About
I head HR for Google Cloud, APAC and Japan and operate at the intersection of hyper-scale…
Activity
20K followers
-
Shanthi Sundar shared thisTaking a moment on a quiet Saturday morning to reflect on what has been an absolutely extraordinary, high-energy week across APAC and India! 🚀✨ Asia-Pacific is unmatched right now as a true demographic and technological powerhouse—home to 60% of the global population and over 750 million digital natives driving rapid consumer and enterprise AI adoption! With APAC AI spending projected to hit $370 Billion by 2029 (a massive 38.4% CAGR!), this region is easily the most strategic growth frontier in tech today. At Google, our People Operations team leads with a true business-first mindset. We don't just support the business; we are strategic partners driving momentum and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our leaders to realize our most audacious goals. Back in September 2025, we set out on an ambitious mission: establishing our Singapore Engineering Center to power key strategic clients across the region. What started as a daunting challenge became a shining masterclass in collaboration across cross-functional teams and international borders. "Mission First" isn't just a Googley attribute—it's how we show up when the stakes are highest! Fast-forward to Sep 2026, and we officially inaugurated the Google Cloud Singapore Engineering Center (SEC)! 🏢⚡ This center is a monumental leap forward in scaling enterprise AI adoption, advancing frontier tech, and serving as a direct innovation multiplier for the local ecosystem. To top off the week, we spent time in India with our India Development Center Global SteerCo. Reflecting on our journey so far in India and charting the course to empower our Googlers and leaders to innovate from India for the world has been nothing short of inspiring. From Tech & Go-to-Market Innovation sessions to executive customer roundtables and our Annual Cloudscope showcase, it was an action-packed week filled with energy and purpose! We are officially locked in on Mission 2028! 🇮🇳🎯 Huge gratitude to everyone who made this week so special. There is so much more impact ahead, and I can't wait to see what we accomplish together across the region! 💡🚀 Anil Bhansali Karan Bajwa Moe A. Sunil Rao Kerrie Peraino Melissa Morganstein Deepa Chandrasekhar Seeta Rao Jaya Lakshmi Nanda Rajasekaran Dorysa Moore Jisun Park Shraddhanjali Rao WiWi G. Natalie Bayliss Lan Huang Kavita Chakravarthy Chitra Sood #LifeAtGoogle #PeopleOperations
-
Shanthi Sundar shared thisJoin Harshana Ariyaratne and his amazing team! Our awesome Cloud Marketeers are helping build a world class organisation here in the region. There has never been a better time!Shanthi Sundar shared thisPartners are the backbone of our GTM strategy—and we’re looking for someone to help take our ecosystem to the next level! 🤝 We’re hiring a Partner Marketer to join the team in Australia. If you love building relationships, co-marketing with innovative partners, and driving real business impact, this is an awesome opportunity to work directly with a phenomenal partner network. Apply here: https://shorturl.at/QZtXU Know someone who’d be a great fit? Tag them below or drop a message! 🚀 Venugopal DesaiSilvana KozlovicPaul MiglioriniIresha DharmapriyaEmma McCormackKerry LancasterAshley Sims #Hiring #PartnerMarketing #GTM #Jobs #MarketingJobs #PartnerEcosystem
-
Shanthi Sundar shared thisAbsolutely thrilled for Mitesh Agarwal to be leading this organisation for APAC & Japan 👏 I am sure he will do an absolutely brilliant job of leading a high performing team that will help our customers scale with AI rapidly. We are hiring across all our markets! If you are interested to be part of this team & create magic at Google Cloud, reach out to our amazing recruiting partner Marianne Chiang Celeste Huang Ashish Sharma Vanessa Wang Frank BergeronShanthi Sundar shared thisToday we announced a new AI Focused Organization within our Go-To-Market team to help bring our customers closer to our products, agent platform, engineering and research teams. As part of this expansion, we are investing in hiring additional Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) to help us scale customer AI transformation. While having FDEs is not new for Google Cloud, the demand from customers and partners for Google enterprise AI products and Google engineers to help them embrace agent development is growing very rapidly. This is in addition to our recently announced $750 million Ecosystem Commitment to deliver new resources and incentives to partners in our 120,000-member ecosystem to help accelerate joint customers transformations with agentic AI. If you are a builder who wants to work on the world's largest stages and be at the center of the Agentic Era—join us. https://lnkd.in/guSeHkCe
-
