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TLDR; Over the past two years, Credo AI has powerfully shaped the future of enterprise AI by ensuring that trust is not an afterthought but the foundation of every AI initiative. We strategically identify and partner with global leaders—including Microsoft, McKinsey, and Capgemini—to build a robust partner ecosystem that accelerates trusted AI adoption at scale. At the heart of this effort is Alok Panigrahy, Head of Channel Sales and Partnerships at Credo AI, who is instrumental in empowering our partners with the tools, training, and over 300+ endpoint integrations needed to embed a trust layer seamlessly into their clients’ AI initiatives.
In this exclusive behind-the-scenes conversation with Alok, you’ll discover how:
- How Credo AI is building a strategic partner ecosystem to scale trusted AI responsibly
- Highlighting key partnerships and Credo AI platform core differentiators
- Tangible ROI of AI governance in today’s fast-evolving AI landscape
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Jerome J. Sanders: Alok, to start things off, will you share your journey to Credo AI and what your current role entails? You’ve spent the last two decades bringing a strategic lens to what it means to build trust—not just in AI, but in the partnerships that support its adoption.
Alok Panigrahy: I’ve spent the last 25 years at the intersection of data, AI, and enterprise transformation,starting with GE’s industrial backbone, through Oracle’s scale, Wipro’s global delivery, Incorta’s data agility, and most recently, Palantir, where I built the global partner ecosystem during a time of hyper growth and strategic reinvention.
What brought me to Credo AI is a conviction: AI needs governance as much as it needs horsepower. At Credo AI, I’m building our partner and channel strategy from the ground up—not just to drive scale, but to build an ecosystem that can help enterprises deploy AI responsibly, with impact and integrity.
Operationalizing trustworthy AI at scale takes bold partners, forward-leaning customers, and a shared commitment to doing AI right. That’s the work I’m here for.
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Jerome: You've led partner initiatives at some of the world’s largest tech companies. How have these experiences shaped your approach at a startup like Credo AI?
Alok: Working across companies like Oracle, Incorta, and Palantir, I saw firsthand how partner ecosystems can either accelerate transformation, or stall it entirely. The big lesson? Change moves at the speed of trust, and trust is built through clarity, alignment, and shared outcomes.
AI isn’t following the old enterprise playbook. What used to evolve over a decade is now unfolding in quarters and sometime in weeks. Here in Silicon Valley, I see how powerful new models are being launched every week. That kind of velocity demands more than just speed—it requires precision. Like a bullet train, you can’t afford misalignment; you need rails, signals, and real-time coordination.
At Credo AI, we build those guardrails through AI governance. My job is to ensure our partners aren’t just along for the ride—they’re co-engineers, helping enterprises stay on course, stay compliant, and stay competitive.
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Jerome: So what makes Credo AI’s partner ecosystem stand out in this crowded and fast-moving space?
Alok: We’re not optimizing for volume—we’re focused on building high-impact, precision partnerships. Having been at Palantir, I’ve seen that transformation at scale only happens when ecosystems align around real outcomes. At Credo AI, we’re bringing that mindset to eight strategic partner lanes: from advisors like McKinsey and Booz Allen, to GSIs like Capgemini and NTT, cloud leaders like Microsoft and AWS, ISV’s like IBM and Databricks, boutique firms like EXL and Slalom, audit leaders like Schellman, regional players like Version1 in Europe, and VARs like Carahsoft.
Each partner touches a different stage of the AI adoption lifecycle. Credo AI is the governance fabric that connects them, helping enterprises move faster, with greater trust and lower risk. And we’re growing—not just to scale our reach, but to help every partner build a competitive edge in their own space by embedding responsible AI into their core value proposition.
AI is evolving fast. Our job is to help the ecosystem evolve responsibly, with governance as the enabler—not the afterthought.
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Jerome: Credo AI has officially launched its integration with Microsoft Azure AI Foundry, which is a big partner moment. How does it help bridge the gap between AI developers and governance teams?
