Who is Karthik Narain? Former Accenture CTO welcomed by Sundar Pichai after taking top role at Google Cloud

Google Cloud has appointed Karthik Narain, former Chief Technology Officer at Accenture, as its new Chief Product and Business Officer. Google CEO Sundar Pichai welcomed him to the leadership team and highlighted his role in advancing artificial intelligence and enterprise technology.

Sundar Pichai, in a LinkedIn post, said, “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!” he wrote.

On Tuesday, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian announced Karthik Narain's appointment via a LinkedIn post. “Today we welcome Karthik Narain to Google Cloud as Chief Product & Business Officer.”

Kurian said, “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. Welcome to the team, Karthik!”

Karthik Narain responds to the post

Karthik Narain shared Kurian’s post on his LinkedIn handle and expressed excitement for the new role. “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 wrote in the post.

He said the role is an “incredible opportunity” to merge his expertise in engineering and product strategy, his experience with enterprise systems and business processes, and Google’s advanced 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 wrote.

All about Karthik Narain

Before joining Google Cloud, Karthik Narain held a prominent position as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Accenture. According to a report by Business World, he had previously served as the Group Executive - Technology of Accenture.

Between 2005 and 2015, he worked at HLCTech as the company's Vice President and Vertical Head for High Tech, Software & Platforms, and Automotive, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also worked with Infosys for five years, between 2000 and 2005, as a Senior Relationship Manager of Financial Services.

Narain holds a Master’s degree in Computer Systems and Business from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli.