Former GE honcho Milan Rao is Wipro President

BENGALURU:

Milan Rao

, former president and CEO of

GE

Healthcare India & South Asia and former managing director of Wipro GE Healthcare, has been appointed the president of Wipro's new unit called marketing, innovations and technology (MIT) effective October 1. Wipro has seven presidents. Rao replaces G K Prasanna who retired last month.

Rao will continue to be a part of Wipro’s highest decision-making body – the group executive council (GEC) – which carries the charter of shaping its strategic priorities. He will report to CEO Abidali Neemuchwala.

“Rao will join Wipro on October 1 to take over as the president of MIT,” the company said in response to a TOI query. He joined Wipro GE Healthcare in August 2013 as chief operating officer responsible for localisation strategy, driving strategic partnerships and developing a competitive product management strategy. Prior to that, Rao was the CEO of the enterprise business at Bharti Airtel.

In August, GE Healthcare appointed Nalinikanth (Nal)

Gollagunta

to succeed Rao as president and CEO of GE Healthcare India & South Asia. He has taken over also as the MD of Wipro-GE Healthcare. He will report to Wipro chairman Azim Premji.

Wipro created MIT last year as an overarching unit comprising of the CTO & CIO offices, marketing, strategic engagements (advisor relations & sales enablement function), and the integrated solutions group. The team focused on non-linear growth engines, products and platform-based services, integrated solutions, research, and new technologies. “They've taken a measured approach to non-linear growth. What has happened is a deep learning of the culture, leadership and people required to replicate these models. The impact will be seen in 12-18 months,” said Ray Wang, CEO of Constellation Research.

Wipro, under its chief strategy officer Rishad Premji, is placing newer bets on next generation technologies including analytics, big data and artificial intelligence. Wipro has spent over $1 billion in acquisitions since Neemuchwala took charge in January last year to accelerate growth in newer areas.