Google Cloud Starts New ‘Strategic’ Unit, Names Umesh Vemuri to Run It

Google Cloud has created a new division — the Global Strategic Customers and Industries organization — and named Umesh Vemuri to run it.

Vemuri will not directly interact with the channel in his new role. However, Google Cloud partners will be able to resell and service the solutions built by Vemuri’s teams.

Google Cloud’s Umesh Vemuri

“Umesh will help coordinate the work of Google Cloud’s industry solutions team and some of the deeper vertical partnerships the company has with industry ISVs, ensuring we’re delivering joint value to customers,” Google Cloud told Channel Futures via a prepared statement. “As an example, we recently partnered with C3.ai to drive joint offers in retail, manufacturing, public sector, etc., and this involved mapping our solutions with theirs, eliminating any potential channel conflict and creating joint go-to-market sales motions.

The strategy ties to Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian’s commitment that partners are involved in all deals. That includes, Google Cloud said, the cross-product area deals driven by Vemuri’s team.

Google Cloud bills the Global Strategic Customer and Industries organization as one that connects customers “across all industries, to the best technologies and services across Google and Google Cloud.”

More About Umesh Vemuri

Vemuri has worked at Google for 10 years. He started as the head of sales engineering for the U.S. federal government unit within Google Enterprise. He moved over to Google Cloud in 2017. Vemuri comes to his new job after spending nine months as the general manager of strategic projects at Google Cloud. During that time, he helped secure significant deals with big-name customers including Ford, Mayo Clinic and Deutsche Bank.

Vemuri now reports directly to Kurian and will keep focusing on partnerships with enterprises, as well as specific verticals. Over the past two years or so, Google Cloud has made no secret of its intent to gain a foothold in 10 prime sectors: healthcare and life sciences; retail; consumer packaged goods; financial services; telco; media and entertainment; gaming; manufacturing and industrial; supply chain and logistics; and public sector.

As Umesh Vemuri Steps in, Lori Mitchell-Keller Moves on

Meanwhile, the appointment of Vemuri coincides with the exit of Lori Mitchell-Keller. She served as vice president of industry solutions for two years. (Prior to that, she was with SAP for almost 14 years.) Of Mitchell-Keller’s departure, Google Cloud says in a prepared statement: “[W]e wish her the best in her next opportunity.”

Google Cloud has undergone some notable executive shakeups over the past several months. Earlier this year, Kevin Ichhpurani took over as head of channel; Carolee Gearhart left and is now chief revenue officer at Gympass. Last month, news broke that Rob Enslin, president of Google Cloud for a little more than three years, was leaving to become co-CEO of a robotic process automation firm. (Like Mitchell-Keller, Enslin hailed from SAP.) And John Jester, who was the vice president of customer experience, also left at the same time as Enslin.

The personnel changes come not long after Google Cloud parent Alphabet reported weak first quarter earnings and revenues. Despite slightly beating revenue estimates of $5.8 billion, Google Cloud’s $931 million loss surpassed the expected $893.2 million shortfall. Nevertheless, Google Cloud revenue increased 44% quarter-over-quarter.