CrowdStrike appoints former AWS India CMO Karthik Sathuragiri to lead India marketing operations, ET BrandEquity

Global cybersecurity major CrowdStrike has appointed Karthik Sathuragiri as director and head of marketing for India, marking a significant step in its strategy to scale operations and deepen market engagement in the region, according to a source close to the development.

Sathuragiri, who most recently served as head of marketing for Amazon Web Services (AWS) in India and South Asia, brings nearly two decades of experience across global tech firms including SAP, Akamai, Freshworks, and Automation Anywhere. Known for his strategic marketing acumen and ability to link brand vision to business outcomes, Sathuragiri is widely regarded as one of the leading voices in B2B tech marketing.

“He’s among the rare marketers who can build narrative, drive demand, and scale operations with equal fluency,” said an executive familiar with his work. “His ability to bridge brand, technology, and business impact has set a high bar.”

The move comes as CrowdStrike sharpens its focus on the Indian market, amid heightened demand for enterprise cybersecurity, digital resilience, and zero-trust frameworks.

Sathuragiri had recently announced his departure from AWS in a heartfelt note on LinkedIn, reflecting on his 4.5-year journey with the company. “Over the next month, I’ll be transitioning out of AWS to take a break and reflect before exploring what’s next,” he wrote. “This isn’t goodbye to the cloud or the ecosystem I love—just a short pause to breathe, reset, and reimagine.”

In his note, he credited AWS’s “tech-first DNA” and customer-obsessed culture as key learning experiences. “At AWS, everyone—from sales to solution architects—know the tech inside out and are obsessed about customer problems… It’s not just about good intentions. It’s about operationalising them as mechanisms. I got a masterclass in that,” he noted.

Sathuragiri is an alumnus of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. His appointment at CrowdStrike is expected to further accelerate the company’s positioning in India, especially as cybersecurity emerges as a boardroom imperative across industries.

• Published On Apr 14, 2025 at 11:04 AM IST

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