Ashwin Ballal

Wildcard
DISC Type : cis

Chief Information Officer at Freshworks

Saratoga, California, United States

Overview

Ashwin Ballal is a visionary CIO at Freshworks with over 30 years of experience leading business and digital transformations. He specializes in leveraging disruptive technologies like AI/ML to drive growth and operational excellence. His background spans sales, marketing, and engineering, and he holds a Ph. D. from the University of Maryland.

Outside of his primary role, Ashwin is an active angel investor and board member, passionate about mentoring and supporting new ventures. He grew up playing competitive field hockey, which shaped his team-oriented leadership philosophy, and has been a board member for the Childrens Discovery Museum.

He calls himself the “accidental CIO” due to his unconventional career path through various business functions before leading IT.

Personality Overview

Requires Proof

ROI Driven

Friendly But Slow

They are often friendly and nice, but can sometimes suprise you with their piercing questions  They typically tend to be late adopters even when they seem friendly and excited about what you have to sell They are unlikely to ever become strong champions even when the conversations are going well; you should focus on cultivating other champions

Topics They Care About

AI-Driven Transformation
He focuses on integrating generative AI to redefine operational excellence and enhance both customer and employee experiences, viewing AI as a critical augmentation tool.
Business Transformation
Has a proven track record of leading large-scale business and digital transformations for global companies, focusing on hyper-scale growth and operational excellence.
Empathetic Leadership
Believes a human-centered approach and empathy are critical for CIOs to be effective, drawing on his diverse experience in sales, marketing, and engineering to understand user needs.

Media Appearances

Why empathy is a leadership strategy in the age of AI ft. Ashwin Ballal, CIO of Freshworks. Featured in YouTube

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Meet Freshworks' New CIO: Ashwin Ballal. Featured in Freshworks – The Works (Company News)

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Ashwin Ballal: Empathy Is a Leadership Strategy in the AI Era. Featured in Freshworks – The Works (Employee Experience)

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Work History

4-2024
Chief Information Officer at Freshworks
6-2016 - 4-2024
EVP & Chief Information Officer at Medallia
7-2009 - 6-2016
Vice President & Chief Information, Intelligence & Data Officer at KLA-Tencor
7-2007 - 7-2009
President, Chairman & Managing Director at KLA-Tencor
4-2005 - 7-2007
General Manager- Semiconductor Yield & Advanced Data Analytics Division at KLA-Tencor

Education

1992 - 1993
Post Doc from University of Maryland
1988 - 1992
Ph.D. from University of Maryland

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 32 Location : Saratoga, California, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Information Officer at Freshworks
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Insights For Selling To Ashwin

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Help them realize that there is no personal risk in making this decision
  • Share testimonials from known people and give multiple examples of product value
  • Be prepared for a lot of questions, answer them objectively

DONT's

  • Do not sound overly eager, modulate your energy levels especially if you are generally enthusiastic
  • Avoid phrases like ‘trust me’, ‘you will just love it’ etc.
  • Don’t overhype the product/pitch, keep it measured

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ashwin is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ashwin

  • They are likely to give you a clear answer without taking you around in circles. However, if you share a good relationship, they might not be so forthcoming.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ashwin move?

  • They like to perform full analysis and can take time to make any decision.
  • Can Ashwin take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Ashwin

Personality Compatibility


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