Summary
Overview
Work History
Skills
Certification
Accomplishments
Timeline
Generic

Sayan Ghatak

Newark,DE

Summary

Innovative and results-oriented Pega leader with extensive experience in designing, implementing, and driving enterprise-wide solutions in cards, payments, and Banking and Financial Services domain. Over 20 years of experience in the IT industry with 19 years of Pega experience across different flavors of BPM implementations. Recognized as a Pega COE Sales Lead and Principal Architect, with a proven track record of building scalable Centers of Excellence, architecting cutting-edge solutions, and leading sales engagements to drive digital transformation. Skilled in aligning technology strategies with business goals, delivering measurable outcomes, and fostering lasting client relationships.

Overview

21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Pega COE and Sales Lead

Cognizant
, USA
11.2018 - Current
  • Defined and executed go-to-market strategies for Pega-based solutions across banking, financial services, and cards & payments industries.
  • Acted as a trusted advisor to clients, influencing technology adoption and promoting Pega’s capabilities in automation and digital transformation.
  • Collaborated with delivery and architecture teams to create compelling demos and proofs of concept
  • Lead a Center of Excellence (COE) to streamline the delivery of Pega solutions, driving operational efficiency and revenue growth.
  • Developed and delivered tailored Pega sales and technology roadmaps, aligning with client business objectives to improve ROI.
  • Partnered with Account teams to conduct workshops, create value propositions, and deliver technical insights to key stakeholders.
  • Partnered with client executives to define technology roadmaps and prioritize solution implementations, aligning with long-term business goals.

Pega Solution Architect and Pre-Sales COE Lead

Cognizant
, USA
01.2013 - 11.2018
  • Directed design and development initiatives with multiple technology teams globally.
  • Architected and delivered Pega Smart Disputes implementations and upgrades for global clients, optimizing dispute resolution timelines by up to 25%.
  • Drove platform innovations, including integrations with payment gateways, fraud detection systems, and regulatory compliance frameworks.
  • Established and led the Cards & Payments Center of Excellence (COE) to drive best practices, standardize delivery frameworks, and create reusable assets.
  • Mentored and upskilled cross-functional teams on Pega architecture, design best practices, and Cards & Payments domain-specific nuances.
  • Provided domain-specific consultation, ensuring alignment with PCI-DSS and other industry standards.
  • Conducted regular governance reviews to ensure architectural alignment, scalability, and adherence to regulatory requirements.
  • Directed end-to-end pre-sales activities, including RFP/RFI responses, client workshops, solution demonstrations, and technical proposal development.
  • Led interactive client workshops to identify pain points and opportunities, translating them into actionable Pega solutions.
  • Ensured seamless transitions from pre-sales to delivery teams, providing solution blueprints, architecture, and client requirements for execution.

Engagement Lead/Technology Architect for Building an Enterprise Lending Solution

Cognizant
, Thailand
01.2013 - 12.2013
  • Requirement gathering and analysis using DCO methodology during the inception and elaboration phase
  • Sizing and laying out the BPM enablement plan for the client IT resources
  • Gap analysis and process improvement suggestions
  • Estimation and revalidation of change request based on users' feedback
  • Effective Program planning and tracking, scheduling and budgeting
  • Interacting with program stakeholders and define the delivery milestones aligned to program
  • Assist business trainings and user sessions to make the users aware of the advantages and flow of the new system
  • Accurate status tracking and reporting of the project
  • Coordinating between tech teams involved in the program
  • Providing thought leadership to the client in drawing the roadmap and architecture for the next phases of the program
  • Coordination between the development and the testing team for smooth execution of the project
  • Release management and deployment coordinating with the cloud infrastructure team
  • Mentor direct reportees in the project to meet the program as well as their career

Project Lead for Building a Credit Risk Engine for Loss Minimization

Cognizant
, USA
01.2011 - 12.2013
  • Definition of project scope through extensive discussions with the business users and identifying business requirements
  • Design and code review of the deliverables
  • Stakeholder relationship maintenance
  • Estimation and revalidation of change request based on users' feedback
  • Interacting with program stakeholders and define the delivery milestones aligned to program
  • Assist business trainings and user sessions to make the users aware of the advantages and flow of the new system

