Finance & Banking

Experienced individuals involved in financial services, including banking, investment, insurance, and real estate

Jan Van Wassenhove

Jan Van Wassenhove

Jan Van Wassenhove is the Technical Director for the Belux Business Line Design & Develop at Sopra Steria, where he spearheads technological solutions and services with his team of architects. Starting with a solid foundation in Java development, Jan has evolved into a skilled architect and project manager with extensive experience in Agile methodologies.

Remarkably, he is also the innovator behind "SCRUM", a new programming language he created, which showcases his innovative thinking and his constant quest to explore new territories in technology (and it is also just fun anyone can become an actual SCRUM master programmer). Throughout his career, he has worked on projects for both the public and private sectors, with a particular focus on banking and government.

Jan Van Wassenhove is the Technical Director for the Belux Business Line Design & Develop at Sopra Steria, where he spearheads technological solutions and services with his team of architects. Starting with a solid foundation in Java development, Jan... Show more

Thananjayan Kasi

Thananjayan Kasi

Thananjayan Kasi is a seasoned Strategic Solutions Architect and global technology leader with over 19 years of experience delivering cloud transformation, data engineering, and AI-driven modernization across the USA, Singapore, and India. Specializing in enterprise-scale digital transformation programs for the banking and financial services sector, he has consistently driven innovation at the intersection of cloud architecture, data intelligence, and application modernization.
Currently with HCL America Inc, Thananjayan leads multi-million-dollar transformation initiatives focused on cloud migration, application modernization, and data platform transformation, consistently achieving measurable business outcomes. His core expertise lies in reengineering legacy ecosystems into cloud-native, AI-enabled architectures,Snowflake lakehouse architecture, serverless data engineering. His expertise spans a wide ecosystem of technologies AWS (EC2, Lambda, Glue, SageMaker), Snowflake, Apache Spark, PySpark, and Terraform bridging the gap between business objectives and technical execution.
Thananjayan is a visionary architect and transformation leader with a distinguished track record of delivering enterprise-scale solutions that enhance operational agility, fortify data governance, and elevate customer experience across global financial institutions. Thananjayan has modernized numerous monolithic Java/JSP applications into scalable, resilient Spring Boot microservices, deployed real-time analytics pipelines, and implemented secure, compliant cloud platforms aligned with industry benchmarks. He has also pioneered the modernization of legacy data warehouses into serverless, cloud-native solutions, driving end-to-end delivery for complex programs with minimal downtime and maximum business continuity. His work exemplifies strategic innovation, technical excellence, and enterprise-grade execution, positioning him as a critical contributor to digital transformation at scale.

A recognized thought leader, he has published articles on AI integration and cloud-native transformation, and is passionate about mentoring emerging talent in cloud and data engineering. His leadership philosophy combines strategic foresight, technical rigor, and delivery excellence, empowering organizations to build intelligent, future-ready enterprises.
Thananjayan holds an M.Phil from Periyar University, an M.C.A. and B.Sc. (Computer Science) from the University of Madras, and multiple certifications, including Google Cloud Digital Leader, Informatica Certified Professional, and Advanced Teradata Certified Professional.

Thananjayan Kasi is a seasoned Strategic Solutions Architect and global technology leader with over 19 years of experience delivering cloud transformation, data engineering, and AI-driven modernization across the USA, Singapore, and India. Specializi... Show more

Shashi Kumar Munugoti

Shashi Kumar Munugoti

Shashi Kumar Munugoti is a seasoned Principal Application Engineer and Solution Architect based in Pittsburgh, PA, with over 20 years of comprehensive IT experience specialising in Java technologies, cloud architecture, and enterprise-scale microservices solutions.
Currently serving as Principal Application Engineer at Discover Financial Services, Shashi leads the architectural design and implementation of cloud-native microservices for the Discover Card Disputes System. He has successfully spearheaded the migration of monolithic applications to microservices architectures on OpenShift Container Platform, resulting in improved system performance, enhanced resilience, and significant cost reductions.
Shashi holds a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communications Engineering from JNTU, Hyderabad, and maintains multiple industry certifications, including Google Cloud Certified Cloud Digital Leader, AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, and Apollo Certified Graph Developer (both Associate and Professional levels).
Throughout his career, Shashi has demonstrated expertise in full-stack enterprise development, working with technologies spanning Java/J2EE, Spring Boot, microservices, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), container orchestration (Kubernetes, OpenShift), and modern CI/CD practices. His experience encompasses financial services, automotive, healthcare, and logistics industries, where he has consistently delivered mission-critical applications with high availability and regulatory compliance.
As a technical leader, Shashi has successfully mentored development teams, established best practices for software development, and driven digital transformation initiatives. His proven ability to align technical solutions with business objectives, combined with his deep understanding of enterprise architecture patterns, makes him a valuable asset in complex, large-scale technology implementations.
Shashi's career trajectory reflects continuous growth from Software Engineer to his current senior leadership role, demonstrating his commitment to staying current with emerging technologies and industry best practices in the rapidly evolving IT landscape.

