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Francisco D'Souza
Chief Executive Officer Cognizant Technology solution
Francisco D’Souza is a true global citizen. He studied in seven schools around the world in places such as Panama, Zaire, New Delhi, New York, Trinidad, Hong Kong and Pittsburgh.During D’Souza’s tenure as CEO, Cognizant has grown revenues from $1.4 billion to $6.12 billion, a compound annual growth rate of nearly 35 percent, and its employee base has grown from 55,000 to more than 137,700.
The son of an Indian Foreign Service Officer, D’Souza has traveled across the world. Early in his life, he spent a lot of time in Africa where his father served several stints in places like Kenya, Ethiopia and Zaire. He then followed his father to New York City, Trinidad, Hong Kong and Panama.
“My parents took a couple of key decisions early on in their lives. One was to take their kids (me and my three sisters) to wherever they traveled and to not leave us in a boarding school in India,” says D’Souza. “Second was to put us in the local schools wherever we traveled and not in international schools that diplomats normally prefer. It was imperative for us to pick up the local language and culture there, which was a big challenge.“
At age 18, D’Souza moved to Hong Kong to pursue undergraduate studies while gaining work experience. “I needed work and educational grounding before I applied to the American B-schools,” he adds. “So I taught myself programming, accepted contract work and later joined Indian Overseas Bank’s Hong Kong branch in the clerical grade.”
Cognizant was spun out of Dun & Bradstreet in 1996 as an independent company and went public in 1998. D’Souza has been a core member of the Cognizant management team since its founding and has held the position of CEO since 2006.
Describe your job in 10 words?
I lead a terrific team that helps build stronger businesses.
What are your three best features?
I am hands-on; I like to hear directly from clients and employees; I’m determined.
And your three worst?
I can be too intense, demanding and impatient.
Which books have influenced your career?
Good to Great by Jim Collins and Tom Peters’ In Search of Excellence.
What are you reading now?
Thomas Friedman’s Hot, Flat, and Crowded and I’m rereading The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.
Does being an immigrant change your outlook?
I grew up all over the world as my father was an Indian diplomat. It gave me a broad perspective at a time when the world was not so small as it is now.
Has your youth helped or hindered business?
It has created amusing hiccups. Recently, I was videoconferencing from home with clients who thought I was the CEO’s teenage son. But, on the whole, it has helped me relate to my very young workforce.
What is your smartest business idea?
I am pleased I was part of the team that founded Cognizant.
And your worst business mistake?
Not being aggressive enough in the downturn. It created opportunities and I should have pushed harder.
What is your favourite gadget?
I am a gadget nut. I have an iPad but it isn’t a favourite yet. I think it has to be smartphones and telepresence technology.
What keeps you awake at night?
My two children and the challenge of managing the growth of our business.
When do you turn off your BlackBerry?
Never. In Cognizant, there is always an employee who is up in some part of the world. Though I don’t always look at it.
How do you cope with travel?
About 60 per cent of my time is spent travelling. I try to look at it as just like commuting. If you let it become more than that, it overwhelms you.
Has your work interfered with your personal life?
Having an intense work life makes me more disciplined and has helped me prioritise my family.
What are the pluses of being a listed company?
Access to capital, and it creates a rigour in procedures and governance.
And the downsides?
Markets aren’t always rational and it can drive short-term thinking.
What is your golden rule?
A professor at university told me that you should never waste your time doing things you won’t be proud of.
Worst business expression?
We can’t do it.
Who has been your biggest influence?
The three CEOs prior to me. And my parents for teaching the importance of humility.
How do you want to be remembered?
As someone who tried to do the right thing.