When Parag Agrawal was appointed CEO of Twitter in November 2021, the IIT graduate joined a steadily rising membership of executives from India rising to the highest of worldwide companies, however the 38-year-old govt’s temporary tenure on the helm of the social media big was difficult and chaotic. Lower than a 12 months into his job as CEO, India-born Agrawal was ousted from the corporate by its new proprietor billionaire Elon Musk who on Thursday closed the $44 billion deal to amass the social media behemoth.
WATCH VIDEO: Elon Musk Twitter Deal Explained: Simple Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/26N5ZxUN2tM
An IIT Bombay and Stanford alumnus, Agrawal joined Twitter in 2011 when there have been fewer than 1,000 staff. Rising within the firm, he turned Twitter’s chief expertise officer in 2017. Thought of a protege of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, Agrawal was appointed CEO of Twitter after Dorsey stepped down.
In saying his resolution to step down and title Agrawal as CEO, Dorsey had stated on the time “my belief in him as our CEO is bone deep.” Dorsey had stated that Agrawal had been his alternative for CEO for “a while given how deeply he understands the corporate and its wants. Parag has been behind each vital resolution that helped flip this firm round. He is curious, probing, rational, artistic, demanding, self-aware, and humble. He leads with coronary heart and soul, and is somebody I study from day by day.” Ajmer-born Agrawal’s ascent to the highest job at Twitter put him in a steadily rising membership of executives hailing from India helming world companies, together with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen. Indra Nooyi had served as PepsiCo’s CEO for 12 years earlier than stepping down in 2018.
In line with a Might 2022 article in The New York Instances, if Musk eliminated him as chief govt, Agrawal might make USD 60 million, as per securities filings.
Agrawal’s time as Twitter CEO was difficult and turbulent.
Only a few months into the job as CEO, Musk got here into the image. A CNN Business report stated that in March this 12 months, Musk had met with Dorsey to “focus on the long run course of social media,” in line with an organization submitting.
“Within the days that adopted, Musk met with Twitter’s board and a few of its management group, together with Agrawal; publicly introduced that he’d turn out to be Twitter’s largest shareholder; and accepted a seat on the corporate’s board,” the CNN report stated.
Musk tweeted a number of days later that “Is Twitter dying?”.
The CNN report added that in line with a court docket submitting in late September, Agrawal had texted Musk responding to his tweet.
“You’re free to tweet ‘is Twitter dying?’ or the rest about Twitter,” Agrawal had stated within the textual content to Musk “but it surely’s my accountability to let you know that it’s not serving to me make Twitter higher within the present context. Subsequent time we communicate, I’d such as you to supply (your) perspective on the extent of inside distraction proper now and the way [it’s] hurting our skill to do work … I’d like the corporate to get to a spot the place we’re extra resilient and don’t get distracted, however we aren’t there proper now.” Musk had responded to Agrawal saying: “What did you get completed this week?” In two follow-up texts, he rescinded his settlement to hitch the board, saying, “I’m not becoming a member of the board. This can be a waste of time.” He added: “Will make a suggestion to take Twitter non-public,” in line with the CNN article.
On Agrawal’s challenges to handle a “restive work power and cope with Twitter’s mounting financial” woes earlier than doubtless being “booted” from the corporate, The New York Instances had quoted Bob Sutton, an organisational psychologist and professor at Stanford College, as saying that “there’s nobody on the planet who would need to be in these footwear.” The NYT article stated that as Twitter’s chief expertise officer, Agrawal “labored on a few of Twitter’s sophisticated technical challenges and constructed relationships together with his engineering friends” and Dorsey.
He shared Dorsey’s “imaginative and prescient that Twitter’s future hinged on overhauling its expertise so it might rely extra on machine studying and decentralize its providers to provide customers extra management over their experiences on the platform.” Because the Musk saga unfolded, the NYT stated within the Might 2022 article that at “a digital assembly for Twitter executives”, Agrawal “admitted he was exhausted.” “On the assembly, Mr Agrawal was “uncooked” about Twitter’s points and the hurricane of consideration over Mr Musk’s deal, two folks with information of the occasion stated. However he additionally conveyed a way of acceptance of his scenario and stated he would transfer ahead together with his plans for the corporate, they stated,” the NYT report had stated.
When he was appointed CEO in 2021, Agrawal stated in a word posted on Twitter that he was “honoured and humbled” on his appointment and expressed gratitude to Dorsey’s “continued mentorship and your friendship.” “Whereas it was a decade in the past, these days really feel like yesterday to me. I’ve walked in your footwear, I’ve seen the ups and downs, the challenges and obstacles, the wins and the errors. However then and now, above all else, I see Twitter’s unbelievable impression, our continued progress, and the thrilling alternatives forward of us,” he stated.
“Our goal has by no means been extra essential. Our folks and our tradition are in contrast to something on the planet. There isn’t a restrict to what we will do collectively.” “We not too long ago up to date our technique to hit formidable targets, and I consider that technique to be daring and proper. However our vital problem is how we work to execute towards it and ship outcomes – that is how we’ll make Twitter the perfect it may be for our clients, shareholders, and for every of you.” “The world is watching us proper now, much more than they’ve earlier than. A number of persons are going to have plenty of totally different views and opinions about at the moment’s information. It’s as a result of they care about Twitter and our future, and it is a sign that the work we do right here issues,” Agrawal stated in his word final 12 months.
Agrawal is married to Vineeta Agarwala, a doctor and adjunct scientific professor at Stanford Medication. They’ve two kids.
Learn all of the Latest Tech News right here