Shashi Kumar Munugoti is a seasoned Principal Application Engineer and Solution Architect based in Pittsburgh, PA, with over 20 years of comprehensive IT experience specialising in Java technologies, cloud architecture, and enterprise-scale microserv... Show more

Megan Livadas

Megan Livadas

Power BI fangirl since 2018, leading end-to-end BI implementations across industries including Insurance and Retail. On a mission to help organisations create a Power BI Culture, and drive adoption through proper governance.

Power BI fangirl since 2018, leading end-to-end BI implementations across industries including Insurance and Retail. On a mission to help organisations create a Power BI Culture, and drive adoption through proper governance. Show more

Tarun R Jain

Tarun R Jain

I am Tarun Jain, Founding Engineer at a Stealth Startup and YouTuber with 4.06K+ subscribers on AI with Tarun. A two-time Google Summer of Code alum (2023 at caMicroscope, 2024 at Red Hen Lab) and Google Developer Expert in AI. I'm an active speaker in the PyCon APAC region. Spoke at EuroPython, PyCon: Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Australia.

Portfolio: https://tarunjain.netlify.app/

I am Tarun Jain, Founding Engineer at a Stealth Startup and YouTuber with 4.06K+ subscribers on AI with Tarun. A two-time Google Summer of Code alum (2023 at caMicroscope, 2024 at Red Hen Lab) and Google Developer Expert in AI. I'm an active speaker ... Show more

Jenny Cuevas

Jenny Cuevas

Jenny Cuevas is a Microsoft-certified Dynamics 365 Functional Consultant with a strong track record of leading successful enterprise-level digital transformations. Her journey with Dynamics CRM began as an end user with an on-premises CRM 2011 implementation, where she transitioned from SME to PM—a move that launched her career in technology.

Jenny advanced through the ranks to Director of Software Solutions, leading a team responsible for delivering and maintaining business-critical systems. She later focused on Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CE) and the Power Platform, deepening her expertise in Microsoft cloud technologies.

With extensive experience spearheading large-scale D365 CE implementations, Jenny leads cross-functional teams through complex digital transformation initiatives. Her work encompasses requirements gathering, business analysis, solution design, product configuration, close collaboration with technical teams, client relationship management, and driving user adoption strategies—all within an agile-based delivery framework.

Known for her ability to translate business needs into scalable, user-friendly Microsoft solutions, Jenny is a leader that delivers measurable impact across the full project lifecycle.

Jenny Cuevas is a Microsoft-certified Dynamics 365 Functional Consultant with a strong track record of leading successful enterprise-level digital transformations. Her journey with Dynamics CRM began as an end user with an on-premises CRM 2011 implem... Show more

Sahib Sawhney

Sahib Sawhney

Sahib Sawhney is a seasoned technology professional with a robust background in software development and project management. He has demonstrated expertise in leading cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions that drive business growth. Sahib's proficiency spans various programming languages and platforms, enabling him to adapt to diverse technological environments. His commitment to continuous learning and staying abreast of industry trends positions him as a valuable asset in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

Sahib Sawhney is a seasoned technology professional with a robust background in software development and project management. He has demonstrated expertise in leading cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions that drive business growth. S... Show more

Linda Stauffenberg

Linda Stauffenberg

Linda is a Strategic Advisor specializing in the field of enterprise innovation. She is co-founder and MD at Experience One, a digital agency focusing on innovative technologies for designing and scaling new and better CX for companies like Mercedes-Benz, BOSCH, AOK and FI. She focuses on strategic consulting and positioning of changemakers as well as in the implementation of customer centric change programs to create a sustainable culture of innovation. She benefits from her many years of experience in rollout and architecture consulting for the major digital platforms of large enterprises.

