Sowmya Kubendran

Sowmya Kubendran is Vice President and Head of Celonis Garage, the company’s innovation hub in Bengaluru. She has more than 20 years of experience working across data, analytics, AI, and enterprise technology, with leadership roles at organisations including Accenture, Lazada (Alibaba Group), Visa, and Celonis.

Over the course of her career, Kubendran has led technology and analytics initiatives across industries such as retail, e-commerce, financial services, and enterprise software. At Accenture, she worked with large global organisations on data and AI programmes aimed at improving business operations and decision-making. At Lazada, she helped develop data-driven products and analytics capabilities to support logistics and warehouse operations across multiple Southeast Asian markets.

At Celonis, she leads the Garage team, which works with customers to identify and develop practical applications of AI and Process Intelligence. Her focus is on understanding how organisations can use process data alongside AI technologies to improve efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and support business outcomes. The team collaborates with customers across industries to test and scale new ideas, particularly in areas where AI can be applied within existing business processes.

Kubendran is also involved in initiatives that connect academic research with industry applications. This includes work with research institutions on topics such as causal machine learning and explainable AI, with an emphasis on making AI systems more transparent and easier to understand in operational environments.

Her experience spans both technology strategy and execution, with a consistent focus on using data and AI to address complex business challenges at scale.