Mr. Kunal Sekhri
Senior Software Engineer at Google
An Exclusive Conversation with Maria Holmes, Editor-in-Chief of CIOTODAY, Unveiling the Remarkable Journey of Mr. Kunal Sekhri
Mr. Kunal Sekhri for being awarded “Cloud Tech Leader of The Year – Information Technology (USA)”
Turning a stone(code) every day. Fail fast and grow faster.
- Can you walk us through your professional journey till now along with the key responsibilities and objectives you’re currently focused on?
- What would be your future endeavors and where do you see yourself in the near future?
- Could you share some professional and personal recognition & accolades that you must have achieved in your career?
In my career, I’ve been fortunate to receive recognition for both my technical skills and leadership. Academically, I excelled at top institutions like Carnegie Mellon and Stanford, even scoring in the 98th percentile on the GRE. My research in machine learning and computer vision led to publications and recognition in the field.
Professionally, I’ve consistently driven innovation at companies like VMware and Google. At VMware, I was instrumental in developing their hybrid cloud offering, a project featured in TechCrunch and Forbes. This involved building core components and APIs that enabled companies like MIT to migrate their workloads to the cloud.
At Google Cloud, I spearheaded initiatives to democratize AI and cloud computing. I led the development of the Trusted Tester program, which has helped millions of users adopt Google’s generative AI services. This program was so successful that it was covered extensively in the media, from TechCrunch to The Indian Express. I also focused on helping startups thrive in the cloud, leading to a 50% increase in applications for Google’s startup program.
My work has been recognized through invitations to judge prestigious awards such as Edison Awards, CalHacks and more. I’m also a senior member of the IEEE and a mentor at TechStarts, reflecting my commitment to giving back to the community.
- For the upcoming generation of young and passionate ones aspiring to work and succeed in this competitive field just like you have been, what advice & tips would you give them?For the younger generation of professionals in the technology field my advice would be to always stay curious and ask” how things work” or “why are they designed in a particular way”. As Steve Jobs said, “Stay hungry. Stay Foolish”. Curiosity and Hard Work are two key traits which go a long distance in the ever-changing world of technology.
My career has focused on making technology more accessible and impactful. From unlocking the VMware hypervisor capabilities for enterprises to democratising the access of AI through Google Cloud, I’ve always enjoyed solving complex challenges. At Google Cloud, I’m now focused on using AI to revolutionize how customers discover and implement cloud solutions, simplifying their journey and driving business growth.
My future focus is on democratizing AI. With that objective, I would continue pushing the boundaries of AI-driven solutions and make them accessible to everyone for maximizing the positive impact. I’m particularly excited about exploring how AI along with human collective wisdom can unlock the next age of Intelligence Revolution and thereby prosperity for the world.
Mr. Kunal Sekhri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalsekhri/
