremendous opportunity and contribute to India’s development and growth story in a meaningful way,” said Bhattacharya in a statement.
In 2016, Bhattacharya was listed as the 25th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.[2] She is the only Indian corporate leader listed on Fortune’s world’s greatest leaders list ranked at 26.
Salesforce said, that it is excited about the prospect of working with such an experienced figure in the industry. Bhattacharya will be reporting to Ulrik Nehammer, General Manager of Salesforce in the APAC region. “Arundhati is an incredible business leader and we are delighted to welcome her to Salesforce as chairperson and CEO India,” said Gavin Patterson, President and CEO of Salesforce International, in a statement.
Salesforce, a leader in the cloud services industry, is very excited about the growing potential of India as a client. “India is an important growth market for Salesforce and a world-class innovation and talent hub and Arundhati’s leadership will guide our next phase of growth, customer success and investment in the region,” said Patterson. Salesforce co-founder Parker Harris met India’s trade minister in New Delhi and briefed him on the company’s growth plans in the country in January.
India is Salesforce’s second biggest market after U.S., where it has 1 million developers and more Trailhead users than in any other market(outside the U.S.). The company expects to add 3,000 jobs in the country in the coming 3 years and turn the nation into a “leading global talent and innovation hub” for the company.