Alok: Governance has traditionally been seen as a brake on innovation. We’re flipping that narrative. With this integration, we surface model evaluation insights—things like fairness, groundedness, and toxicity—directly at the use-case level. Developers no longer have to manually submit reports or scramble to answer governance questionnaires. It's built into their workflows. This reduces friction between data science teams and governance leaders, aligning them around shared evidence and context.
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Jerome: Let’s talk economics. What’s the ROI for partners working with Credo AI?
Alok: The ROI really depends on who you are in the ecosystem—and that’s by design. We’ve built a partnership model where each type of partner wins differently, based on what they do best.
For services firms, we drive significant services pull-through—10x to 15x for every $1 of Credo AI software. That includes everything from use case onboarding to risk assessments, compliance workflows, and change management.
"We drive significant services pull-through—10x to 15x for every $1 of Credo AI software."
For management consultancies, it’s a strategic lever. Credo AI becomes the foundation for helping clients not just define responsible and trusted AI, but operationalize it—turning high-level principles into measurable, scalable programs. It strengthens their advisory around AI transformation and governance.
With hyperscalers like Microsoft and Amazon, we help close the loop. They bring powerful models, infrastructure, and evaluators—but we bring the use case-level governance that ensures those models are deployed responsibly, with traceability, policy alignment, and organizational buy-in.
For audit partners like Schellman, we offer the governance layer that enables scalable, consistent AI assurance. And with regional players and VARs, we help them differentiate and move up the value chain—from reselling tools to enabling strategic AI outcomes.
So while the numbers are strong, the real ROI is this: Credo AI helps each partner play a bigger role in the AI transformation narrative—on their terms.
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Jerome: That’s a powerful model, yielding real business value. So, what does an enterprise engagement typically look like?
Alok: Most of our customers already have strong relationships with their consulting partners, hyperscalers, and other tech providers. Our approach is to enable those partners—through go-to-market training, delivery certifications, and sandbox environments—so they can identify the right moments to bring Credo AI into the conversation.
This approach lets us scale beyond our internal sales capacity. Rather than five sellers covering 300 accounts, we empower 6,000 sellers across our partner network to surface top-of-funnel opportunities. That’s true leverage.
"We empower 6,000 sellers across our partner network to surface top-of-funnel opportunities."
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Jerome: With such a rich and fast-growing partner landscape, what would you say are the core differentiators that make Credo AI a magnet for top-tier partnerships?
Alok: It’s a few things. First, our platform is purpose-built and easy to use. Second, our policy intelligence is unmatched—we track global regulatory changes and make them actionable. Third, we’re attracting top-tier AI and governance talent who believe in our mission. And finally, we’re not just reacting to trends—we’re shaping them. Partners see that we’re not another platform; we’re a trust layer that enables responsible innovation at scale.
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Jerome: And finally, what do you want prospective partners to know about working with Credo AI?
Alok: AI governance isn’t a one-time checkbox—it’s a continuous journey. As AI capabilities grow, so do the risks and the regulatory pressures- and the increasing needs for trust at every level of the AI lifecycle. Our role is to stay at the cutting edge, reducing the operational burden of governance while increasing organizational trust. We are making governance a way of AI development, not an obstacle to AI innovation.
And to our partners: you're not just expanding your services portfolio; you're joining a global partner ecosystem to ensure AI is used to elevate—not endanger—society. We’re honored to build that future together.
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Closing Thoughts
Credo AI’s partner ecosystem isn't just a growth strategy—it's a philosophy rooted in collaboration, trust, and shared value. With seasoned leaders like Alok Panigrahy at the helm, Credo AI is the connective tissue for trusted enterprise AI adoption worldwide. As the company opens its ecosystem to the world, one thing is clear: the future of AI isn't just about what we build, but who we build it with.
Join our global partner network and power the future of trustworthy AI today! Learn more about our Partner Program launch in our official press release.
DISCLAIMER. The information we provide here is for informational purposes only and is not intended in any way to represent legal advice or a legal opinion that you can rely on. It is your sole responsibility to consult an attorney to resolve any legal issues related to this information.
