Erich Gazaui

Erich Gazaui is a technology leadership speaker, author and chief information officer whose work is redefining how organizations prepare for the age of artificial intelligence. His thought leadership centers on institutional intelligence, the discipline of building organizations with the clarity, governance and operational resilience needed to thrive with AI embedded at their core.

As chief information officer at Papa Inc., Gazaui leads enterprise technology, cybersecurity, compliance, procurement and enterprise AI strategy. He oversees the architecture and governance of the company's AI ecosystem, integrating AI across service management, engineering, finance, security and internal application development under a unified executive framework. His experience demonstrates how organizations can move beyond AI experimentation to create scalable, governed systems that deliver lasting business value.

Prior to Papa, Gazaui built ZipRecruiter's technology operations organization from the ground up and played a pivotal role in the company's NYSE direct listing. He has also held senior technology leadership roles at Fashion Nova, Loot Crate, Beachbody and TrueCar, leading high-growth organizations through periods of rapid transformation and operational scale.

Gazaui is the author of the white paper "The CIO as Navigator: Defining Intent and Belief in AI-Native Organizations," which explores AI governance and the structural foundations of institutional intelligence. His work provides executives with practical frameworks for organizational design, governance and decision-making in an AI-driven world.

A sought-after keynote speaker and executive advisor, Gazaui is a recurring guest lecturer in the Department of Economics at UC San Diego, an advisor to the Economics Industry Engagement Program and a keynote speaker at UC San Diego's Future of Finance Conference. He also serves on the UC San Diego Alumni Association board of directors.