VMware names Raghu Raghuram as new CEO
The VMware veteran will take charge in June as the cloud firm plans for life without Dell


VMware has promoted executive VP and COO Rangarajan "Raghu" Raghuram as its new CEO, with the change taking effect at the beginning of June.
Raghuram replaces current CEO Zane Rowe, who took over as "interim" CEO while the firm searched for a long term successor for Pat Gelsinger.
A number of analysts predicted a new CEO would come from within the company, with chief operating officer Sanjay Poonen thought to be the most likely candidate. However, Raghuram's promotion came with the news that Poonen had decided to leave the company after seven years.
Raghuram is an 18-year veteran of VMware and is currently in charge of its products and cloud services. He was part of the team that helped to develop its core virtualisation business and since 2003 and is said to have played a "pivotal" role in the company's mergers and acquisitions strategy and a key driver of its partnerships with Dell Technologies.
"Congratulations to my good friend @RaghuRaghuram on your well-deserved promotion to CEO. With his tenure of 18 years at VMware, Raghu is practically a founder. I know he will take the company to new heights in the years to come, I am cheering on," Poonen posted on Twitter.
RELATED RESOURCE
Getting everyone on board with the corporate vision
Sample our exclusive Business Briefing content
As CEO, Raghuram will be tasked with leading VMware as it is spun off from Dell Technologies. The latter has an 81% stake in the cloud company but plans to separate in order to generate more revenue and ultimately reduce its debts.
"I am thrilled to have Raghu step into the role of CEO at VMware," Micheal Dell, chairman of the VMware Board of Directors, said. "Throughout his career, he has led with integrity and conviction, playing an instrumental role in the success of VMware. Raghu is now in position to architect VMware's future, helping customers and partners accelerate their digital businesses in this multi-cloud world."
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Bobby Hellard is ITPro's Reviews Editor and has worked on CloudPro and ChannelPro since 2018. In his time at ITPro, Bobby has covered stories for all the major technology companies, such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook, and regularly attends industry-leading events such as AWS Re:Invent and Google Cloud Next.
Bobby mainly covers hardware reviews, but you will also recognize him as the face of many of our video reviews of laptops and smartphones.
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?
In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
By Kate O'Flaherty Published
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25
News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
How simplicity benefits the IT partner ecosystem
Sponsored Content Across private cloud and AI adoption, simple approaches can unlock more time and money for IT teams
By ITPro Published
-
A focused shift to partner-delivered services generates new opportunities with Broadcom
Sponsored Content Broadcom is investing in professional services — delivered through partners — for long-term customer success
By ITPro Published
-
VCF: The key to cloud success now and in the future
Sponsored Content Private cloud offers the security and scalability that modern enterprises require
By ITPro Published
-
Moving Broadcom VMware licenses to subscription-based models
Sponsored Content With a committed channel, Broadcom makes the journey to subscription-based VMware licenses as smooth as possible
By ITPro Published
-
VMware needs to win back trust – and VMware Explore Barcelona 2024 is its chance to do so
Analysis After a year of heavily criticized messaging, VMware will need to hit reset and prove it can meet customer needs and demands
By George Fitzmaurice Published
-
Why Broadcom is offloading VMware’s end user computing division
News Broadcom’s decision to sell the division marks the latest in a string of sales and product cuts since the VMware acquisition cleared
By George Fitzmaurice Published
-
VMware’s vision solidifies with Broadcom’s reassurance
Analysis With Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware now complete, customers can breathe a sigh of relief
By Rory Bathgate Published
-
Broadcom to close VMware merger after securing China approval
News The landmark Broadcom VMware acquisition is expected to close on Wednesday 22 November
By Ross Kelly Published