Sridhar Ramaswamy was born in 1967 in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India, a city known for its academic tradition and cultural depth. Raised in an environment that valued education and curiosity, he developed an early fascination with mathematics, logic, and how systems work. These formative years instilled in him a disciplined mindset and a deep respect for learning—qualities that would define his lifelong journey.
His academic brilliance earned him admission to the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), one of India’s most prestigious institutions. There, Sridhar Ramaswamy pursued a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science, building a strong foundation in algorithms, systems thinking, and computational theory.
Sridhar Ramaswamy: Academic Excellence and the American Dream
In 1989, Sridhar Ramaswamy immigrated to the United States, driven by a desire to explore advanced research and global opportunities. He enrolled at Brown University, where his intellectual abilities flourished. He earned both a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Computer Science, completing his doctorate in 1995.
At Brown, he specialized in database systems and theory, an area that would later become central to his career. His academic work led to numerous research publications and patents, reflecting not just technical mastery but also original thinking.
Early Career: Research, Rigor, and Real-World Impact
After completing his Ph.D., Sridhar Ramaswamy began his professional career in advanced research roles at Bell Labs, followed by Lucent Technologies and Bell Communications Research (Bellcore). These institutions were legendary incubators of innovation, and his time there sharpened his ability to translate theoretical research into practical, scalable systems.
Later, at E.piphany, a marketing software company, he worked as a machine learning systems developer, gaining hands-on experience with large-scale data, analytics, and enterprise software—skills that would soon attract the attention of one of the world’s fastest-growing technology companies.
Sridhar Ramaswamy: The Google Years – Building a $100 Billion Engine
In 2003, Sridhar Ramaswamy joined Google as a mid-level engineer, working on the backend infrastructure of AdWords. What followed was a 15-year ascent that would define an era in digital advertising.
Through a combination of technical brilliance, operational excellence, and people-centric leadership, he rose through the ranks. In 2013, he was appointed Senior Vice President of Advertising and Commerce, one of the most influential roles at Google.
Impact at Google
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Helped scale Google’s advertising revenue from approximately $1.5 billion to over $100 billion annually
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Oversaw engineering and product across search, display, video advertising, analytics, shopping, payments, and travel
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Managed some of the largest data systems ever built in the technology industry
Sridhar Ramaswamy’s tenure at Google was marked by scale, speed, and precision. Yet, as the business grew, so did his internal questioning about the long-term implications of ad-driven digital models.
A Bold Pivot: Leaving Google to Rethink the Internet
In 2018, at the height of his corporate success, Sridhar Ramaswamy made a rare and courageous decision—he left Google. He joined Greylock Partners as a venture partner, where he advised startups working at the intersection of data, artificial intelligence, and analytics.
More importantly, this period allowed him to reflect deeply on the future of the internet, user trust, and privacy.
Neeva: Redefining Search with Integrity
In 2019, Sridhar Ramaswamy co-founded Neeva, the world’s first ad-free, privacy-focused, subscription-based search engine. Neeva was born from his growing belief that advertising incentives fundamentally distort user experience and information quality.
Neeva’s Vision
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No ads, no tracking, no manipulation
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Users as customers, not products
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High-quality, transparent search results
Launched in the United States in 2021, Neeva expanded to the UK, France, and Germany the following year. While challenging entrenched giants is never easy, Neeva succeeded in sparking a global conversation about ethical technology and digital privacy.
In 2023, Snowflake Inc. acquired Neeva, recognizing the strategic value of its AI-driven search technology and its visionary leadership.
Snowflake Leadership: From SVP to CEO
Following the acquisition, Sridhar Ramaswamy joined Snowflake as Senior Vice President of AI, where he focused on integrating advanced machine learning and search capabilities into the company’s data cloud ecosystem.
In February 2024, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Snowflake Inc., succeeding Frank Slootman. This moment marked the culmination of decades of experience across research, engineering, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership.
As CEO, Sridhar Ramaswamy is guiding Snowflake through a new era—one defined by:
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AI-native data platforms
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Responsible data governance
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Customer-centric innovation
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Long-term trust and sustainability
Sridhar Ramaswamy: Boards, Patents, and Thought Leadership
Beyond his executive roles, Sridhar Ramaswamy serves on the board of directors of Gretel.ai, a company focused on privacy-preserving machine learning. He has also previously served on the boards of the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Palo Alto Networks.
He holds multiple patents, has published extensively in database systems, and is widely regarded as a thoughtful voice on technology ethics, privacy, and the future of AI.