Cognizant vs DXC Technology: Founders, CEOs and History
Cognizant was founded in 1994 by Kumar Mahadeva, Francisco D'Souza, Lakshmi Narayanan and is led by Ravi Kumar S. DXC Technology was founded in 2017 by Fletcher Jones, Roy Nutt, H. Ross Perot and is led by Raul Fernandez.
Company facts
Cognizant
- Founded
- 1994
- Headquarters
- Teaneck, New Jersey
- Current CEO
- Ravi Kumar S
- Employees
- 356,700
DXC Technology
- Founded
- 2017
- Headquarters
- Ashburn, Virginia, United States
- Current CEO
- Raul Fernandez
- Employees
- 115,000
Founders
Cognizant
Kumar Mahadeva
Kumar Mahadeva was a Dun & Bradstreet executive who headed the company's new Chennai software unit when it was formed in 1994 as a joint venture with Satyam Computer Services.
Francisco D'Souza
Francisco D'Souza joined the Dun & Bradstreet Satyam Software venture at its founding in 1994 and held roles in delivery, business development, and as president and chief operating officer before becoming CEO in January 2007.
Lakshmi Narayanan
Lakshmi Narayanan was one of the early leaders of the Chennai unit that became Cognizant. He started as chief technology officer, became president, and succeeded Kumar Mahadeva as CEO in 2003, the year Cognizant became fully independent.
DXC Technology
Fletcher Jones
Fletcher Jones was a highly influential American entrepreneur and the co-founder of Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), one of the massive corporate entities that eventually merged to form DXC Technology.
Roy Nutt
Roy Nutt was a brilliant American computer scientist and the technical co-founder of Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), a massive foundational pillar of the modern DXC Technology conglomerate.
H. Ross Perot
H. Ross Perot was a massive American billionaire, politician, and the legendary founder of Electronic Data Systems (EDS), the other massive corporate entity that merged to form DXC Technology.
CEOs and their tenures
Cognizant
- Kumar Mahadeva1994–2003
Founding CEO and Chairman
Led the company from its Dun & Bradstreet origins through the 1998 Nasdaq IPO.
Source - Lakshmi Narayanan2003–2006
Former CEO and Vice Chairman
Ran Cognizant as CEO during its first years as a fully independent company and scaled offshore delivery.
Source - Francisco D'Souza2007–2019
Former CEO
Grew revenue from about $2.1 billion to more than $16 billion and led the TriZetto acquisition.
Source - Brian Humphries2019–2023
Former CEO
Restructured the company and led it through the pandemic and the 2020 ransomware attack.
Source - Ravi Kumar S2023–present
Chief Executive Officer
Leads the push into large deals, AI-led modernization, and acquisitions including Belcan, 3Cloud, and Astreya.
Source - Jatin Dalal2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
Oversees capital allocation, including $1.6 billion of buybacks in the first half of 2026.
Source
DXC Technology
- J. Michael Lawrie2017–2019
Chairman & CEO
A veteran IT executive who previously led Misys, Siebel Systems, and CSC, Lawrie orchestrated one of the largest corporate mergers in enterprise services history.
Source - Mike Salvino2019–2023
President & CEO
Salvino brought over 30 years of business process outsourcing leadership from Accenture, revitalizing customer retention and enterprise partnerships.
Source - Raul Fernandez2024–present
President & CEO
Fernandez previously founded Proxicom and held leadership roles at ObjectVideo and Monumental Sports & Entertainment, bringing an entrepreneurial technology focus to DXC's global workforce.
Source
Timeline: Cognizant and DXC Technology side by side
1959DXC Technology
April: Fletcher Jones and Roy Nutt found Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) in Los Angeles with $100.
1962DXC Technology
June: H. Ross Perot incorporates Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in Dallas, inventing commercial IT outsourcing.
1968DXC Technology
CSC becomes the first independent software company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
1984DXC Technology
General Motors acquires EDS for $2.5 billion; EDS later spins off in 1996 as an independent giant.
1994Cognizant
Dun & Bradstreet Satyam Software Is Formed
Dun & Bradstreet and Satyam Computer Services form a 76:24 joint venture in Chennai, India, to do software work for Dun & Bradstreet businesses.
