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Sridhar Vembu, the visionary founder of Zoho Corp, has officially stepped down from his role as CEO of the software giant. He made this announcement on January 27, 2024, revealing his decision to take on a new role as the company’s Chief Scientist, where he will focus on research and development. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vembu shared that this change is in line with his commitment to Zoho’s R&D and his broader personal mission of promoting rural development.
Vembu, who has been integral to Zoho’s rise as a successful bootstrapped business, made it clear that his new role would allow him to dive deeper into Zoho’s technological innovations, especially in the areas of artificial intelligence and deep tech. “The future of our company entirely depends on how well we navigate the R&D challenge,” Vembu wrote, emphasizing that he is eager to return to hands-on technical work.
In this new chapter, Vembu will leave the CEO position to co-founder Shailesh Kumar Davey, who will take over as the new group CEO. Vembu’s other co-founders, Tony Thomas, Rajesh Ganesan, and Mani Vembu, will lead various key divisions of Zoho, including Zoho US, ManageEngine, and Zoho.com. Despite stepping down as CEO, Vembu’s strategic direction will continue to shape the company, especially in its focus on next-generation solutions built on AI and distributed systems.
Sridhar Vembu is known not only for his tech prowess but also for his efforts in rural development. His work in education includes funding a school for rural children in Tamil Nadu and running Zoho University, which trains students straight out of school for careers in technology. With a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Princeton, Vembu’s leadership has made Zoho a global force in the cloud-based software market, serving over 80 million users worldwide.
Zoho, a privately held company, has thrived under Vembu’s leadership, reporting impressive financials for FY23, with a revenue exceeding Rs 8,000 crores and profits of Rs 2,800 crores. Zoho’s success story is particularly notable because it has been able to remain independent, avoiding outside funding while achieving significant growth. Vembu’s commitment to R&D will likely continue to drive Zoho’s success as it moves into a new era under the leadership of Shailesh Kumar Davey.
Vembu has always been vocal about the need for a robust R&D strategy to maintain Zoho’s competitive edge. In a recent interview with Moneycontrol, he highlighted the importance of integrating various technologies such as AI, the cloud, and smart systems to create seamless experiences for users. With the company’s ongoing efforts in R&D, particularly in AI, Vembu’s new role is expected to position Zoho for even greater innovations in the future.
As Zoho enters this new phase under Davey’s leadership, Vembu’s decision to focus on R&D comes at a crucial time. With the growing importance of AI and cloud technologies, Zoho’s deep dive into research and development under Vembu’s guidance promises to shape the company’s future and keep it at the forefront of the tech world.
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