CHENNAI, INDIA: Cognizant, a provider of consulting, technology, and business process outsourcing services, announced on Tuesday that Maureen Breakiron-Evans has been elected to its Board of Directors and will serve on the company's audit committee.

Francisco D'Souza, president and chief executive officer of Cognizant, commented, "We are delighted to welcome Maureen Breakiron-Evans to Cognizant's Board of Directors. Maureen is a proven leader with deep financial knowledge and expertise. Her experience and strategic insight will be a valuable asset as Cognizant continues to expand our growth platform in the coming years."

Breakiron-Evans had served as chief financial officer of Towers Perrin from January 2007 until April 2008, and as vice president and general auditor of CIGNA Corporation from February 2005 until October 2007, said a press release.

She had also served as executive vice president and chief financial officer at Inovant, LLC, which is Visa's captive technology development and transaction processing company, from 2001 to 2004.

Breakiron-Evans received her BBA from Stetson University, MBA from Harvard Business School, and MLA from Stanford University, the release added.

She is also a certified public accountant in the State of California. With her election, Cognizant said its Board of Directors now consists of eight directors, six of whom are independent under NASDAQ's rules.