Operations and transformation leader will speed up Zendesk’s shift to becoming an AI-first company and improve teamwork across departments to better serve customers
Zendesk recently announced the appointment of Craig Flower as Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Flower is responsible for strengthening customer engagement and service across all parts of the business, accelerating the transition to AI, and improving operational performance. His appointment underscores Zendesk’s ongoing AI-first transformation and commitment to delivering exceptional service.
Flower is a seasoned technology executive who previously served as Zendesk’s Chief Information Officer. As CIO, Flower positioned the IT team to connect and support all parts of the company through updated digital tools, better insights and improved service through AI and machine learning.
“AI is fundamentally reshaping the future of customer service, demanding that all those serious about success operate with radical shifts in speed and efficiency,” said Tom Eggemeier, CEO of Zendesk. “Craig is an unmatched leader with a relentless commitment to our customers, operations and transformation who will bring teams together and turn our vision into measurable outcomes, ensuring we stay aligned and focused on delivering outstanding value to our customers.”
As COO, Flower will concentrate on maximizing the value customers gain from Zendesk’s AI tools by simplifying their adoption, delivering exceptional support, and fostering knowledge sharing through a dedicated center of excellence where Zendesk customers and employees can exchange key learnings and best practices. He will accelerate company strategy by innovating and streamlining processes, aligning operations, and enabling faster execution.
“Modern tech COOs blend customer focus, business strategy, technology, and operational excellence. Zendesk has the right strategy and real momentum; we’re expanding what’s already working to drive alignment and execution week in and week out,” said Craig Flower, COO of Zendesk. “The window is wide open for us to lead AI for Service by staying customer-obsessed, accelerating an AI-first transformation across how we serve, sell, and operate, and achieving strong, measurable results through efficient, modern processes. Strategy matters, but execution wins.”
Prior to Zendesk, Flower served as Chief Technology Officer at TriNet, where he replatformed products, digitized key processes, and accelerated the transition to cloud. Earlier in his career, Flower served as Chief Information Officer at Hewlett-Packard, where during his over 20 year tenure he drove business model innovation alongside process and IT transformation, contributing to significant revenue growth and margin expansion.
