Zendesk Appoints Craig Flower as COO to Accelerate Its AI-First Strategy

Zendesk has appointed Craig Flower as Chief Operating Officer, expanding his remit from technology leadership to enterprise-wide operations as the company accelerates its AI-first transformation. A seasoned technology executive, Flower previously served as Zendesk’s Chief Information Officer, where he modernised the IT function, deployed advanced digital tools, and leveraged AI and machine learning to deliver deeper insights and improved service outcomes across the organisation.

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.

In his new role, Flower will focus on maximising customer value from Zendesk’s AI capabilities, simplifying adoption, strengthening support, and driving knowledge sharing through a dedicated centre of excellence for customers and employees. He will also lead efforts to streamline processes, align operations, and enable faster execution across the business.

“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. 

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, Flower served as CIO at Hewlett-Packard, where over a 20-year tenure he led business model, process, and IT transformations that drove revenue growth and margin expansion.