Former Accenture CTO Karthik Narain has been appointed as chief product and business officer of Google Cloud. The announcement was made by Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian through a LinkedIn post which said:
“Today we welcome Karthik Narain to Google Cloud as Chief Product & Business Officer. He will lead product and engineering teams across cloud, developer, data and Applied AI, the go-to-market organization, and work closely with Google Public Sector. Karthik’s proven track record with clients, along with his unparalleled depth of experience in developing enterprise technology solutions, will accelerate our customers’ journey into the AI era. Welcome to the team, Karthik!”
Narain, who’s an Indian American shared Kurian’s post, and said: “After more than 25 years in the tech consulting industry, I am excited to share the next chapter of my career – I am joining @GoogleCloud as its first Chief Product & Business Officer,” Narain wrote.
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“This is an incredible opportunity to combine my expertise in engineering and product strategy, and my experience with enterprise systems and business processes with Google’s world-class foundational technologies and cutting-edge AI innovation to drive profound digital transformation. The opportunity to unlock immense value for Google Cloud’s customers and partners is unparalleled, and I can’t wait to get started!” he added.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai also welcomed Narain, saying “I’m excited that Karthik Narain is joining Google Cloud as its Chief Product and Business Officer, a key leader on Thomas Kurian’s exceptional team. Karthik will partner closely with our Cloud customers as they transform their businesses with AI. In his new role, Karthik will help accelerate the strong growth we are already seeing in Google Cloud. Just over a week ago, we announced Gemini Enterprise, which has had a really positive response. Much more to come, welcome Karthik!”
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Narain, who is based in Bay Area, San Francisco, holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from Tiruchirappalli-based Bharathidasan University. He joined Google Cloud, after holding multiple leadership positions in Accenture. He was associated with the company for over 10 years and served as its Group Chief Executive of Technology, Chief Technology Officer and Chair of the Board of Avanade.
In his new role, Narain will lead Google Cloud’s cloud, developer, data and AI platforms as well as its business teams. In this capacity, he will be responsible for product development, global revenue and go-to-market motions, providing end-to-end leadership from product innovation through global market execution, according to his LinkedIn profile.