Sage Appoints New Executives as it Expands HR Capabilities

Sage has hired two senior executives to its leadership team as part of its plans to expand its AI capabilities across finance and HR software.

The company appointed Krish Vitaldevara as Chief Product Officer and Anand Swaminathan as Chief Strategy Officer. Both appointments could signal a shift in how Sage positions its HR and payroll products within the small and medium business market.

Krish will join the Executive Leadership Team on 18 May, and Anand will follow on 15 June 2026. Both executives will work from San Jose, California.

Steve Hare, CEO at Sage, says: "Krish and Anand are proven leaders with deep experience building and scaling world-class products and businesses. Their appointments reflect our continued investment in innovation and growth and I'm excited about the impact they'll have for our customers, colleagues and partners."

Product leadership from enterprise tech

Krish will oversee global product and platform strategy at Sage. His role includes managing the innovation roadmap and ensuring the company delivers AI solutions across its finance, HR and payroll portfolio.

He brings over 25 years of experience from enterprise technology companies including Salesforce, Google, Microsoft and NetApp. His most recent position was General Manager and Executive Vice President at Salesforce, where he led integration work following the acquisition of Informatica.

Krish holds more than 30 patents in areas including trust and safety, anomaly detection and large-scale systems. These capabilities could be relevant for Sage's HR software, particularly around data security and compliance features that HR teams require.

Krish says: "I'm excited to be joining Sage at such an important moment for the business. Sage has a unique purpose, a strong customer focus and culture and a compelling opportunity to lead in intelligent, trusted solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. I'm looking forward to working with the team to continue evolving the product portfolio and delivering meaningful impact for customers."

Strategy hire from consultancy

Anand will lead corporate strategy and growth priorities at Sage. He will work with the executive team on long-term value creation plans.

He joins from McKinsey, where he worked as a Senior Partner advising organisations on AI transformation, enterprise strategy and technology-enabled growth. Before McKinsey, Anand worked at Accenture Digital, where he helped scale capabilities across data, cloud and digital product development.

His consultancy background could help Sage navigate competitive pressures in the HR technology market. According to the company, his remit includes guiding expansion plans as AI changes how financial services and software companies compete.

Anand says: "Sage has a clear strategy and a powerful position in the market. I'm thrilled to join the business and to help shape the next phase of growth, building on Sage's strengths and ensuring we continue to create long-term value for customers, colleagues and shareholders."

HR and payroll platform expansion

The appointments come as Sage develops its proposition around AI-powered finance, HR and payroll solutions for small and medium businesses. The company aims to connect different parts of business ecosystems, including employees, suppliers and financial institutions.

Sage's platform approach focuses on reducing manual processes in HR departments. This includes digitising workflows between HR teams, payroll providers and employees.

The company positions its software as a hub for broader operational workflows beyond accounting. Sage's current platform capabilities include payroll processing, benefits administration and employee data management tools designed for HR teams.