TLDR: Google Cloud has announced the appointment of Karthik Narain, a seasoned technology executive and former Accenture Group Chief Executive of Technology, as its first Chief Product & Business Officer. Narain will lead product, engineering, and go-to-market teams, with a strong focus on accelerating customers’ AI transformation journeys and driving digital innovation across cloud, data, and applied AI.
Google Cloud has made a significant strategic move by appointing Karthik Narain, a distinguished veteran from Accenture, as its inaugural Chief Product & Business Officer. This appointment, effective October 25, 2025, underscores Google Cloud’s intensified focus on artificial intelligence, enterprise solutions, and accelerating customer digital transformation.
Narain brings over 25 years of extensive experience in the technology consulting industry. Prior to joining Google Cloud, he served as Group Chief Executive of Technology, Chief Technology Officer, and Chair of the Board of Avanade at Accenture. In these roles, he was instrumental in shaping Accenture’s technology vision and strategy, overseeing its market-leading Cloud-First and Data & AI businesses. His expertise spans critical areas including cloud, data & AI, security, enterprise and industry platforms, developer tools, and application & infrastructure engineering. He has a proven track record of leading major cloud and AI-based modernization projects for Fortune 4000 companies and public sector entities globally.
In his new capacity at Google Cloud, Narain will be responsible for leading product and engineering teams across cloud, developer, data, and Applied AI. He will also oversee the go-to-market organization and work closely with Google Public Sector. His mandate includes driving product development, global revenue, and strategic go-to-market initiatives.
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian welcomed Narain, stating, “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.” Google CEO Sundar Pichai also emphasized Narain’s pivotal role, noting, “Karthik will partner closely with our Cloud customers as they transform their businesses with AI. He will help accelerate the strong growth we are already seeing in Google Cloud.”
Narain himself expressed enthusiasm for the new role, stating on LinkedIn, “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-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!”
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This appointment comes at a period of rapid growth for Google Cloud, which recently launched Gemini Enterprise, its AI-powered platform, receiving strong customer response. Narain’s leadership is expected to unify Google’s developer tools and AI offerings into a cohesive product vision, further solidifying Google Cloud’s position in the competitive enterprise AI market. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli, India.
