Chief Information Officer — Managed-Services Unit

The mandate

The investment committee has withheld further expansion pending clarity on renewal of a high-cost and brittle enterprise technology estate within a listed enterprise technology and digital-products group. The immediate arena is the managed-services unit during a growth-stage governance reset. For mandate 117, the successful executive inherits decisions that have been deferred, competing stakeholder expectations and a need to establish facts before committing further capital.

The Chief Information Officer operating perimeter covers approximately ₹2,100 crore in annual recurring revenue portfolio, with activity spanning several managed-services unit customer, product and delivery clusters rather than a single asset. The Chief Information Officer Technology remit carries direct influence over roughly 500 colleagues and third-party capacity.

The chair, executive committee and principal capital sponsors want a Chief Information Officer who can convert ambiguity into a short list of explicit choices for the managed-services unit. The Chief Information Officer Technology seat must resolve a growth-stage governance reset, while preserving the underlying strengths of the managed-services unit. For mandate 117, value will come through sharper allocation, stronger leaders and an operating cadence that exposes variance early.

The Chief Information Officer’s first year on the managed-services unit is expected to end with service stability, cyber hygiene and transparent technology economics. In mandate 117, authority covers resources and leadership appointments; material trade-offs go directly to the board sponsor.

Why this seat is open

This is an urgent replacement for the Chief Information Officer — Managed-Services Unit seat following an accelerated leadership transition. Interim accountability is in place for the managed-services unit, but the board wants a permanent appointment within 6–8 weeks because a growth-stage governance reset cannot remain under split ownership. The predecessor’s outcome is being handled neutrally and professionally. The external search remains confidential until the preferred candidate and transition plan are agreed.

What you will own

• Set the Chief Information Officer value-creation thesis for the managed-services unit, translate it into no more than five enterprise priorities and stop work that does not support them.
• Carry stewardship of approximately ₹2,100 crore in annual recurring revenue portfolio, including allocation, risk acceptance and board forecasts.
• Lead the Chief Information Officer Technology organisation of about 500 employees and partners, appointing a team with clear decision rights and credible succession for every critical seat.
• Resolve the managed-services unit economics and execution constraints created by a growth-stage governance reset, with Chief Information Officer-approved owners, dated milestones and transparent escalation thresholds.
• Establish one Chief Information Officer operating review across commercial, customer, financial, people, technology and risk outcomes for the managed-services unit; remove reconciliations that obscure accountability.
• Have owned enterprise service, cyber, architecture and technology economics rather than a single application tower in mandate 117.
• Build the Chief Information Officer’s three-year succession and capability plan for the managed-services unit, reducing dependence on individual executives and improving mobility across the wider Technology organisation.

The first 12 months

• Days 1–90: Validate the managed-services unit baseline, meet the 30 stakeholders most consequential to renewal of a high-cost and brittle enterprise technology estate, assess the leadership team, stabilise immediate delivery risks and agree a board-owned scorecard with explicit decision gates.
• Months 4–9: Make the principal Chief Information Officer portfolio and organisation choices for the managed-services unit, install the new operating cadence, fill critical leadership gaps and deliver the first measurable release of cash, capacity or customer value.
• Months 10–12: Demonstrate a repeatable managed-services unit trend against service stability, cyber hygiene and transparent technology economics, lock the following year’s capital and talent plan, evidence control sustainability and present a credible three-year value case with downside actions.

What the board will measure

• Delivery of the Chief Information Officer’s agreed first-year managed-services unit value case within a 10% tolerance, with variance explained before rather than after the relevant quarter closes.
• A Chief Information Officer forecast that remains decision-useful across three consecutive quarters and reconciles the managed-services unit’s operating, cash, customer and people assumptions.
• Closure of the Chief Information Officer mandate’s highest-priority managed-services unit risk and execution issues by their board-approved dates, with independent evidence that fixes are sustained.
• Retention of at least 90% of critical managed-services unit talent and ready-now successors for at least 70% of the Chief Information Officer’s direct reports.
• A quantified Chief Information Officer-owned improvement in the managed-services unit operating constraint behind a growth-stage governance reset, supported by a clean baseline and named data owner.
• Clear stakeholder confidence in mandate 117: no unresolved high-severity escalation older than 30 days and no material surprise withheld from its agreed governance forum.

The person

You are currently a CIO, Regional CIO or Enterprise Technology Head in a listed Technology or adjacent enterprise. In relation to the managed-services unit, your Chief Information Officer track record includes a transition where the original plan was no longer sufficient; you can explain your choices, evidence and numerical impact. Candidates from software, cloud services, digital platforms, IT services or technology-enabled business services will be considered where the operating model, customer stakes and governance intensity match this Chief Information Officer brief.

As a Chief Information Officer candidate, you bring 18–22 years of progressive Technology or adjacent-sector experience, consistent with the 18-22 experience band. At minimum, you have carried a P&L, book, budget or accountable portfolio of ₹1,200 crore and led an organisation of at least 500 people.

For mandate 117, the board wants two transitions: a difficult managed-services unit portfolio choice and a leadership-system change during a growth-stage governance reset. As the prospective Chief Information Officer for this managed-services unit, you must challenge optimistic cases and still create followership. References for mandate 117 must distinguish your contribution from the institution around you.

The Chief Information Officer role in Technology is based in Hyderabad; relocation is expected, although a structured weekly commute may be considered during the first quarter.

Non-negotiables

• Current or recent accountability at the level of CIO, Regional CIO or Enterprise Technology Head, with direct exposure to a board, investment committee or equivalent Technology governance forum.
• Proven Chief Information Officer ownership of at least ₹1,200 crore and leadership of no fewer than 500 employees in a comparable managed-services unit context.
• One completed Technology or adjacent-sector example of renewal of a high-cost and brittle enterprise technology estate with outcomes sustained for at least two reporting periods after the initial intervention.
• Sector credibility from software, cloud services, digital platforms, IT services or technology-enabled business services; experience that is purely functional and lacks Chief Information Officer-level managed-services unit consequences will not meet the bar.
• Willingness to meet the Hyderabad location expectation, complete conflicts and background diligence, and protect the confidentiality of mandate 117.

Compensation and terms

The anticipated Chief Information Officer package is ₹3.2–4.6 crore fixed + performance variable and LTI, calibrated to the final managed-services unit scope and the candidate’s current mix. Any long-term participation for mandate 117 follows standard vesting and performance conditions. The Chief Information Officer appointment in Hyderabad, centred on the managed-services unit, offers regular exposure to the chair, executive committee and principal capital sponsors. A notice period of up to 6 months can be accommodated for the selected executive in mandate 117.

Confidentiality

Client identity is withheld at this stage and will be disclosed under mutual confidentiality after an initial fit discussion for mandate 117. Rounded ranges and blended context prevent this document from being used to triangulate the organisation for mandate 117.