Feb 2019 – Aug 2022 · 3 yrs 6 mos · bangalore · Hybrid

• Aryaka is a startup that delivers industry leading Cloud First SD-WAN and SASE as a service.
• Driving SASE Innovation and Team Growth:
• As Head of Bangalore Engineering, I transformed Aryaka's engineering presence in India, doubling the team size while driving an innovative and forward thinking environment. I played a key role in shaping Aryaka's strategic roadmap, driving the evolution towards a Cloud-First SD-WAN and SASE-as-a-Service model.
• Pioneering Market-Leading SASE Capabilities:
• I spearheaded the development of key innovations in SD-WAN and SASE, delivering critical Proof of Concepts and launching market-leading capabilities in application control, cloud, and security. I led the successful delivery of a hosted Firewall VM as a service on Aryaka's CPE platform, significantly enhancing our SASE offerings. A key achievement was driving technical partnerships with several market-leading security vendors, enabling us to offer a comprehensive end-to-end solution to our customers.

Jun 2014 – Feb 2019 · 4 yrs 8 mos · Bengaluru Area, India · On-site

• Driving Next-Generation Broadband and Mobile Core Innovation:
• Led a 150+ member R&D unit, distributed across India and Budapest, architecting and delivering high-performance, massively scalable physical and virtualized platforms. These platforms powered critical fixed and wireless broadband gateways and mobile packet core applications (EPC), enabling seamless connectivity for millions.
• Pioneering Advanced Networking Platforms:
• Directed the Line Card Forwarding team for the R8801 and Smart Services Router (SSR) platforms, driving the development of cutting-edge network infrastructure. Successfully brought the R8801 to market as a leading Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) platform.
• Co-led the virtualization unit to deliver a scale-out architecture based BNG application VNF, paving the way for fixed-mobile convergence. Played a key role in integrating Ericsson's rebadged IP Routers unit into Wipro, streamlining operations and expanding capabilities.
• Architecting the Future of Converged Networks:
• Led the Systems group in IP Routing for conceptualizing future capabilities and building POCs.

Sep 2011 – May 2014 · 2 yrs 8 mos · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

• Driving Core Storage Innovation for Clustered Data ONTAP:
• Spearheaded the development of critical CIFS and Anti-Virus features within the Clustered Data ONTAP architecture, enhancing data security, MS technology integration, and accessibility for enterprise customers.
• Transforming Data Management for Critical Business Applications:
• Led the development of cutting-edge data management applications for UNIX, Oracle, and SAP, leveraging NetApp's storage efficiencies to deliver unique value to customers. These solutions optimized performance and streamlined data workflows for mission-critical applications.
• Architecting the Future of Unified Data Management:
• Delivered a next-generation Unified Data Management framework, providing a scalable and flexible platform for application integration and operational backup/recovery/cloning. This framework empowered enterprises and cloud providers to effectively manage critical business applications across appliance based and virtualized environments.

Jun 2010 – Sep 2011 · 1 yr 3 mos

• Driving Service Provider Success Through Innovative OSS/BSS Platforms:
• Grew and led OSS/BSS PNOC Service Delivery Platform engineering Unit in India, directing a dynamic team in development, integration, sustenance, and testing. Strategically expanded team capabilities through a talent-based acquisition. Built and maintained critical platforms and tools, enabling the delivery of Assurance services, Provisioning capabilities, Network Health, and Benchmarking—generating significant revenue for Cisco and empowering Service Providers to monetize their investments.

Apr 2005 – Jun 2010 · 5 yrs 2 mos

• Site Lead:
• Part of the executive council responsible for strategizing Contact Center Business Unit’s India operations. Bootstrapped the business unit operations in India and successfully built a team to deliver IP based Unified Contact Center Express product and Intelligent Contact Center Reporting Platform for small/mid size enterprises.
• Transforming Voice Technology and Customer Engagement:
• Defined a clear vision and strategy for the Voice Technology group in India, driving its evolution and growth. Successfully transitioned the Unified Contact Center Express (UCCX) to a new Bangalore-based team from the US in a record-breaking 9 months. Successfully built a team of 80+ engineers and managers to lead UCCX and Intelligence Center Reporting solutions. Translated complex product roadmaps into tangible engineering deliverables and shippable software, delivering next-generation customer engagement and experience platforms leveraging data analytics, conversational self-service, and critical user journeys. Modernized on-premise Contact Center stack by adopting cloud technologies, including virtualization, orchestration, and CI. Implemented robust software quality initiatives and modern development practices, achieving a 40% reduction in customer-found defects and escalations.

Aug 2000 – Apr 2005 · 4 yrs 8 mos

• Architecting Advanced Network Management and VoIP Emergency Response Solutions:
• Led the development team responsible for critical network management functionalities, including L2/L3 discovery/topology, configuration management, and fault/capacity management for enterprise IP networks. Drove the innovation that provided efficient network operations.
• Pioneering VoIP team in India:
• Bootstrapped the VoIP team in Cisco India, architecting, developing, and leading engineering for the Cisco Emergency Responder. This initiative established a vital foundation for VoIP emergency communication solutions, directly impacting success of broader Cisco's VoIP portfolio, and compliance with federal safety and response capabilities. Cisco Emergency Responder received eWeek's award for most innovative product.

Nov 1996 – Aug 2000 · 3 yrs 9 mos

• Conceptualizing, designing and implementing fault/perf management and provisioning for ATM and L2/L3 Enterprise IP networks.

Jul 1992 – Nov 1996 · 4 yrs 4 mos · RTP, NJ, San Jose

• At Hughes LAN Systms, I developed Bootp/TFTP server functionality and comprehensive ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)/LANE management solutions.
• At Bellcore, I was responsible for the development of protocol suite for testing handheld devices.
• As a consultant at IBM, I developed Enterprise based network management solutions for bridged networks.