Business and technology have become intrinsically fused in more ways than ever, forming a symbiotic relationship that powers world commerce. Thomas Kurian, Chief Executive Officer of Google Cloud, is one leader who has watched the changes firsthand over the last 25 years, and he has also seen transformation in the roles of technology leaders. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal’s CIO Journal, Kurian notes the closer relationship between the chief information officer and their technology teams, noting that CIOs have greater opportunities to build long-term competency, talent capability, and customer satisfaction.
As customer relationships become increasingly digitized, Kurian sees the need for companies to fully understand their data and equip their workforces with the necessary tools to achieve success. He expects organizations in many industries to apply new capabilities to better harness their data and utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence to automate processes and organizations. The CEO also recognizes the ever-growing risk of cybercrime, but emphasizes that by using the appropriate tools and technologies, organizations will be much safer.