Linda is a Strategic Advisor specializing in the field of enterprise innovation. She is co-founder and MD at Experience One, a digital agency focusing on innovative technologies for designing and scaling new and better CX for companies like Mercedes-... Show more

Benito van Breugel

Benito van Breugel

As an analytical bridge between Business and IT, I translate your requirements into the data solution that are being build. Making you happy as a business user is my passion and bringing the people to the next level is my drive!
With more than 10 years-experience in the field of Business Intelligence, Data, Analytics & Engineering, I am the analytical bridge between business & IT. I'll now focus on using Fabric in the best way possible to deliver value and sharing these experiences with, collegues, clients and partners.

As an analytical bridge between Business and IT, I translate your requirements into the data solution that are being build. Making you happy as a business user is my passion and bringing the people to the next level is my drive! With more than 10 y... Show more

Shreelekha Ramabadran

Shreelekha Ramabadran

Shreelekha Ramabadran, PMP, is an accomplished IT Program and QA Delivery Manager with 23+ years of comprehensive experience. Her background includes 19+ years specializing in Quality Assurance, Release Management, and Project Management, complemented by more than 15 years of proven people leadership.
Since 2016, Shreelekha has been with NCR Corporation (now NCR Voyix/Candescent), progressing through increasingly strategic roles. From 2019 to the present, she has served as a Digital Banking QA Delivery/Client Services Manager, leading QA teams for Digital Banking platforms (D3 Banking). In this role, she drives end-to-end quality delivery, including defect triage, test planning, System Integration Testing (SIT), End-to-End (E2E) testing, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) execution, while partnering closely with stakeholders throughout the delivery lifecycle. From 2016 to 2019, she focused on Advanced Store/Retail Domain QA & Release Management, overseeing quality frameworks for point-of-sale and retail technology solutions.
Earlier in her career, Shreelekha held strategic leadership positions across multiple organizations and industries. She worked at Tech Mahindra Americas supporting Verizon Telematics as a Senior Project Manager–Testing, managing quality frameworks for connected vehicle and telematics platforms. She also served as a QA Manager at Carter’s/OshKosh, directing quality assurance for retail e-commerce and omnichannel systems, and as a Project Manager–QA at Genuine Parts Company, establishing quality governance for automotive parts distribution and supply chain systems. Her experience includes roles at IBM supporting TD Bank and PNC Bank as a Senior Project Manager–QA, implementing enterprise banking quality frameworks, as well as work at Satyam/Mahindra Satyam as a QA Manager/Business Analyst delivering quality solutions for global clients such as KPN Telecom (Netherlands), Swisscom (Switzerland), and Janssen Pharma.
Shreelekha holds a Master of Computer Applications from Madurai Kamaraj University and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Madras. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and also holds credentials including EXIN DevOps Master, Salesforce.com Certified Administrator, and Oracle Certified Siebel 7.7 Business Analyst.

Shreelekha Ramabadran, PMP, is an accomplished IT Program and QA Delivery Manager with 23+ years of comprehensive experience. Her background includes 19+ years specializing in Quality Assurance, Release Management, and Project Management, complemente... Show more

Bill Ryan

Bill Ryan

With over three decades of experience in business and technology transformation, Bill Ryan helps organizations align AI with real business outcomes. As a former Director of Business Programs at Microsoft and a senior leader at Avanade, Bill has led global initiatives across Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and AI adoption. Today, as the founder of Sync(d) AI, he specializes in helping organizations build scalable AI Centers of Excellence using Microsoft technologies, while keeping humans at the center of every solution.

With over three decades of experience in business and technology transformation, Bill Ryan helps organizations align AI with real business outcomes. As a former Director of Business Programs at Microsoft and a senior leader at Avanade, Bill has led g... Show more

Manuel Schuller

Manuel Schuller

Manuel is a senior DevOps evangelist, with a 20+ years international experience on both Dev and Ops solutions. Public Speaker (in events like DevOps World, DevOps Enterprise Summit, and BrightTalk's and TechStrong's programs and broadcasts), Business and Technical Challenges Solver.
Loving the terms “DevOps-ifier” and “DevOps-ologist”, with an excellent knowledge of both technologies and markets, he helps people practice DevOps principles in real world organizations, and achieve results in big DevOps transitions projects.
Outside of DevOps he is a member of the BIEN (Basic Income European Network), and a registered supporter of the Italian CDTI (Club Dirigenti Tecnologie dell’Informazione) and SiFPA (Simple Function Point Association, now in IFPUG).

