Praveen Rao

Sharpshooter
DISC Type : DC

Member Board of Directors at OPC Foundation

Atlanta Metropolitan Area, United States

Overview

Praveen Rao is the Global Head of Manufacturing at Google Cloud, driving strategy and go-to-market initiatives to shape the future of the industry with AI and cloud technologies. A seasoned technology executive with an MBA from the University of Chicago, he is described by peers as innovative, collaborative, and customer-centric.

He has a passion for leveraging technology to solve complex challenges and make a positive impact on the world. As a self-described early adopter of technology, his curiosity has driven a career spanning roles at AWS and IBM, focusing on business transformation.

Unique fact: Praveen serves on the Board of Directors for the OPC Foundation, an organization focused on creating industrial interoperability standards.

Personality Overview

Fast But Analytical

Precise But Practical

Thorough Evaluator

They like to move fast and expect the same from others.  They respond well to strong and respectful communication. They are not always relationship oriented.

Topics They Care About

Future of Manufacturing
Leads the manufacturing vertical at Google Cloud, focusing on empowering customers by harnessing Cloud, Gen AI, and Industry 4. 0 technologies to revolutionize their operations.
Physical AI
A recent focus and key topic from his speaking engagement at CES 2026, where he discussed multimodal AI capabilities moving from virtual applications into the real world.
Generative AI Impact
Believes generative AI will become a cornerstone of manufacturing, helping to bridge the skills gap by capturing and transferring knowledge from experienced workers to new employees.

Media Appearances

The OPC Foundation elects three new members to its Board of Directors and names Shinji Oda as chairman. Featured in OPC Foundation Press Release

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Praveen Rao - OPC Foundation. Featured in OPC Foundation

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Work History

1-2025
Member Board of Directors at OPC Foundation
9-2024
Industry Head - Manufacturing at Google
4-2024 - 9-2024
Managing Director - Manufacturing Industry at Google
2021 - 3-2024
Global Head – Industrial Cloud, IoT & Analytics at Amazon Web Services (AWS)
8-2018 - 2021
Managing Director - Analytics, Blockchain and Partnerships at IBM

Education

MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
MS from Michigan Technological University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 29 Location : Atlanta Metropolitan Area, United States Job Level : N/A Designation : Member Board of Directors at OPC Foundation
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Insights For Selling To Praveen

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Objectively showcase the impact that your product creates
  • When negotiating terms, help them build an impression that they are the ones calling the shots
  • Use phrases like ‘it’s your decision’, ‘strategic impact’ etc.

DONT's

  • Don’t be in a rush to invite them for a social meet and greet
  • Don’t focus on process and rules, give the impression of being a ‘gets it done’ person
  • Avoid being too verbose

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Praveen is

  • Confidence in impact is paramount to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Praveen

  • If they are not convinced, they will have no hesitation in telling you the same.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Praveen move?

  • They can reach decisions fairly quickly if they are convinced.
  • Can Praveen take some risk or not?

  • They don’t mind risks but can be quite binary about them.

You And Praveen

Personality Compatibility


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