Former Google Executive Aparna Chennapragada Joins Microsoft as Corporate Vice President Leading Generative AI
- The move is significant given the rivalry in artificial intelligence between the two tech giants led by Indian Americans.
Former Google and Robinhood executive Aparna Chennapragada has joined Microsoft as a corporate vice president leading generative AI efforts in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Designer. A tech industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in product development, design, and strategy, the Indian American was most recently chief product officer of stock trading app Robinhood.
“The move comes amid an intense rivalry between Google and Microsoft in artificial intelligence,” according to Information, a publication committed to original reporting and in-depth analysis of the technology industry.
“I’ve always thrived on building and scaling products that combine deep foundational technology and intuitive user experience to solve customer problems,” she said in a LinkedIn post announcing her new position. Generative AI gives “an opportunity to build products that instantly and easily bring your intent and imagination to life,” she said, adding that she’s “super excited” to join Microsoft. “I’m looking forward to diving in and putting AI to use to unleash our collective creativity.”
Chennapragada joined Robinhood after 12 years of leadership at Google, where she led product, engineering, and design teams, across Google Search, Shopping and AR. She began her career with the internet giant in 2008, having joined a team to develop algorithmic features for YouTube and Google News. She was most recently vice president for Consumer Shopping and the lead for AR and visual search products. Before this role, she was the technical assistant to the CEO, where she shaped the company’s product strategy and was a trusted advisor to Google’s leadership on company-wide initiatives. She led multiple product efforts in Google Assistant, Search, and YouTube throughout her tenure at Google.
She has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Capital One, which offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services
She received her B.Tech in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras; a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Texas, Austin; and another Master’s in Management and Engineering from MIT, as per her LinkedIn profile.