Athira Sethu
Kochi, 28 January 2025
Sridhar Vembu, the co-founder of Zoho Corp, has resigned as its CEO. In a post in social media platform- X, he wrote that he is moving on to research and development as the company’s new Chief Scientist. He further explained that he felt the challenges and opportunities presented by AI are such that he could better serve in R&D and continue with his work for rural development.
Vembu is known for his commitment to sustainable development and improvement of rural economies. He will focus on the advancement of Zoho’s research initiatives. Shailesh Kumar Davey, the co-founder of the company, will become the new CEO.
The co-founder shared that besides Davey’s appointment, other co-founders will take on the lead. Tony Thomas will lead Zoho US, while Rajesh Ganesan takes over the ManageEngine division. Mani Vembu is given the responsibility to manage the Zoho.com division. Vembu shared his excitement about the new role as he deemed R&D critical to the future success of the company. He is awaiting his return to hands-on technical work.
The company is privately owned and is particularly famous for producing cloud-based business software. The majority stake is held by the two siblings with Vembu. He possesses a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Princeton University and is highly reputed for his business success in India.
Besides Zoho, Vembu is engaged in social activities, operating Zoho University, which upskills fresh school graduates, and sponsoring a rural school in Tamil Nadu. His net worth is estimated at $5.8 billion, according to Forbes.
