In a world where artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of commerce and consumer behavior, one name stands out among the architects of this new era: Sravana Karnati.
Early Academic Excellence of Sravana Karnati: A Foundation Built on Curiosity
Long before Sravana Karnati became synonymous with AI-driven transformation at Walmart, he was driven by a fierce curiosity for how things work. His academic credentials reveal a mind dedicated to depth rather than shortcuts.
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Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) – Anna University, Madras
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Master of Technology (M.Tech.) – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras
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Doctorate (Ph.D.) in AI Applications in Chemical Engineering – The Ohio State University
At a time when AI was still a distant concept for many, he immersed himself in research that merged chemical engineering with artificial intelligence – a rare combination demonstrating the kind of interdisciplinary thinking that later became his signature leadership trait.
The Professional Climb: Shaping Technology Across Global Giants
Before joining Walmart, Sravana Karnati spent over 25 years building scalable, distributed systems at some of the world’s most powerful technology and entertainment organizations:
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Oracle
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Amazon
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Disney
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Expedia
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Sterling Check
At each stop, he learned something different: consumer scale from Amazon, magical user experience from Disney, global system architecture from Expedia. These became the ingredients of the leader he would ultimately become – one who not only builds technology but designs experiences.
Sravana Karnati: Entering Walmart – Engineering Retail’s Future
When Sravana Karnati joined Walmart Global Tech, the retail giant was already a formidable force. But the digital future needed a leader who could prepare Walmart’s systems and people for exponential technological change.
Former Role – Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Walmart International
He led the roadmap for international markets, building capabilities that delivered speed, agility, and localized innovation across multiple countries. His work enabled Walmart’s non-US markets to develop strong, independent technological muscles – a philosophy rooted in empowering teams rather than centralizing power.
Present Role – Executive Vice President, Global Technology Platforms
Today, he oversees the building and deployment of global, scalable technology capabilities – infrastructure that silently powers Walmart stores, online platforms, supply chains, logistics, financial systems, and customer experiences.
What makes his leadership unique is not simply the technology he builds, but the intention behind it – he believes technology must ultimately give people time back.
He joked during Walmart Global Tech’s flagship event, Converge 2025:
“I tell my wife that I could be spending 10 percent of my life shopping. If an agent takes care of it, I have more time for my family and everything else I want to do.”
That single sentence captures his philosophy: technology exists to make living richer, not busier.
AI and Intelligent Systems: The New Revolution
Under Sravana Karnati’s leadership, Walmart is investing in AI not for hype – but for practicality.
Shoppers spend countless hours researching products, comparing prices, checking delivery times, or simply adding routine items like rice or pet food. His vision is a world where AI agents do the mundane so that life can be lived deliberately.
The Age of WIBEY
One of his proudest innovations is WIBEY – Walmart’s internal engineering super agent.
WIBEY is:
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A platform for engineers to build and deploy AI agents
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A library of automated solutions or “recipes” that teams can reuse
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A foundation that allows Walmart to scale AI responsibly
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A safe experimentation environment before solutions go live
Unlike chatbots, WIBEY is not a customer-facing tool – it is an engine that accelerates Walmart’s digital nervous system.
It integrates large language models, transformer technologies, natural language interfaces, and Model Context Protocol tools to simplify developer experience and automate repetitive tasks.
His approach is matter-of-fact and bold:
“If something can be done repeatedly, code should do it – not humans.”