Robert Bamberger

Robert Bamberger asked about the types of employees being hired, focusing on higher revenue per employee and AI training, along with the expected cadence of employee growth and revenue per employee through 2026.

Answer

Rohit Kapoor (Chairman and CEO, EXL) stated that employee headcount growth is significantly lower than revenue growth, a trend expected to continue. EXL is investing in AI training for all employees and actively hiring for data management, AI services, and engineering talent, noting that data and AI-led business growth is currently talent-constrained. Vivek Jetley (President and Head of EXL Analytics, EXL) added that 2025 headcount growth was 9.8% against nearly 14% revenue growth.

Robert Bamberger asked about the types of employees EXL is hiring, focusing on higher revenue per employee and AI training, along with the expected cadence of employee growth and revenue per employee through 2026. He also inquired about the operating and gross margins embedded in the 2026 guidance, their cadence, and the impact of the Indian labor code.

Answer

Rohit Kapoor, Chairman and CEO of EXL, stated that headcount growth is significantly lower than revenue growth, a trend expected to continue. EXL is investing heavily in AI training for all employees and hiring for data management, AI services, and engineering talent, noting that AI-led business growth is currently talent-constrained. Vivek Jetley, President and Head of EXL Analytics, EXL, added that 2025 headcount growth was 9.8% versus ~14% revenue growth. Rohit Kapoor also mentioned that the adjusted operating margin for 2026 is expected to remain flat, including the impact of the New Labour Codes in India.

Robert Bamberger of Baird inquired about the specific reasons for the Q2 operating margin miss relative to guidance and sought to understand the confidence in the second-half growth acceleration.

Answer

President & CEO Chris Caldwell clarified that the margin shortfall was a strategic decision to retain labor for key clients who temporarily paused projects in April due to tariffs, a move that has already generated goodwill and new business. CFO Andre Valentine added that FX had a smaller impact. Regarding H2 confidence, Valentine cited the ramp-up of new business signed this year and additional market share gains as key drivers for the expected acceleration.

Robert Bamberger questioned the accelerated headcount growth in Q4, asking about hiring plans for fiscal 2026 and if the increase was a preparatory ramp for revenue growth. He also asked about Generative AI adoption, including the number of clients using it, the reusability of AI assets, and its potential to shift contract models toward fixed-price or transaction-based.

Answer

Executive David Mackey and CFO Arijit Sengupta confirmed the Q4 headcount increase was a ramp for the new large deals and included ~600 employees from the Kipi acquisition. CEO Keshav Murugesh added that hiring is also focused on high-quality, client-facing roles in target markets. On Gen AI, Mackey stated solutions have been deployed at ~20 clients using reusable, productized service components, with revenue contribution expected to increase through fiscal 2026. Murugesh highlighted 31 use cases and 13 developed digital assets.

Robert Bamberger questioned if the implied Q4 growth of around 6% is a reasonable baseline for 2025 expectations and asked for an update on the percentage of revenue from outcome-based pricing and its drivers, like GenAI.

Answer

CFO Michael Weiner deferred 2025 guidance, highlighting that the strong 2024 results create tougher comparisons. CEO Balkrishan Kalra expressed confidence but noted it's still early. Weiner confirmed outcome-based deals were 20% of revenue, up from 17% a year ago, and stated that generative AI solutions will 'absolutely drive more' of these commercial models.

Robert Bamberger questioned the revenue contribution from crypto clients in Q1 and the outlook for 2024, and also asked if the trend of shifting work offshore was slowing down.

Answer

CEO Bryce Maddock stated that crypto and equity trading clients accounted for 4% of revenue in Q1 and are forecasted to be 5% for the full year 2024. He confirmed that the onshore-to-offshore shift has moderated and that U.S. revenues, currently 11% of the total, are expected to stabilize around the 10% level long-term.