Infosys vs Volkswagen: Founders, CEOs and History

Infosys

Founded

1981

Headquarters

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Current CEO

Salil Parekh

Employees

328,594

Volkswagen

Founded

1937

Headquarters

Wolfsburg, Germany

Current CEO

Oliver Blume

Employees

663,000

Infosys

• N. R. Narayana Murthy

  Infosys possesses arguably the most ethical, well-known founding story in modern Indian corporate history, defining the 'middle-class' technology miracle of Bangalore and famously prioritizing rigorous corporate governance in a heavily corrupt regulatory era.

• Nandan Nilekani

  Nandan Nilekani served as Infosys CEO from 2002 to 2007, a period when the company expanded into global markets and deepened its position with Fortune 500 clients.

• S. Gopalakrishnan

  S. Gopalakrishnan co-founded Infosys in 1981 and served as CEO from 2007 to 2011, handling the company through the global financial crisis while maintaining profitability and client trust.

• S. D. Shibulal

  S. D. Shibulal co-founded Infosys in 1981 and served as CEO from 2011 to 2014. His tenure came during a transitional period when traditional outsourcing growth was slowing and the market was beginning to shift toward digital transformation, cloud, and automati…

• K. Dinesh

  K. Dinesh co-founded Infosys in 1981 and spent his career building the company's internal operating systems, quality processes, human resources practices, training programs, and organizational development.

• N. S. Raghavan

  N. S. Raghavan co-founded Infosys and served as a stabilizing administrative force during the company's fragile early years.

• Ashok Arora

  Ashok Arora co-founded Infosys in 1981 and contributed to the company's earliest technical work and client delivery. Unlike the other six founders, Arora left the company relatively early and sold his stake before Infosys became a public-market success.

Volkswagen

• Ferdinand Porsche

  Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) was an Austrian-born automotive engineer who had worked for Lohner, Austro-Daimler and Daimler-Benz before opening his own design office in Stuttgart in 1931.

Infosys

1. S. D. Shibulal2011–2014

   Co-founder and Former CEO

   As one of the original founders serving as CEO, his tenure saw Infosys struggle with lagging growth compared to TCS, prompting the return of N.R. Narayana Murthy to stabilize operations.

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2. Vishal Sikka2014–2017

   Former CEO

   He resigned in August 2017 after public criticism from founder N. R. Narayana Murthy over governance, executive pay, and the Panaya acquisition.

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3. Nandan Nilekani2017–present

   Co-founder and Non-Executive Chairman

   His return restored investor confidence and ended the founder-board conflict. He earlier served as CEO from 2002 to 2007 and led India's Aadhaar digital ID programme.

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4. Salil Parekh2018–present

   Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

   Under Parekh revenue rose from about $11.8 billion in FY2019 to $20.16 billion in FY2026 while operating margins stayed near 20%-21%. His board reappointed him for a second five-year term starting April 2022.

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5. Jayesh Sanghrajka2023–present

   Chief Financial Officer

   He has kept operating margins within the 20%-22% guidance band during a slow-growth period.

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Volkswagen

1. Hermann Münch1946–1947

   Chief Executive Officer

   Early executive involved in the incredibly complex immediate post-war administration of the completely destroyed factory under British military control.

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2. Heinrich Nordhoff1948–1968

   Chief Executive Officer

   The absolute legendary post-war architect who took the ruins of the VW factory and transformed the Beetle into a massive, globally beloved cultural icon and economic miracle.

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3. Kurt Lotz1968–1971

   Chief Executive Officer

   Early post-war leader who began the critical process of diversifying VW's lineup beyond relying entirely on a single model (the Beetle).

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4. Rudolf Leiding1971–1975

   Chief Executive Officer

   Crucial CEO who managed the extremely difficult, highly risky transition away from the iconic but severely outdated Beetle toward modern, front-wheel-drive water-cooled cars (like the Golf).

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5. Toni Schmücker1975–1982

   Chief Executive Officer

   Guided the company through the severe financial crises of the 1970s, ensuring the successful launch and massive adoption of the original VW Golf.

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6. Carl Hahn1982–1993

   Chief Executive Officer

   As CEO in the 1980s, he executed the massive, highly strategic acquisitions of SEAT and Skoda, laying the foundation for VW's absolute dominance in Europe.

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7. Ferdinand Piëch1993–2002

   Chief Executive Officer

   As the legendary, absolutely ruthless patriarch (and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche), he transformed VW from a struggling mass-market brand into the most powerful automotive conglomerate on Earth.

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8. Bernd Pischetsrieder2002–2006

   Chief Executive Officer

   Serving as CEO from 2002 to 2006, he oversaw the incredibly complex integration of massive luxury brands like Bugatti and Bentley into the VW Group portfolio.

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9. Martin Winterkorn2007–2015

   Chief Executive Officer

   As the notoriously demanding, absolutely feared CEO, he oversaw massive global expansion but fostered a culture of absolute terror that led engineers to cheat rather than admit failure.

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10. Matthias Müller2015–2018

    Chief Executive Officer

    As CEO during the darkest period in modern VW history, he initiated the massive cultural purge of the toxic, highly secretive engineering culture that caused the cheating scandal.

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11. Herbert Diess2018–2022

    Chief Executive Officer

    Serving as CEO, he forcefully dragged the massive, highly bureaucratic legacy automaker into the Tesla era, though his abrasive style alienated the powerful Porsche-Piëch families.

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12. Oliver Blume2022–present

    Chairman of the Board of Management

    He also ran Porsche AG alongside the group role until Michael Leiters took over as Porsche CEO on January 1, 2026, leaving Blume focused on Volkswagen Group.

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Infosys

• MRE Consulting2025$36M
• InSemi Technology Services2024$33.7M
• In-tech2024$485M
• BASE life science2022Undisclosed
• Oddity2022Undisclosed
• Simplus2020$250M

Volkswagen

• Porsche AG2012Undisclosed
• Bentley Motors1998Undisclosed
• Auto Union / Audi1965Undisclosed