Freshworks appoints Subramanian to lead product management

Freshworks has appointed Venki Subramanian as its Senior Vice President of Product Management for Customer Experience.

Subramanian joins Freshworks with more than 25 years of experience in product management and customer success engineering. He has previously played significant roles at firms such as Reltio, ServiceNow, and SAP, where he contributed to the defining of long-term product roadmaps and strategic initiatives.

At Reltio, Subramanian oversaw product strategy and go-to-market plans. His work at ServiceNow included leading product management for the Customer Service Management suite, which he helped evolve into a market-leading CRM suite within four years. His approach to product management has consistently focused on ease of use and reducing repetitive tasks that disrupt workflows.

Subramanian notes, "I love finding problems worth solving, building solutions that can solve these problems, and delivering value consistently and repeatedly." He adds that he aims to deliver superior customer experiences by integrating the strengths of both people and AI. His methodology includes using AI to take over repetitive tasks, allowing humans to focus on more complex work.

Regarding AI's role in customer experience, Subramanian emphasises the importance of "responsible AI" that operates with necessary human oversight. He asserts, "AI isn't just about technological advancements—it's about making technology accessible and solving real problems." He cites OpenAI's "Operator" demo as an example of AI simplifying user tasks.

Subramanian is also closely observing trends in AI, particularly the rise of generative AI and its potential impact on customer experience. He notes, "The biggest trend over the past 18 months has been generative AI, which is evolving at an incredible pace." However, he cautions that with these advancements come responsibilities, particularly concerning job impacts and data security. Subramanian stresses the need for governance to prevent unchecked AI developments.

A strong proponent of data as the foundation for customer experience, Subramanian highlights its critical role in AI's success. "Companies cannot deliver a great customer experience if they do not have a 360-degree view of their customers," he states. He advises organisations to ensure data quality and implement governance structures to safeguard sensitive information, particularly in regulated industries.

In addition to technology, companies must have a clear strategy to succeed with customer experience management, according to Subramanian. "AI is a tool, not the end goal. The best organisations define the customer experience they want to create, invest in the right technology to support that vision, and build teams that align with their strategic goals," he says.

Subramanian acknowledges challenges that successful companies might face when implementing tech strategies. A common pitfall he identifies is the risk of becoming "too inward-focused," leading to risk aversion. He advocates for companies to remain vigilant about customer needs and continue asking, "Who are we serving? What problems are we solving?"

Freshworks, with over 68,000 customers and more than USD $500 million in revenue, anticipates that Subramanian's leadership will further enhance their product management efforts in customer experience.