1996Cognizant
Outside Clients and Cognizant Corporation
Dun & Bradstreet moves the unit into a spin-off called Cognizant Corporation, and it begins serving clients outside D&B. It is renamed Cognizant Technology Solutions in 1997.
1998Cognizant
Nasdaq IPO
Cognizant Technology Solutions lists on Nasdaq, with IMS Health retaining a majority stake.
2003Cognizant
Full Independence
IMS Health exchanges its remaining stake, making Cognizant a fully independent public company. Lakshmi Narayanan becomes CEO.
2007Cognizant
Francisco D'Souza Becomes CEO
Francisco D'Souza takes over as CEO and leads the company for 12 years of rapid growth.
2008DXC Technology
Hewlett-Packard acquires EDS for $13.9 billion, renaming it HP Enterprise Services.
2010Cognizant
Revenue Reaches $4.6 Billion
Cognizant reports 2010 revenue of $4.59 billion, up 40% year over year.
2014Cognizant
TriZetto Acquisition
Cognizant acquires TriZetto for about $2.7 billion, adding healthcare administration software used by U.S. health plans.
2016DXC Technology
May: HPE and CSC announce a spin-merger to unite enterprise IT services.
2017Cognizant
Elliott Agreement and First Dividend
After pressure from activist investor Elliott Management, Cognizant commits to margin targets and capital returns and starts paying a quarterly dividend.
2017DXC Technology
April 3: DXC Technology officially launches on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker 'DXC'.
2019Cognizant
FCPA Settlement and New CEO
Cognizant pays $25 million to settle SEC bribery charges tied to a Chennai campus permit, and Brian Humphries succeeds Francisco D'Souza as CEO.
2019DXC Technology
DXC acquires digital engineering firm Luxoft for about $2.0 billion; Mike Salvino becomes CEO.
2020Cognizant
Maze Ransomware Attack
A Maze ransomware attack in April 2020 disrupts some client services, while most employees shift to remote work during the pandemic.
2023Cognizant
Ravi Kumar S Becomes CEO
Former Infosys president Ravi Kumar S becomes CEO in January 2023 and refocuses the company on large deals and AI-led modernization.
2024Cognizant
Belcan and Thirdera Deals
Cognizant completes the roughly $1.3 billion Belcan engineering acquisition and buys ServiceNow partner Thirdera. 2024 revenue is $19.74 billion.
2024DXC Technology
Raul Fernandez appointed President and CEO in February.
2025Cognizant
Revenue Passes $21 Billion
Revenue rises about 7% to $21.108 billion and net income reaches $2.230 billion.
2026Cognizant
3Cloud and Astreya Acquisitions
Cognizant closes the 3Cloud (Microsoft Azure) acquisition on January 1 and the $634 million Astreya acquisition in June, and guides to 2026 revenue of $22.04-$22.35 billion.
2026DXC Technology
DXC reports FY2026 revenue of $12.64B; in July names Paul Taylor President and Dan Gray President of GIS while Raul Fernandez stays CEO.
Acquisitions
Cognizant
- 3Cloud2026Undisclosed
- Astreya2026$634M
- Thirdera2024Undisclosed
- Belcan2024$1.3B
- Softvision2018Undisclosed
- TriZetto2014$2.7B
DXC Technology
- Virtual Clarity2020Undisclosed
- Luxoft2019$2B
- Tribridge2017$152M
Questions about Cognizant vs DXC Technology
Who is the CEO of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation and DXC Technology?
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation is led by Ravi Kumar S and DXC Technology is led by Raul Fernandez. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation founded vs DXC Technology?
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation was founded in 1994 — 23 years before DXC Technology, which was founded in 2017. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger DXC Technology.
How many employees does Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation have compared to DXC Technology?
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation employs approximately 356,700 people, while DXC Technology employs approximately 115,000. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation has the larger workforce at 356,700 employees, compared to DXC Technology's 115,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation and DXC Technology headquartered?
Both Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation and DXC Technology are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation and DXC Technology?
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation was founded by Kumar Mahadeva, Francisco D'Souza, Lakshmi Narayanan. DXC Technology was founded by Fletcher Jones, Roy Nutt, H. Ross Perot.
Which company has a longer operating history — Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation or DXC Technology?
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation has been operating for approximately 32 years, making it the more established of the two companies. DXC Technology has been in operation for around 9 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Cognizant vs DXC Technology overview