Shanthi Sundar reposted thisThrilled to take on this new role to lead our AI Technical GTM Organisation for Asia Pacific & Japan at Google Cloud. This newly formed organization has a vital mission: bringing our customers directly into the orbit of Google’s core product engineering and research teams to radically accelerate their AI deployment. Our core theme is - From Pilots n Prototypes to Production. None of this happens without visionary leadership. Huge thank you to Thomas Kurian, Matt Renner, Karan Bajwa, Moe A., Oliver Parker, Saurabh Tiwary, Brian Delahunty, Michael Gerstenhaber, Jamie de Guerre, Carrie Tharp, Kelly Bailey, Leslie Thompson, Shanthi Sundar, Seeta Rao, Harsha Konduri, David Levitch Dave Cahill Aakruti Mehta, Tomoko Mikami, Yuta Hono. Can’t wait to lock arms with Ravi Rajamani and Raghvender Arni to make this vision a reality. Come and join the best team in the business. We are hiring for open roles across all of our JAPAC locations. Please apply on our careers portal. https://lnkd.in/e6aCximD Marianne Chiang Celeste Huang Navneet Kaur Ashish Sharma Frank Bergeron Vanessa Wang Chad Moodaley Emilia, Ming Yin Sol Park Ephin Jose Michi (Michiaki Ono)Shanthi Sundar reposted thisToday we announced a new AI Focused Organization within our Go-To-Market team to help bring our customers closer to our products, agent platform, engineering and research teams. As part of this expansion, we are investing in hiring additional Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) to help us scale customer AI transformation. While having FDEs is not new for Google Cloud, the demand from customers and partners for Google enterprise AI products and Google engineers to help them embrace agent development is growing very rapidly. This is in addition to our recently announced $750 million Ecosystem Commitment to deliver new resources and incentives to partners in our 120,000-member ecosystem to help accelerate joint customers transformations with agentic AI. If you are a builder who wants to work on the world's largest stages and be at the center of the Agentic Era—join us. https://lnkd.in/guSeHkCe
-
Shanthi Sundar shared thisAccelerate 2026.. just Wow 🤩 it was a celebration of a fantastic 2025 for #GoogleCloud and a start of another incredible year-to-be for us! ~5k Googlers in #Dubai…different regions, different journeys, yet one vision - to meet the moment! It was indeed energising to see the opportunity ahead of us - to be the #1 AI hyperscaler and help our customers transform their business. Hearing Matt Renner lay the vision for our future ahead, Karan Bajwa painting the picture for APAC and the inspiring plans of Tomoko Mikami for Japan was indeed the highlight! I also had the privilege of co-delivering a session with the amazing Paul Migliorini, focusing on empowering our leaders to be future-ready and lead their teams with even greater impact. As a HR professional, I truly believe this is OUR moment. We have once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve as architects of the human-AI workforce, accelerating both our people and our business. Beyond the sessions, the magic was in the connections made with global colleagues against the stunning Dubai skyline 🏙️✨ FY 26 - will we meet the moment? Absolutely! Let’s go 💪🏻 Karan Bajwa Moe A. Tomoko Mikami Paul Migliorini Baerbel Ostertag Nikhila Krishnan Kevin Lucas, PHR
-
Shanthi Sundar shared thisGreat opportunity to work in a fantastic team and in the best of tech. Come join us if you want a fabulous career Lan Huang Marianne Chiang Celeste Huang Ashish Sharma
-
Shanthi Sundar shared thisSuch an incredible investment as we continue to build and grow in India! Truly a monumental moment 🎉👏🏻Shanthi Sundar shared thisA monumental leap for India's tech future!#BharatAIShakti Google's massive $15 Billion investment towards a new AI Data Centre in Visakhapatnam is a true game-changer. This isn't just a major project; it's Google's largest-ever investment outside the United States, positioning Andhra Pradesh as a key hub on the global AI map. This will do more than just boost our digital infrastructure—it's set to empower critical sectors like healthcare, education, and agriculture, fueling a new wave of innovation and opportunity across the nation. Exciting times ahead for #DigitalIndia! #IndiaAI Read more → https://goo.gle/4omzBev #Google #AI #TechInvestment #FutureOfTech #Innovation #AndhraPradesh #MakeInIndia #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026
-
