Apple names Indian-origin Kevan Parekh as new CFO
New Delhi, Aug 27: iPhone maker Apple has named Kevan Parekh as its new chief financial officer in a move that adds to the growing roster of Indian-origin executives at C-suites of global firms.
Parekh, 52, will take over the baton from Apple veteran Luca Maestri, who will transition from his role on January 1, 2025.
Maestri will continue to lead the Corporate Services teams, including information systems and technology, information security, and real estate and development, reporting to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
"As part of a planned succession, Kevan Parekh, Apple's Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, will become Chief Financial Officer and join the executive team," the Cupertino, California, headquartered Apple said in a statement.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Parekh's sharp intellect, wise judgment, and financial brilliance make him the perfect choice to be Apple's next CFO.
"For more than a decade, Kevan has been an indispensable member of Apple's finance leadership team, and he understands the company inside and out," Cook said.
Parekh has been at Apple for 11 years and currently leads Financial Planning and Analysis, G&A and Benefits Finance, Investor Relations, and Market Research.
Prior to this role, Parekh led Worldwide Sales, Retail, and Marketing Finance.
He began his tenure by leading the financial support of Apple's Product Marketing, Internet Sales and Services, and Engineering teams.
Before joining Apple, Parekh held various senior leadership roles at Thomson Reuters and General Motors, where he also had extensive global experience.
Parekh is an electrical engineer with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Maestri said he is looking forward to the next stage of his time at Apple, and expressed confidence over Parekh's transition to the CFO role.
"...and I have enormous confidence in Kevan as he prepares to take the reins as CFO. He is truly exceptional, has a deep love for Apple and its mission, and he embodies the leadership, judgment, and values that are so important to this role," Maestri said.
Reports suggest that over the past months, Parekh has been prepared for the CFO role by Maestri.
Over the past years, many Indian-origin executives have been named to the C-Suite positions of global companies - the ever-expanding list includes Microsoft Chief Satya Nadella; Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai; Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen; Tesla chief financial officer Vaibhav Taneja, among others.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
