Google Cloud Platform (GCP) remains a magnet for high-profile business, technology and financial talent. The latest hire is Palo Alto Networks CFO Kathy Bonanno, who will become business finance officer of Google's Cloud division, the cybersecurity company disclosed today.
Google's rapid-fire cloud hires started when the company recruited Oracle veteran Thomas Kurian to run the search giant's cloud business in November 2018. Although Google remains a distant third in the public cloud services market, the business is growing fast.
Google Cloud Platform: Revenues, Growth
The evidence: Google Cloud revenues were $2.8 billion in Q1 2020, up 52 percent compared to the corresponding quarter last year. Data and analytics demand lifted Google Cloud Platform in the areas of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS). And G Suite — the Google alternative to Microsoft 365 — continues to gain seat count while expanding its average revenue per seat, the company says.
In addition to hiring Bonanno, key Google Cloud hires have included:
- October 2019: Microsoft veteran Javier Soltero as VP of G Suite.
- March 2019: Hiring Oracle veteran Amit Zavery as VP of engineering.
- April 2019: Rallying customers and partners with new offerings during the Google Cloud Next 2019 conference.
- April 2019: Hiring SAP veteran Robert Enslin to succeed Paul-Henri Ferrand as president of Global Customer Operations for Cloud.
- November 2019: Hiring Cisco partner veteran Nirav Sheth as director of channel sales and partnerships, and acquiring CloudSimple to ease VMware migrations.
Palo Alto Networks: CFO Succession Plan
In a prepared statement about Bonanno's departure to Google, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora said:
"Kathy has presided over our financial team during Palo Alto Networks' tremendous expansion into a multi-platform security company. She has chosen a close partner of ours for her next career step - one I know very well, and that has equally amazing people. I would like to thank Kathy for her many contributions to our company, and wish her the very best and continued success in her new role."
Palo Alto Networks expects to name a new CFO later this week. Bonanno will continue in her role through the end of Palo Alto's fiscal year, the company indicated. ChannelE2E believes Palo Alto's fiscal year ends July 31, 2020 -- but we're double-checking.
