Cognizant, a major player in information technology (IT), has established the role of Chief Learning Officer and named Thirumala (Thiru) Arohi as its first appointee. He will answer to Kathy Diaz, Chief People Officer.

Thirumala has more than thirty years of experience and was most recently the Executive Vice President and Leader of Education, Training & Assessment, and Learning Platforms at Infosys. He is recognized for creating scalable learning environments and fostering innovation in digital education.

His previous roles in delivery leadership give him a business-focused viewpoint on how learning facilitates performance and development.

In his new position, Thirumala will oversee the global learning and development division of the Teaneck-based firm. He will oversee the rethinking of educational programs and platforms, investigate innovative upskilling models and collaborations, and lead initiatives on talent, technology, and the future of work.

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The establishment of the role underscores Cognizant’s emphasis on workforce evolution and training in the era of AI. Major IT companies like Infosys and TCS have consistently devoted resources to specialized learning departments, whereas Accenture has woven learning leadership into its talent management approach.

The company led by Ravi Kumar has been intensifying its focus on training, particularly in the field of AI.

On July 30, Cognizant introduced AI training data services to speed up AI model creation at a large scale, merging a decade of specialized AI knowledge, industry-specific business processes, data proficiency, and engineering expertise into a unified solution.

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Additionally, the company has recently revealed a collaboration with Workfabric AI, led by Rohan Murty, to train and roll out 1,000 context engineers in the coming year, focused on industrializing agentic AI throughout organizations.

Rohan Murty is the child of Infosys creator NR Narayana Murthy, a competitor of Cognizant in the IT services sector.

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In February, Chief Executive Officer Ravi Kumar S told that the IT firm has already trained 4 lakh people in AI, as part of its goal to impart such skills to 1 million individuals by 2026.