Who is Karthik Narain? Who joins Google Cloud as Chief Product & Business Officer, Know more

Google Cloud has named Karthik Narain , former CTO of Accenture, as its new Chief Product & Business Officer. In a LinkedIn post announcing Narain’s hiring, Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said the new executive would lead product and engineering teams for cloud, developer, data and applied AI, as well as the go-to-market organisation, working in close collaboration with Google Public Sector. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google LLC, followed up quickly with a welcome message.

On LinkedIn, Kurian wrote: “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 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.”

In a LinkedIn response, Narain 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. 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.”

Pichai, in his own post, also highlighted the significance of the hire, writing: “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!”

Why this matters?

Narain’s new role as Chief Product & Business Officer is a reflection of Google Cloud’s focus on evolving its foundational capabilities in AI and cloud technology into commercialised, enterprise-ready products and services. By merging “product” and “business” roles in one executive position, the company is also bringing greater alignment between its go-to-market and engineering functions. This is important for enterprise tech players, which face challenges in moving beyond ideation to deliver solutions that can be productised and used by customers in real-world applications.

About Karthik Narain

Prior to joining Google Cloud, Narain was CTO at Accenture. During his tenure there, he oversaw the global technology consulting business across Fortune 500 clients. From 2005–15, Narain held senior leadership positions at HCLTech, including Vice President and Vertical Head for High Tech, Software & Platforms and Automotive. Narain earned a master’s degree in computer systems and business from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli.

With Narain now on board, expectations will mount on Google Cloud to demonstrate how the company will speed up product-roll-outs, strengthen its engagement in the enterprise space and convert its AI ambitions into products.