Google Cloud Appoints Former Accenture CTO to Key AI Leadership Role
Google Cloud has named Karthik Narain, former Chief Technology Officer at Accenture, as its first Chief Product and Business Officer. Both Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian welcomed Narain, emphasizing his critical role in advancing artificial intelligence and enterprise technology solutions.
Key Takeaways
- Karthik Narain appointed as Google Cloud’s first Chief Product & Business Officer
- Former Accenture CTO brings over 25 years of tech consulting experience
- Will lead product, engineering, and go-to-market teams across cloud and AI
- Focus on accelerating customer transformation with AI technologies
Leadership Welcome Messages
Google CEO Sundar Pichai welcomed Narain in a LinkedIn post, stating:
“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.”
Pichai also highlighted the recent positive response to Gemini Enterprise, indicating more innovations to come under Narain’s leadership.
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian announced the appointment, outlining Narain’s comprehensive responsibilities:
“He will lead product and engineering teams across cloud, developer, data and Applied AI, the go-to-market organisation, 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.”
Narain’s Response and Vision
Karthik Narain expressed excitement about his new role, sharing Kurian’s post on LinkedIn with his own statement:
“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.”
He described the position as an “incredible opportunity” to combine his engineering expertise, enterprise systems experience, and Google’s AI innovations to drive digital transformation for customers.
Career Background
Before joining Google Cloud, Narain served as Chief Technology Officer at Accenture and previously as Group Executive – Technology. His extensive career includes:
- HLCTech (2005-2015): Vice President and Vertical Head for High Tech, Software & Platforms, and Automotive
- Infosys (2000-2005): Senior Relationship Manager of Financial Services
Narain holds a Master’s degree in Computer Systems and Business from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli.
