ISAAC KAMALESH
Frisco,TX
Summary
Enterprise Data Engineering and Architecture Leader with extensive experience in modernizing data ecosystems and building cloud-native platforms. Successfully delivered multi-million-dollar modernization initiatives, defined data strategies, and improved data governance across Financial Services and Insurance. Known for enhancing operational efficiency by aligning technology investments with strategic business objectives.
Overview
1
1
Certification
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Data Platforms
Cetera Financial Group
Dallas, USA
01.2022 - Current
- Lead enterprise data engineering, architecture, governance, and cloud modernization initiatives supporting analytics, reporting, regulatory compliance, and AI readiness.
- Defined enterprise target-state architecture integrating 25+ data sources across Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, MDM, governance, and semantic layers.
- Directed architecture decisions across data engineering, orchestration, lineage, metadata, data quality, governance, and security.
- Led cross-functional architecture, engineering, governance, infrastructure, and vendor teams to achieve enterprise-scale modernization goals, driving significant enhancements in data platform capabilities.
- Established enterprise privacy, tokenization, and regulated data protection standards, ensuring secure and compliant data consumption across the organization.
- Partnered with executive leadership, InfoSec, Privacy, Cloud Engineering, Risk Management, and business teams to align technology investments with strategic business objectives, enhancing overall organizational synergy.
- Evaluated and implemented strategic technologies including Databricks, MDM platforms, orchestration tools, tokenization solutions, and data quality frameworks.
Engagement Delivery Lead
Cognizant Technology Solutions
Richmond, USA
06.2017 - 01.2022
- Led delivery, financial performance, modernization strategy, and executive communication for large enterprise data portfolio, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
- Expanded managed portfolio from $32M to $55M through modernization proposals and executive partnerships.
- Directed Teradata-to-Snowflake migration and Ab Initio cloud modernization initiatives.
- Enhanced delivery margins through automation, vendor optimization, and resource strategy, contributing to overall project profitability.
- Developed and mentored senior engineering and delivery leaders, enhancing organizational capability and fostering leadership growth.
Technical Project Manager
Cognizant Technology Solutions
Farmers Insurance, Los Angeles, USA
06.2015 - 06.2017
- Turned around mission-critical MDM implementation for Farmers Insurance, ensuring project alignment with strategic goals.
- Reduced production incidents from 645 to fewer than 100 within one month through automation and process improvements.
- Stabilized platform reliability and improved operational performance, restoring executive confidence in project delivery.
- Managed onsite and offshore engineering teams, driving progress on a complex, high-visibility program.
Education
Master of Computer Applications -
Bharathidasan University
Trichy, India01-2001
Bachelor of Science - Mathematics
University of Madras
Chennai, India01-1998
Skills
- Enterprise Data Engineering
- Data architecture
- Cloud Architecture
- Snowflake
- Databricks
- AWS
- Data governance
- Data protection
- Master data management
- Data quality management
- Data products
- Cloud modernization
- Data Risk Management
- Data Program Management
- Stakeholder management
Certification
- AWS Solutions Architect – Associate
- AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
Additional Leadership Skills
- Technology Strategy
- Cost Optimization & Automation
- P&L Ownership & Margin Improvement
- Delivery accelerators, innovation frameworks, and operational efficiency improvements
Timeline
Head of Data Platforms
Cetera Financial Group
01.2022 - Current
Engagement Delivery Lead
Cognizant Technology Solutions
06.2017 - 01.2022
Technical Project Manager
Cognizant Technology Solutions
06.2015 - 06.2017
Master of Computer Applications -
Bharathidasan University
Bachelor of Science - Mathematics
University of Madras