Sai Yagnyamurthy

Sai Yagnyamurthy is the Head of Growth at Cerence (NASDAQ: CRNC), where he leads strategy, business development, and innovation to drive non-automotive business growth powered by agentic AI—spanning dealership AI, enterprise voice, and connected devices.

Sai's extensive career encompasses establishing new ventures in autonomy, mobility, enterprise transformation, services, energy, and AI. At Ford, he was instrumental in developing and expanding the global partnerships and strategy function. There, he forged significant collaborations with major companies such as Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Tesla, Uber, Stripe, and AT&T, which were pivotal in shaping Ford's future in EV, AV, software, and services. His responsibilities also included leading global battery deals, deploying over $10 billion in capital. Earlier, at Verizon, Sai directed more than $6 billion in M&A and growth initiatives spanning telematics, IoT, fintech, media, and healthcare.

An advocate for disruptive innovation, Sai believes in the power of technology to reimagine industries and elevate user experience. He advises and invests in cutting-edge start-ups in EV, batteries, hydrogen, and AI-driven companies, and has served on boards ranging from tomorrow.io (AI weather intelligence) to global EV ventures.

A graduate of IIT Madras and Duke University, Sai is also a storyteller, mentor, and father of two daughters. He often speaks on partnership strategy, disruptive ecosystems, and scaling innovation across borders—bridging his corporate leadership with his passion for shaping the next generation of leaders and technologies.