Who is Raghu Raghuram? The CEO selection of the IIT Mumbai alumnus surprised numerous individuals in the IT sector.

17 years after becoming part of a 5-year-old startup, Raghu Raghuram, a seasoned tech expert, was unexpectedly appointed as the CEO of IT giant VMware in 2021. Raghuram succeeded the outgoing star CEO Pat Gelsinger, joining the prestigious group of Indian business executives who lead the world’s largest technology companies, including Sundar Pichai of Google, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Arvind Krishna of IBM, and other titans.

Raghuram assumed the role of CEO during a pivotal year when VMware was preparing to separate from its parent company, Dell. The company extensively searched for an external candidate for the CEO position but ultimately opted for a veteran technologist who had been with the company for a significant period. The choice was between Raghuram and COO Sanjay Poonen (now CEO of Cohesity). The company selected the former after the latter departed.

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Raghuram is leading a transformation at the prominent Nasdaq-listed IT company, which has a market capitalization of Rs 5,51,848 crore ($67.235 billion). He is at the helm of the now independent company, which he refers to as the “Switzerland of multi-cloud.” Under his leadership, VMware has evolved from a startup to a Fortune 200 company, employing over 37,000 individuals and serving nearly 500,000 customers across more than 100 countries.

Hailing from India, Raghuram holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai. He also earned an MBA from the renowned Wharton School of Business, one of the leading global business schools. Prior to joining and scripting his success story at VMware, Raghuram worked for companies like Netscape, AOL, and Bang Networks.