Lead System Architect for Building a Global Dispute Management Platform

Cognizant
, USA
01.2009 - 12.2011
  • Driving the design and architecture providing technical and thought leadership to the team
  • Helping the business and technology teams with Smart Dispute OOTB capabilities reducing the complexity of the process implementation
  • Onsite-Offshore coordination
  • Defining the architecture of new systems being built and documenting it using appropriate software engineering and modeling tools, developing prototypes of proposed system for clients to provide feedback on the solutions
  • Coordination between the development and the testing team for smooth execution of the project
  • Quality control maintaining Cognizant and client process standards using Cognizant and client's proprietary tools
  • Estimation and revalidation of change request based on users' feedback
  • Mentoring new joinees to the program both technically and functionally
  • Ensure best practice adherence

Lead System Architect/Tech Lead for Building a Dispute & Fraud System Automation

Cognizant
, USA
01.2006 - 12.2009
  • Requirement analysis
  • Implementing the requirements using Smart Dispute framework
  • Redesigning the business flows to fit PEGA Smart Dispute framework
  • Development of the integration components with TSYS, FDR, VROL, MasterCom
  • Unit testing
  • Production Support
  • Client interaction
  • Onsite-offshore coordination
  • Preparing different Quality metrics, specifically defect metrics
  • Estimating change requests
  • System testing
  • Process Improvement
  • Defect Prevention coordinator
  • SCM (Software Configuration Management) Coordinator
  • Co-ordination for Interface Module

Senior System Architect for Migration Assessment

Cognizant
, Switzerland
01.2005 - 12.2006
  • Assessment of the existing system
  • Understanding the PEGA Smart Investigate tool architecture customized by the bank
  • Preparation of understanding document of the existing application to be signed off by the client
  • Run small pilot project to analyze the migration effort and other estimates
  • Setting up client environment at offshore with proper resources
  • Onsite-Offshore coordination
  • Preparation of RFP for the project with corresponding estimation
  • Presenting client with the Cognizant approach for this migration

System Architect for Enhancing an Operational Support and Claims Processing Solution

Cognizant
, IN
01.2004 - 12.2005
  • Requirement analysis
  • Design & Development of the application
  • Unit testing
  • Estimating change requests
  • Process improvements
  • Requirement analysis and design
  • Configuration, unit testing and issue resolving

Skills

  • Pega Platform: PRPC, Smart Disputes, Customer Decision Hub, Pega Customer Service for FS,Case Management, Integration Architecture
  • Integration: REST, SOAP, API Management
  • Technology-Sales: RFP/RFI Response, Solution Demos, Client Workshops, Technical Proposal Creation
  • Methodologies: Agile, Value Selling, Consultative Sales
  • Industry Expertise: Cards & Payments, Banking, Financial Services, Credit Risk and Fraud
  • Leadership: COE Setup, Solution Design, Architecture Governance, Team Leadership

Certification

  • PEGA Certified Senior System Architect
  • PEGA Certified System Architect
  • Cognizant Banking certifications-LO & L1 (Credit Cards) (Cognizant Internal Certification)
  • SAFE Agile Cognizant Certification

Accomplishments

  • Successfully led the deployment of a Pega Smart Dispute solution for a top-tier financial institution, reducing operational costs by 40%.
  • Built a global Pega COE that supported 15+ clients and managed projects worth over $25M annually.
  • Enabled a Fortune 500 bank to automate 90% of its dispute resolution process, improving customer satisfaction scores by 20%.
  • Delivered thought leadership through whitepapers and presentations on Pega solutions for cards and payments at industry forums.

Timeline

Pega COE and Sales Lead

Cognizant
11.2018 - Current

Pega Solution Architect and Pre-Sales COE Lead

Cognizant
01.2013 - 11.2018

Engagement Lead/Technology Architect for Building an Enterprise Lending Solution

Cognizant
01.2013 - 12.2013

Project Lead for Building a Credit Risk Engine for Loss Minimization

Cognizant
01.2011 - 12.2013

Lead System Architect for Building a Global Dispute Management Platform

Cognizant
01.2009 - 12.2011

Lead System Architect/Tech Lead for Building a Dispute & Fraud System Automation

Cognizant
01.2006 - 12.2009

Senior System Architect for Migration Assessment

Cognizant
01.2005 - 12.2006

System Architect for Enhancing an Operational Support and Claims Processing Solution

Cognizant
01.2004 - 12.2005
  • PEGA Certified Senior System Architect
  • PEGA Certified System Architect
  • Cognizant Banking certifications-LO & L1 (Credit Cards) (Cognizant Internal Certification)
  • SAFE Agile Cognizant Certification

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Sayan Ghatak