Oct 2020 – May 2023 · 2 yrs 7 mos · Philippines

• Led the digital transformation of one of the Philippines’ largest media houses, driving enterprise-wide impact through modern data, AI, and analytics strategies.
• Executive Stakeholder Leadership:
• I worked closely with the CEO and executive committee on multi-million-dollar data and AI initiatives. From annual planning to budget ownership, I translated complex technical strategies into clear business narratives that influenced board-level decisions.
• High-Performance Team Building:
• I built and coached a 30+ member data team from the ground up, fostering a culture of ownership, experimentation, and excellence. Through focused mentoring and leadership development, we raised engagement scores from 68% to 93%, transforming the team into a strategic partner to the business.
• Modern Data Stack Leadership:
• I architected and executed the complete overhaul of Summit’s data infrastructure, implementing a modern data stack spanning a cloud-native data lake, real-time ETL pipelines, and a unified warehouse across AWS and GCP. This backbone supported faster decision-making, scaled data access, and powered the organization’s shift to digital-first operations.
• ML-Driven Personalization:
• I led the development of a real-time recommendation engine that drove a 350% increase in key engagement metrics. Alongside this, I initiated and scaled multiple machine learning use cases — from NLP-based content enrichment to revenue forecasting and CLV prediction — aligning all AI efforts with business outcomes.
• Strategic Analytics Roadmap:
• I defined and operationalized the analytics vision across Summit’s business units. By embedding data-driven insights into executive, sales, and ad-tech functions, we shifted toward a culture of measurable accountability. I also oversaw the delivery of dynamic dashboards via Looker, Superset, and Cube.js for scalable visibility.

Feb 2020 – Oct 2020 · 8 mos · Singapore

• Partnered with global clients to lead data innovation, bridging AI systems and modern data engineering to drive personalization, performance, and scalable value.
• Client-Facing Strategy Execution:
• I served as the strategic link between client business goals and technical delivery, converting high-level objectives into actionable roadmaps. My focus was on creating scalable, data-first architectures that addressed complex business problems while delivering measurable outcomes across marketing and product functions.
• AI/ML Systems Development:
• I led the design and deployment of machine learning systems focused on content personalization and user intelligence. This included collaborative filtering, matrix factorization models, and NLP-based similarity engines, as well as experimenting with deep learning to improve recommendation accuracy and engagement metrics.
• Data Engineering Modernization:
• I spearheaded the modernization of client data platforms by implementing open-source and cloud-native solutions such as Airbyte, Fivetran, DBT, Airflow, and S3. My approach emphasized cost-efficiency, performance, and future scalability, helping clients move from legacy pipelines to flexible, maintainable architectures.
• Trusted Advisor & Thought Partner:
• Beyond implementation, I acted as a strategic advisor to client leadership — aligning their long-term data vision with technology choices. I played a key role in educating and enabling client teams to adopt best practices, ensuring lasting impact through knowledge transfer and capability building.

Apr 2018 – Mar 2020 · 1 yr 11 mos · Hyderabad, Telangana, India

• Drove AI-first product innovation in ad tech and content intelligence, combining deep technical execution with strong cross-functional collaboration to deliver measurable business outcomes.
• AI-Powered Image Recommendation Platform:
• Designed and launched an intelligent image recommendation system using CNNs, Word2Vec, and NLP pipelines. The platform improved creative personalization and significantly enhanced CTR, playing a pivotal role in aligning visual assets with user intent across marketing channels.
• High-Throughput RTB Infrastructure:
• Co-engineered a real-time bidding engine that processed over 7000 ad requests per second with sub-100ms latency. Leveraged deep learning models for CTR prediction and built a highly optimized tech stack using Python, Tornado, Redis, and AWS. This solution directly contributed to revenue efficiency and platform competitiveness.
• Large-Scale Word Embedding System:
• Led the training of a 15M+ keyword Word2Vec model using distributed Spark clusters and the Multiverso framework. The embeddings were integrated into targeting and content workflows, enhancing relevance in both paid and organic channels across multiple platforms.
• Culture of Innovation & Agility:
• Championed a culture of experimentation by piloting scalable ML architectures and automation-first approaches. Partnered with cross-functional teams to communicate complex ideas simply, advocate for adoption, and iterate quickly, fostering a fast-paced and inventive engineering environment.

Jul 2015 – Apr 2018 · 2 yrs 9 mos · Hyderabad Area, India

• Formed the foundation of my data and engineering journey by contributing to critical automation, infrastructure modernization, and team development — learning from and growing alongside seasoned engineering leaders.
• Python-Based ETL Automation:
• Built and maintained 35+ high-reliability ETL pipelines that powered analytics across large-scale Teradata systems. These pipelines automated key performance insights and cut down manual QA cycles by over 50%, significantly improving operational efficiency.
• Cloud Infrastructure Transformation:
• Contributed to the migration of legacy on-prem workloads to AWS, supporting infrastructure-as-code and DevOps workflows using open-source tools. These efforts improved deployment speed, lowered infra costs, and laid the groundwork for future cloud-native transitions.
• Knowledge Sharing & Community Building:
• Actively engaged in internal tech evangelism by running ML primers, Bitcoin learning sessions, and onboarding bootcamps for new hires. This period helped me develop strong skills in communication, mentoring, and technical writing.
• Learning from Leadership:
• This role sparked my leadership mindset. I closely observed and absorbed how experienced leaders aligned tech decisions with business goals, inspired teams, and solved complex challenges. It encouraged me to think beyond coding — taking initiative in process improvement, cross-team engagement, and driving quality-first thinking.