Shanthi Sundar shared thisSometimes you are wondering why you have to make a change, when everything's going just fine…until you actually do! It’s been 4 weeks since I moved to this city, I will eventually call home - Singapore! I have come to this city many many times in the past with my family for holidays & business trips. But I never thought I would move here one day, yet here I am! As with any move, the initial weeks have been stressful - packing/unpacking, missing family, new city & its norms, new people and a zillion other things. Can’t thank my husband Sundar Vadivel Uthaman enough for giving me the nudge every time I doubt myself - he’s the wind beneath my wings! With a full fledged career himself he was happy for me to pursue this adventure while juggling his work as well as personal commitments (managing our 2 children who are ready to go off to university at the same time can be a full time job in itself 🙂) As I was dabbling with this decision and eventually made the move, there were many people who helped me. Tracey Arnish for always being there, Baerbel Ostertag for sharing her own experiences, Kieran M. who gave me all the tips for SG, my colleagues in Singapore always looking to offer help (that includes taking me out for dinner :).. thank you Anny Tampling Roman Matla Jisun Park Natalie Bayliss) and of course my incredible team who help me everyday! Thank you so much for being there! #lifeatgoogle #newexperiences
-
Shanthi Sundar reposted thisShanthi Sundar reposted this🚀 Join Our Google Cloud Hyderabad Team and Revolutionize Cloud Observability! We are currently building a Hyderabad-based team dedicated to Google Cloud Observability. We're seeking a passionate leader and driven Product Manager to join us in revolutionizing how enterprises monitor and optimize their applications and infrastructure on Google Cloud. Google Cloud Observability is a suite of services that provide businesses with comprehensive insights into the behavior, health, and performance of their applications. It offers integrated monitoring, logging, and trace managed services for applications and systems running both on Google Cloud and external platforms. By providing end-to-end visibility, Google Cloud Observability empowers businesses to improve application performance, reliability, and responsiveness. Ready to build the future of the cloud? Apply now for the Group Product Manager using below link Group Product Manager, Cloud Observability (https://lnkd.in/gebst3_v) At Google, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone thrives. We strongly encourage applications from women, individuals from ethnic minority groups, and persons with diverse abilities. #GoogleCloud #GoogleIndia #TechLeadership #GenerativeAI #CloudNative #Innovation #DiversityAndInclusion Rami Shalom, Mary Koes, Marc Unangst, John Brier, Bhavesh Solanki
Shanthi Sundar replied to a comment
6d
Baerbel Ostertag thank you for your partnership 🙏🏻
-
Shanthi Sundar liked thisShanthi Sundar liked this“Don’t look at the line. Look at the person you’re serving.” My father gave me that advice when I was a young girl helping in my grandfather’s grocery store in North Carolina. On busy payday evenings, I would look at the long line of customers waiting and worry about how quickly I could get everyone through. My father reminded me to stop looking at the line—and focus on the person standing in front of me. Decades later, that lesson still shapes how I think about leadership. I had the opportunity to share that story this week at Happiness Camp in Porto, Portugal, during a fireside chat with my colleague Kelsey Robb titled “Moments That Matter. Moments That Motivate.” We talked about something that feels increasingly important in a world of constant change: the moments people remember are often the smallest ones. The manager who puts down the phone and really listens. The colleague who makes space for another voice in the room. The leader who notices a contribution and takes the time to say thank you. The person who makes someone else feel seen. And as AI gives us the ability to automate more of the tasks that consume our time, I believe we have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to think carefully about what we do with that increased capacity. Technology can give us back time. What we do with that time is a human choice. My hope is that we use more of it for the things technology cannot replace: judgment, empathy, connection, recognition, and care. Thank you to Happiness Camp for creating a space for leaders from around the world to explore happiness, well-being, and the future of work—and to Kelsey for such a thoughtful conversation. I left Porto thinking about the same lesson my father taught me all those years ago: Whatever else is competing for our attention, never lose sight of the person in front of you. That may be one of the smallest acts of leadership. And one of the moments that matters most. #HappinessCamp #Leadership #FutureOfWork #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCulture #AI
-
