ABOUT US
Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, transforming clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant, a member of the NASDAQ-100, is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com.
LEADING AT COGNIZANT
This is a Leadership role at Cognizant. We believe how you lead is as important as what you deliver. Cognizant leaders at every level: Drive our business strategy and inspire teams around our future. Live the leadership behaviors, leading themselves, others and the business. Uphold our Values, role modeling them in every action and decision. Nurture our people and culture, creating a workplace where all can thrive.
At Cognizant, leadership transcends titles and is embodied in actions and behaviors. We empower our leaders at every level to drive business strategy, inspire teams, uphold our values, and foster an inclusive culture.
The Role
Cognizant helps companies modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they stay ahead in a fast-changing world.
We are looking for a Transformation Leader - Executive Engagement & AI Thought Leadership to join our journey. We’re looking for someone who is strategically minded, executive-ready, and skilled at mobilizing cross-functional teams. As a member of our team, you will lead the elevation of Cognizant’s strategic engagement with a key insurance account through thought leadership, innovation, and trusted C-suite partnership.
This role serves as the single-threaded owner of strategic engagement elevation for a long-standing, high-value client relationship. The Transformation Leader will connect Cognizant’s delivery depth, industry insight, and AI-led innovation to the client’s business and technology agenda, establishing structured executive engagement rhythms and positioning Cognizant as a strategic advisor and co-architect of the client’s future.
Every choice we make aligns to our vision: to become the pre-eminent technology services partner to the world’s top companies.
At Cognizant, we are a high-performing team with heart. Our solutions are in demand and we’re passionate about making a difference. If you have experience with the above, are a selfless leader, and are committed to client-facing environment; if you want to grow your career with a team that wants to build something great together, we want to hear from you! Apply now!
Responsibilities
- Own and execute the annual thought leadership calendar across priority insurance, AI, data, workforce transformation, application modernization, cloud, and security themes, including 4-6 client-tailored Points of View each year.
- Build and sustain relationships across the client’s IT and business leadership tiers, delivering executive briefings that emphasize strategic insight and measurable business value.
- Coordinate Cognizant’s global AI & Analytics, Cloud, Security, and Insurance practices to bring the strongest intellectual capital and subject matter expertise to the account.
- Identify industry events and develop joint client-Cognizant speaking and panel opportunities, targeting at least two external co-presentations annually.
- Design and lead quarterly innovation immersion and co-creation sessions aligned to priorities such as Agentic AI, underwriting transformation, claims automation, and security posture.
- Develop and refresh a three-year strategic account roadmap and contribute insights, investment cases, and capability perspectives to the client’s annual technology planning and budgeting cycle.
- Mobilize internal practice leaders, SMEs, delivery teams, and hyperscaler partners to advance strategic initiatives without direct line authority.
- Establish governance and reporting for the engagement, including executive relationship mapping, activation roadmaps, monthly dashboards, and metrics tied to client satisfaction, renewals, expansion, and revenue outcomes.
Qualifications
- 15-20 years of progressive experience in the insurance industry, technology services, consulting, or managed services, including at least 5 years in a senior client-facing or account leadership role.
- Proven success building sustained C-suite relationships with CIO, CISO, CDO, COO, and other senior stakeholders in large, complex organizations.
- Strong executive communication and storytelling skills, including experience producing client-relevant Points of View, white papers, executive briefings, workshops, or conference presentations.
- Working knowledge of P&C and Group Benefits insurance, including underwriting, claims, billing, policy administration, risk engineering, and actuarial functions; familiarity with platforms such as Guidewire, Duck Creek, PeopleSoft, ServiceNow, and Salesforce is preferred.
- Executive-level fluency in Generative and Agentic AI, cloud modernization across AWS, Azure, or GCP, cybersecurity and Zero Trust, application reliability, data and analytics, AI governance, and MLOps.
- Demonstrated ability to lead through a matrix organization, influence without authority, and manage relationships through service disruptions, security incidents, or delivery challenges.
- MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification preferred but not required; ability to travel and work in a client-proximate model, preferably near Hartford, Connecticut.
Embodiment of the Cognizant Way to Lead and Cognizant’s Values: Work as One, Dare to Innovate, Raise the Bar, Do the Right Thing, and Own It.
Additional employment information
Compensation information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.
Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.
Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Applicants for US based positions must be currently authorized to work for any employer in the United States. The company is unable to provide employment-based immigration sponsorship for US based positions.
If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email [email protected] for roles based in the Americas or [email protected] for roles based in India.
About Cognizant:
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.
