OK Google: Until We Meet Again... Hola Santander!

That was yesterday...

It seems like just yesterday when I left SAP and joined Google. It's been three and a half years in my Google journey, one which has given me a lifetime of learning experiences. I started in Google for Work before it became Google Cloud and got to build out a team that shaped and helped launch Google App Maker, a platform and product that allowed users to build enterprise applications quickly.  It was challenging, fun and exciting to pioneer and shape the first enterprise only product inside the Google Apps Suite, and set the stage for other enterprise products within the Suite. The customers loved it, the partners loved it, and we were in the "flow" zone!

Ain't no mountain high enough...

Next came the platform ecosystem for Google Cloud - across Google Cloud Platform, Google Apps, and other Google enterprise offerings. We built an awesome team to drive platform adoption by partners, developers, and startups - showcasing their successes at Google Next . Building and "10x" scaling the platform ecosystem for Google Cloud was not easy and this journey taught us a how to innovate and operate at scale. That led me to take on a stint in the Ads business, to understand and help streamline support at scale. It helped me appreciate the magnitude of the Ads business and what makes big G tick (and funds our investment in other areas!)

Don't stop believin...

And all this while "doing no evil" / "doing the right thing", learning how to memegen, TGIFs on Thursdays, learning that there's a "go/ link" for everything, giving a Google tour to friends and family a few times a month, changing desks and offices, monthly at times, without batting an eyelid, finding creative ways to sit and work on those long gBus journeys, discovering what's unique in each Google office I visited around the world, being a Googler when we were the most capitalized company in the world, when we went from being a big number (Google) to the grand Alphabet...and so many other things that only Googlers get to do and be....these were some I could publicly talk about (and had not written about before here!) The experience has been fabulous and frankly Google becomes a way of life making it very hard to leave (half of my friends and family kept asking if I was ok when I told them I was leaving Google!)

We are the champions...

Most importantly however, what makes Google tick are its employees. I've had the pleasure of getting to know so many of them, each bringing immense value, creativity and integrity to the table. I saw how the employees are a force together, becoming Google's moral compass and doing everything they can to keep the high standards Google set for itself since it was a startup. It's the employees who are the lifeblood of Google and its innovative ways and I'm honored to have been part of this crew. Thank you to all of you for being friends, colleagues, a guiding light in my Google journey and inspiring me to do and be my best. Here's wishing you and Google all the best for the future and hope our paths will cross soon.

Not Goodbye. See you later...

My Google journey began 3.5 years ago in a serendipitous fashion. Serendipity strikes again and this time it has taken me away from Google.  I am going to explore my passion for platforms in a new direction, and help build and deliver an open digital business platform for the financial services industry. The opportunity to deliver a disruptive financial services platform and impact the transformation of the industry while working with equally awesome people was too much to pass up. Now I'll be on the other side and look to collaborate and drive the evolution of cloud platforms in financial technology

Until we meet again! Phir Milenge!! Auf Wiedersehen!!!

UPDATE: Hola Santander!!!

At the time of publishing this blog, the news is out this morning. I have joined Banco Santander as their chief platform officer. Humbled and excited by this opportunity and looking forward to working with all the driven and fun people I've met at Santander and all of you who care about building the most kickass open financial services platform. Stay tuned ...