Cognizant appoints Ursula Morgenstern as Global Growth Markets leader
Cognizant has named Ursula Morgenstern as its new President of Global Growth Markets, and a member of Cognizant’s Executive Committee. The former KPMG and Atos expert will help oversee key changes to the business, as it seeks to diversify its revenue, in growing markets such as APAC and Eastern Europe.
Brian Humphries, CEO, Cognizant, said of the news, “In the knowledge-based business, investing for growth starts with attracting, developing, and retaining outstanding talent. We are hiring the best, ensuring that Cognizant is operating with a harmonious, high-performing team of deeply experienced, client-centric leaders who share my commitment to getting Cognizant back on a growth trajectory. I am delighted to welcome Ursula, another exceptional leader, as our new head of Global Growth Markets.”
Cognizant is a global professional services company, transforming clients’ business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Morgenstern will be based in the firm’s London office, focusing on diversifying the company’s revenue mix across Europe and Asia Pacific by accelerating digital within digital engineering, AI and analytics, cloud, and IoT.
“I am extremely honoured to be joining Cognizant at such an exciting time,” said Morgenstern. “Global growth markets will be the powerhouse behind the next stage in Cognizant’s trajectory. The team is extremely driven and totally committed to helping clients on their digital journeys, engineering modern businesses that improve everyday life. I am also very keen to embrace diversity and inclusion in the workplace and mentor women at Cognizant to fulfil their potential.”
Morgenstern arrives from Atos, where she previously served as head of Central Europe. Her time with the consultancy spanned more than 16 years, and she held several senior roles in that spell, including CEO of Germany and UK/Ireland, as well as leading the Business & Platform Solutions global technology divisions. Earlier in her 30-year career, Morgenstern also spent four years with KPMG, where she was a Partner. She holds an MBA from York University, Toronto.
Cognizant has seen its annual revenue grow by 266% over the last decade, according to the firm’s previous 10 years of results releases. The firm reports that its annual revenue was nearly $17 billion in 2019, rising by more than 4% on 2018’s figures. However, due to the challenges of 2020, it is currently working to diversify its revenue, with a heightened focus on digital work, in order to insulate itself from the downturn the broader consulting industry has endured.
