Sage Eyes Long-term AI Powered Growth with New Exec Hires

The enterprise software company Sage has appointed two new leaders with the aim of accelerating its AI growth strategy.

The business has hired Krish Vitaldevara as Chief Product Officer and Anand Swaminathan as Chief Strategy Officer. Both appointments signal the company's commitment to AI-powered product development and technology-led growth as it targets the global SMB software market.

AI-first product leadership

Krish will join Sage's Executive Leadership Team on 18 May, with Anand following on 15 June. Both executives will be based in San Jose, California.

The hires come as Sage positions its platform around AI-enabled workflows and intelligent automation. The company provides business management software that integrates financial operations, payroll and HR functions.

Steve Hare, the CEO of Sage, says: "Krish and Anand are proven leaders with deep experience building and scaling world-class products and businesses."

"Their appointments reflect our continued investment in innovation and growth and I'm excited about the impact they'll have for our customers, colleagues and partners."

Technology leadership from scale enterprises

As Chief Product Officer, Krish will be leading Sage's product and platform strategy across its global operations. His role includes overseeing the innovation roadmap and ensuring delivery of AI solutions at enterprise scale.

Krish has more than 25 years of experience across technology companies including Salesforce, Google, Microsoft and NetApp. He most recently served as General Manager and Executive Vice President at Salesforce, where he led integration work following the company's acquisition of Informatica.

His background spans AI platforms and distributed systems architecture. He holds more than 30 patents in areas including trust and safety, anomaly detection and large-scale systems.

"I'm excited to be joining Sage at such an important moment for the business," Krish says. 

"Sage has a unique purpose, a strong customer focus and culture and a compelling opportunity to lead in intelligent, trusted solutions for small and medium-sized businesses."

"I'm looking forward to working with the team to continue evolving the product portfolio and delivering meaningful impact for customers."

Strategy for AI transformation

Anand will oversee corporate strategy, growth priorities and long-term value creation as Chief Strategy Officer. He will work with the executive team to define strategic direction.

Anand joins Sage from McKinsey, where he was a Senior Partner advising organisations on AI transformation, enterprise strategy and technology-enabled growth. His earlier work at Accenture Digital involved scaling capabilities across data, cloud and digital product development.

His experience combines advisory work with operational execution in technology companies. The appointment positions Sage to compete as AI reshapes enterprise software markets.

"Sage has a clear strategy and a powerful position in the market," Anand says.

"I'm thrilled to join the business and to help shape the next phase of growth, building on Sage's strengths and ensuring we continue to create long-term value for customers, colleagues and shareholders."

Platform approach to AI

The appointments come as Sage develops its AI-powered business management platform. The company's software connects SMB operations across customers, suppliers, employees and financial institutions.

This platform approach aims to reduce manual processes and enable real-time data insights. Enterprise software companies are increasingly building integrated business operating systems, where core software becomes a hub for broader operational workflows powered by AI.