Mysuru: Vishal Sikka has resigned as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company with immediate effect, Infosys said in an official statement this morning. U.B. Pravin Rao has been given the interim responsibility for both the posts, India’s second largest software services exporter said in a statement.

Sikka, who had just completed three years as the CEO of Infosys, has now been appointed as Executive Vice-Chairman.

The company said, “Sikka reiterated his belief in the great potential of Infosys, but cited among his reasons for leaving a continuous stream of distractions and disruptions over the recent months and quarters, increasingly personal and negative as of late, as preventing management’s ability to accelerate the company’s transformation.”

The succession plan for appointment of a new MD and CEO has been operationalised by the Board and a search for the same has been commenced, the company said.

Infosys Founder N.R. Narayana Murthy took head on with Sikka and said he felt the Silicon Valley import was more of a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) material and not fit for CEO  position.

Differences were simmering between Murthy and Sikka with the former repeatedly criticising the latter’s policies in the organisation.

This is the second time that Infosys has plunged into a leadership crisis ever since the Founder-Members retired from top management.