Gautam Ramdurai

PROFILE

Gautam Ramdurai is a seasoned leader at the intersection of technology and culture, renowned for his ability to drive business growth and solve complex problems through innovative approaches. With a diverse background spanning continents and industries, Gautam brings a unique perspective to his work, having lived and worked in India, the USA, the UK and Singapore.

His career journey showcases a rich tapestry of experiences, from his early days as a strategist at Google Creative Lab, where he honed his skills in business, product, and marketing strategy consulting, to his role as Insights Lead for Pop Culture & Gaming in North America, where he provided data-driven consumer insights to Google's most valued customers across various industries.

Gautam's global footprint expanded further as he took on leadership roles in marketing and business development at Google, driving growth for products such as Google AI, Chrome, YouTube, and Google Cloud across regions like Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. His expertise in B2B and B2C marketing strategy, coupled with his deep understanding of consumer behavior, has been instrumental in shaping the success of these products in diverse markets.

Throughout his career, Gautam has been a catalyst for innovation, whether it's pioneering co-marketing partnerships to grow adoption of Android and Google Play in Asia Pacific or leading initiatives to boost customer confidence and profitability at scale. His ability to navigate complex matrix environments, build high-performing cross-functional teams, and drive business results through insights-led, customer-centric creativity has been a hallmark of his leadership.

Beyond his corporate roles, Gautam is deeply engaged in mentoring startups, speaking at industry forums, and writing on topics at the nexus of curiosity, culture, and technology. He is a frequent keynote speaker at prestigious events like TEDx and HubSpot Connect, where he shares his insights on emerging consumer behavior and the future of technology.

Gautam's passion for diversity of exposure and his unwavering curiosity have been driving forces throughout his career. With a background in AI and a graduate thesis on internet memes, he embodies the ethos of lifelong learning and exploration. Fluent in five languages and constantly pursuing new side projects, Gautam epitomizes the blend of tech and culture that defines the digital age.

Gautam is a dynamic leader who thrives in innovative environments, leveraging his global perspective and deep expertise to drive business growth and shape the future of technology and culture.

TOPICS

UNLOCKING ORGANIZATIONAL AGILITY: STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING OVERCOMING STRATEGIC JET LAG

Why do we feel perpetually lagging behind? The increasing complexity of the world we inhabit, the uncertainty baked into how it now operates and the paradoxical nature of AI automation can leave business leaders feeling like we’re constantly missing the mark. Organizational silos, strategic blind spots and internal politics don’t help. Gautam draws from his experience growing every major business at Google and YouTube, across three continents, to unveil two modes that leaders can internalize to (finally) navigate out of this state – using culture as the compass and judgment to reveal the map. Cultural context as input – how diverse these inputs are, which human behaviors are graduating from consumer trends to economic drivers, what is the internal culture that is misaligned with the external one. Active judgment to steer the output – how you bring together the right combination of people, processes and tools (including AI) to bring about an emergent strategy. How those decisions get communicated to stakeholders matters as much as the decision itself – the battle for good ideas is often within a company before it even reaches the real world. Taking a global lens, drawing from his own experience as well as businesses that have done (or failed at doing) this, Gautam aims to equip business leaders with tools for transformation for themselves and their teams.

THE EXHAUSTION EPIDEMIC: RETHINKING AMBITION AND ENGAGEMENT

This talk or workshop unpacks the exhaustion and disengagement plaguing modern workplaces. Drawing on global insights and cultural shifts, speaker Gautam Ramdurai (leader at Google and YouTube in 3 continents) explores how the pandemic blurred work-life boundaries, how social media distorts ambition, and why employees feel disconnected from their company’s goals. Leaders will leave with insights on how to reshape workplace culture, foster a sense of meaning, and help teams redefine ambition on their own terms. This isn’t about band-aid wellness perks; it’s about leading the change for a workplace where both people and businesses thrive.

THE CULTURE OF AI

Gautam addresses the ongoing buzz around questions like “What is AI?” and “How do we use it?”—highlighting that the real challenge isn’t understanding AI but being prepared for it. He explains that many leaders are realizing their business practices, from data management to decision-making, are outdated. Even with the ideal AI tools at their disposal, they struggle to act effectively due to cultural and structural barriers in how teams operate and decisions are made. Gautam emphasizes that the critical question isn’t what AI can do, but what humans need to do to seize this AI-driven moment. It’s not a technology issue; it’s a cultural transformation.