Saket Srivastava

Head of Enterprise Technology, Asana

Search every verified Saket Srivastava interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Saket Srivastava, CIO of Asana, has been discussing the role of generative AI in the workplace and the evolving responsibilities of technology leaders. He stated that Asana has decided to become an "AI-first company," with the goal that the average worker should be able to leverage generative AI capabilities within the product. Srivastava described AI as a "teammate" that can automate tasks such as writing status reports, which he said can free workers to focus on more strategic work. He cited Asana's research indicating that an average worker spends 50–55% of their time on "work about work," and suggested that AI could reduce that waste. Srivastava also emphasized that accountability should remain with humans, saying "AI can be that sort of muscle and the human can be that brain and that heart." Srivastava has also commented on the changing role of the CIO and workforce dynamics. He described the current period as "perhaps the best time to be the CIO," noting that the role is increasingly about being a business leader, strategist, and architect who works cross-functionally. He argued that the CIO organization must take an active role in guiding employees on which digital tools to use and how work flows between them. Regarding remote and hybrid work, Srivastava said that no decision will please everyone, but the key is to define the first principles behind the decision and bring the company along on that journey. He also discussed the challenge of "shadow IT" from the proliferation of SaaS tools, advocating for standardization on a few platforms like a data warehouse while using best-of-breed solutions for strategic differentiation.