Chief Strategy Officer – AI Platforms (AIP)
About the role
Cognizant is seeking a Chief Strategy Officer – AI Platforms (AIP) to drive the strategic vision and competitive positioning of Cognizant's AI Platforms business. This role requires a minimum of 20+ years in enterprise software or AI platform strategy, product portfolio leadership, SaaS/PaaS GTM, or corporate strategy.
Responsibilities
Define 3-5 year AI Platform growth strategy, strategic bets, market entry priorities and value-creation roadmap
Align leadership on ambition, sequencing, trade-offs and success measures
Own Invest / Grow / Optimize / Harvest / Sunset portfolio framework and resource-allocation logic
Govern product-family P&Ls, R&D prioritization, ROI/ROPC and value realization
Define SaaS, usage-based, tokenized and outcome-based commercial models
Partner with Sales, Marketing and FSE to package offerings, pricing, analyst positioning and sales plays
Lead build / buy / partner decisions, strategic acquisitions, hyperscaler / ISV alliances and integration thesis
Track competitors, emerging AI trends, whitespace, pricing movements and client buying signals
Convert strategy into OKRs, transformation programs, executive scorecards, decision rights and operating cadence
Build the strategy bench and drive alignment across Product, Engineering, GTM, Finance, Operations and Customer Success
Exemplify the Cognizant Way to Lead, including Personal Leadership, Organizational Leadership, and Business Leadership
Requirements
Minimum 10+ years influencing executive-level capital allocation, portfolio governance, M&A / alliances or business transformation
Proven record scaling product/platform businesses, defining recurring revenue models, and leading cross-functional strategy execution
Strong healthcare / regulated-industry exposure preferred; experience across multiple industries and global markets strongly preferred
Embodiment of the Cognizant Way to Lead: Leading Self, Leading Others, & Leading the Business
Expert in market-backed strategic choices, scenario planning, value pools and enterprise value growth
Advanced product-family P&L, ROPC, capital allocation, lifecycle and investment governance
SaaS/PaaS, tokenized/usage pricing, packaging, marketplace, NRR and platform attach economics
Working knowledge of AI platforms, GenAI, cloud, data, APIs, MLOps, responsible AI and platform architecture
Board/ELT-ready communication, negotiation, stakeholder alignment and decision-rights design
Operating model design, OKRs, cadence management, cross-functional change leadership and accountability systems
Qualifications
Minimum 20+ years in enterprise software / AI platform strategy, product portfolio leadership, SaaS/PaaS GTM or corporate strategy
Experience across multiple industries and global markets
Experience in healthcare / regulated industry
Skills
Strategy & Value Creation
Portfolio & Capital Discipline
Platform Commercialization
AI / Technology Fluency
Executive Influence
Transformation Leadership
Benefits
Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
401(k) plan and contributions
Long-term/Short-term Disability
Paid Parental Leave
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Pay
The annual salary for this position is between $320,000 to $400,000 depending on the experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.
Schedule
This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days a week in a client or Cognizant office. The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements.