I am gainfully unemployed: Roddam

Venkatesh Roddam, ex-CEO of Satyam BPO has reportedly been approached by the Satyam board for the role of Satyam CEO, amongst other possible candidates. But Mr Roddam, who was with the company till October last year, says it's just a rumour. Some verbatim excerpts:

Are you open to the idea of accepting the role of Satyam CEO?

I worked there for three years and it an interesting company. It's an interesting idea (of the role of a Satyam CEO). But there is not enough information available on hand. Everyday there is a new surprise emerging.

If that would be the case, then there would have to be lot more discussions on the table rather than just the post of a Satyam CEO. Because right now the answer to the question. ���What is Satyam' is not clear. Right now it's too premature to comment on it because it's just a rumour.

How do you describe Satyam as a company?

It's great company with great people and great customers. My decision to leave Satyam BPO was not taken in haste. It was taken the minute it was decided to make the BPO, a 100% subsidiary of Satyam, which was also Raju's decision.

But for the previous three years, we made a good name for the company and gave it some very good customers.

Overall, Satyam is a great company with fine professionals and almost 53,000 employees or whatever that number is. I left Satyam BPO in 2008 and right now am gainfully unemployed.

How do you describe the events that have happened in the past few weeks?

The events in the last few days are equally shocking to you as to me. We had no inkling. We ran Satyam BPO as a separate company ���with a separate board and separate investors. It was only later that it became a subsidiary of the Satyam. Of course, we worked closely with the Satyam board as well. It was a completely different company. But it was a great experience to work with it.

Has the board approached you for the CEO's role?

No they have not-from that perspective. It's just a rumour right now.