Shanthi Sundar reacted on thisShanthi Sundar reacted on this🇸🇬 Last week, I found myself in a room full of quiet extraordinary people; and somehow, I was one of the stories being told. I was honoured to be recognised by Singapore Silent Heroes • Ordinary Humans. Extraordinary Humanity. as one of the community leaders shaping this country from the ground up, and to receive this from Minister Edwin Tong SC made the moment even more meaningful. But if I'm honest, the recognition wasn't the part that moved me most. It was the room. Twenty stories, not the ones you hear in mainstream media. A cancer survivor who turned his own fight into a lifeline for others still in theirs. Former patients who came back, not because they had to, but because they couldn't imagine not showing up for the next person walking the path they once walked. Migrant workers who, with so little asked of them, gave so much anyway. Each story carried the same quiet thread: purpose that asks for nothing in return. Sitting there, I kept thinking about something I've believed for a long time; community work shouldn't be an occasional act. It should be woven into how we live, day to day, person to person. Singapore, at its best, gets this right. Not through grand gestures, but through people who simply decide, again and again, to show up for one another. Being included among these 20 stories is not something I take lightly. And it's definitely not a finish line, it's a checkpoint that tells me the direction I've been walking in is the right one. And more than that, it's a nudge. A reminder that there's so much more room to give, to build, to show up. To everyone I met that night, thank you for reminding me why this work matters. And to Singapore Silent Heroes and Minister Tong, thank you for creating a space where these stories, so often untold, finally get their moment. 🤝 Here's to doing more. Quietly, consistently, and together, because doing good, feels good. To everyone who was there that night to cheer along (you know who you are), thank you, I'm so grateful 🧿 Official press release : https://lnkd.in/gVb4hQr8 #SSH2026 🇸🇬
-
Shanthi Sundar liked thisShanthi Sundar liked thisSNW was in Singapore. Almost everyone we work with was in town. So we did some simple network planning: one location, shortest path the Google office. :-) Meetings by day. Dinner and drinks by night .GNA APAC Connect2026. For many of us, our first party inside a Google office. Times are changing.. We spent two days before Connect with the team working through our plan, arguing on a few things and agreeing on most.The plan mattered. The time together mattered more.. I also had one selfish reason. I wanted Vivek Jhamb to meet everyone ASAP so he could start fast. Two days. All introductions done.. Because the next chapter won’t be built over email or GVC. Big thank you to everyone who joined us, and to the team who pulled it all together. Oops, we didn’t visit SNW. Maybe next time? :-)
-
Shanthi Sundar liked thisShanthi Sundar liked thisI’m pleased to share that I will be speaking at the 5th Annual Southeast Asia HR Expo & Symposium 2026 in Manila! Aligned with this year’s theme, “Redesigning Work: Where Humans and AI Win Together,” I’ll be contributing to two distinct sessions: i) From Chatbots to Autonomous Colleagues and ii) Designing High-Impact Business Outcomes Thank you to Advanced Learning Programs and Rhea Dalisay for the invitation. Event Details: Dates: October 6–7, 2026 Venue: Novotel Manila Araneta City Details & Passes: https://lnkd.in/gNVdaPnn (Attending with your team? Reach out to Rhea Dalisay at rhea@alprograms.com / 0917-123-9204 using code HRSPEAKER_(Sid) for an exclusive 15% discount or 3+1 package). See you in Manila! #SEAHRES2026 #FutureOfWork #HRLeadership #AIInHR #WorkforceStrategy #StrategicHR #ResponsibleAI
-
Shanthi Sundar liked thisShanthi Sundar liked thisAmazon ($AMZN) chief executive Andy Jassy has a clear enemy in his sights. "The reality is that the S team and I hate bureaucracy," he told employees during a company-wide meeting, laying out plans to strip away management layers. Jassy set a goal to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by 15%, pushing ownership further down the organization. The aim, he explained, is to speed up decisions and keep teams accountable rather than layering on approvals before anything can move. "The goal again is to allow us to have higher ownership and to move more quickly," Jassy said. To root out red tape, the company set up a Bureaucracy Mailbox where staff can flag needless processes, and it has already acted on more than 150 suggestions. The push reflects a broader worry that size can slow a company down. Jassy has argued that as Amazon has grown into one of the world's largest employers, extra management layers can dull the urgency and ownership that powered its rise in the first place. Cloud computing remains a major profit engine through Amazon Web Services, the division Jassy ran before becoming CEO and now led by Matt Garman. Jassy framed the leaner structure as a way to protect the fast-moving, builder culture that made the company what it is, treating bureaucracy as a threat to be managed rather than an inevitable cost of scale.
-
Shanthi Sundar reacted on thisShanthi Sundar reacted on thisFor the last 15 years or more, I’ve kept a practice that surprises many of my executive peers: I write everything down by hand in paper diaries. Not only because I am a creature of habit, but also because I’ve found the ability to retain information better when I am writing. Ever had the feeling that you had a word stuck on the tip of your tongue, but you just couldn’t get it out? It’s called lethologica—another situation I’ve noticed handwriting helps clear up. I know, today, analogue note-taking seems like an anomaly. Yet, it remains my most effective strategic tool for driving clarity, aligning teams, and solving complex board-level problems. This habit is anchored in Kidlin’s Law: "If you can write down a problem clearly, you have already solved half of it." Neuroscientific studies, including research from Harvard Business Review and the Journal of Educational Psychology, confirm that handwriting engages deeper neural pathways than typing. The physical act slows down the brain just enough to process, distill, and synthesize information rather than merely transcribing it. Analog writing introduces intentional friction. It forces you to curate your thoughts before committing them to paper. Even as an executive, half the battle is won when my team and I get on the same page by clearly understanding the problem. Before allocating capital, approving a major transformation, or setting strategic direction, ask yourself: Have we written down the exact problem in plain, unvarnished terms? Clarity in definition is the single greatest precursor to speed in execution. Perhaps this isn’t for everyone; perhaps you find solace in typing the problem out in an email thoroughly to be addressed later, but just sharing my practice, tried and tested. :) #KidlinsLaw #ProblemSolving #StrategicClarity #Leadership #DecisionMaking
-
Shanthi Sundar reacted on thisShanthi Sundar reacted on thisSomething strange happens as your parents grow older. I started a ritual last year - to go on a vacation with my parents once a year. Just the 3 of us. And it was incredible. We did it again this year - in Japan. My parents are 74 and 72 years old. I hold their hands while they walk. I scold them because they use their phone on loudspeaker. I have to make sure they don't keep eating (or watching) junk. To be careful while walking down the stairs. Teach them how to use the phone for their benefit. Not to be nice to everyone being nice to them. I realised - my parents have basically become my kids! Such a weird circle of life. They raised you. Taught you everything you know. And now you have to guide them. Make sure they follow everything they taught you. At the same time, it is a wonderful blessing, no? It is an unexplainable feeling to hold your mother's hand and walk the streets of a new city, as she gazes in wonder. And pride.
Experience
Education
Honors & Awards
-
Executive Talent Pool
-
Part of a cohort of Executive Talent Pool at MphasiS. Benefitted from exclusive structured development programs meant for high potentials as part of this. Less than 2% get nominated for this after an extensive Talent Review Process
-
Business Leader - Corporate Services
-
Recognised at the MphasiS Annual Awards for having led the HR Technology Transformation globally which led to the HR function being more efficient and effective
-
Top Gun Award
-
Rewarded for exceptional support to business. Amongst the 4 people recognised by the Managing Director that year
-
Best Outgoing Student
Mary Clubwala Jadhav Endowment Fund
Adjudged as the best outgoing student for overall academic proficiency and beyond academics performance
-
University Gold Medallist
Madras University
-
National Sports scholarship
-
Awarded National Sports scholarship for 3 consecutive years for leading the Madras region National Hockey Team during high school years.
Recommendations received
13 people have recommended Shanthi
Join now to viewOther similar profiles
Explore more posts
-
Manish H. S.
We are shaping a watershed moment in human history as intelligence becomes embedded in every experience, workflow, and decision. The promise of AI in healthcare stands among the most profound of these shifts, opening the door to truly personalized, predictive, and proactive medicine for all. With ServiceNow as the AI platform for business transformation, this vision becomes tangible—unifying data, workflows, and intelligent automation so healthcare systems can move from reactive treatment to connected, human‑centered care at scale. By orchestrating AI‑powered workflows across clinical, operational, and patient experience domains, ServiceNow is helping turn fragmented processes into seamless journeys that deliver better outcomes for every individual. Gratitude runs deep for the opportunity to participate in this pivotal chapter of history—working with ServiceNow and partners across the healthcare ecosystem to reimagine what care can be. The coming years will reveal how far AI‑driven platforms and intelligent workflows can elevate human potential, and there is every reason to be optimistic about what awaits patients, caregivers, and communities worldwide.
2 Comments -
Ruchika Kinger
The ETHRWorld Thrive 2026 – Bengaluru Edition, in partnership with Optum, was an evening of shared insights and lived experiences anchored in a powerful idea: an intelligent enterprise is ultimately powered by human energy, connection and wellbeing. Industry leaders converged to explore wellbeing as culture, leadership responsibility and everyday practice. Amit Vaish, Vice President and Head, Human Capital, Optum India, delivered a keynote and joined the panel discussion on “Trust, Talent & the Human Energy Engine of the Modern Enterprise,” in conversation with Sunaina Kaul (Qualcomm), Chitbhanu Nagri (Razorpay), and Govindraj M K (Myntra), moderated by Yasmin Taj (The Economic Times). He shared perspectives on human centered leadership, emotional safety, and building the conditions for sustainable performance through trust and connection The evening also featured a keynote by Gul Panag: “beyond the smile: what we don’t see about mental health in high-functioning professionals” – a timely reminder of the invisible pressures many carry at work. #Thrive2025 #Bengaluru #Optum #WellbeingAtWork #HumanCentricLeadership #FutureOfWork #TrustAtWork #EmotionalSafety #WorkCulture #Leadership
Explore collaborative articles
We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.
Explore More