Manuel is a senior DevOps evangelist, with a 20+ years international experience on both Dev and Ops solutions. Public Speaker (in events like DevOps World, DevOps Enterprise Summit, and BrightTalk's and TechStrong's programs and broadcasts), Business... Show more

Janet Velazquez

Janet Velazquez

Janet’s commitment to a standard of excellence is driven by her dedication to a life of learning and growing. She was welcomed into the field of Dentistry in 1998 by a Dentist who took her under his wing and showed her everything she was willing to learn. Having spent the first ten years working as a cross-trained dental assistant, she discovered her passion for the business of healthcare in 2008 when she partnered with a Dentist to open a startup in the middle of a national recession. Today, she partners with businesses Nationwide to fine tune the many variables that hinder productivity.

Janet’s educational journey includes a degree in Organizational Leadership, Business, and Communication from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. She is a recognized Consultant with the National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants (NSCHBC) and is a part of the AADOM Speaker/Consultant Alliance with the American Association of Dental Office Management where she has also been awarded Fellowship distinction. In 2021, Janet expanded her impact further by becoming a registered Fraud Examiner with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), where she supports businesses in identifying and preventing employee theft and embezzlement.

Janet’s commitment to a standard of excellence is driven by her dedication to a life of learning and growing. She was welcomed into the field of Dentistry in 1998 by a Dentist who took her under his wing and showed her everything she was willing to l... Show more

Prapurna Uppuluri

Prapurna Uppuluri

I’m a cybersecurity practitioner with over 17 years of experience across banking, energy, education, health, and IT service providers. For more than 10 years, my work has focused on secure-by-design practices, designing and reviewing security controls in complex, regulated environments. I’m particularly interested in aligning security decisions with business intent and operational reality, so that controls reduce risk without disrupting critical services.

I’m a cybersecurity practitioner with over 17 years of experience across banking, energy, education, health, and IT service providers. For more than 10 years, my work has focused on secure-by-design practices, designing and reviewing security control... Show more

Michalis Michalos

Michalis Michalos

Michalis Michalos works as Cyber Resilience and Intelligence Manager at Alpha Bank‘s Cyber Security & Information Security Business Area, overviewing -amongst others- the AB-CSIRT. For the last 12+ years, Michalis has been working in the ICT industry focusing exclusively in cyber security since 2019 when he joined PCCW Global. An Electrical Engineering graduate, he also holds an MSc in Networking and Data Communications from Kingston University of London, and an MBA from the Hellenic Open University. He is entitled to a lot of certifications from large vendors including Microsoft Security Operations Analyst Associate, Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate and Certified MITRE ATT&CK Defender.

Michalis Michalos works as Cyber Resilience and Intelligence Manager at Alpha Bank‘s Cyber Security & Information Security Business Area, overviewing -amongst others- the AB-CSIRT. For the last 12+ years, Michalis has been working in the ICT industry... Show more

Kavya Pathuri Pathuri

Kavya Pathuri Pathuri

Kavya Pathuri is an accomplished Full Stack Developer with extensive experience in the Information Technology domain, specializing in Java/J2EE technologies, Spring frameworks, and front‑end development frameworks such as Angular and React. Over the years, she has built a strong portfolio of work in developing microservices, designing scalable architectures, and integrating front‑end and back‑end systems seamlessly.
Kavya is proficient in core Java concepts like multithreading, collections, Servlets, and JDBC, and has hands-on expertise with Spring Boot, Spring Security, and Spring MVC for building enterprise-grade applications. She has significant experience developing RESTful web services, implementing microservices architecture with Docker, and working with cloud platforms such as AWS and Google Cloud. Her technical skills also encompass UI development using HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap, JavaScript, TypeScript, Angular (versions 2 through 9), ReactJS, jQuery, and NodeJS, with a proven ability to optimize performance and enhance user experience.
In her most recent role at Northern Trust in Chicago, IL (August 2022 – present), Kavya has led critical initiatives including designing a Snowflake data warehouse, implementing CI/CD pipelines, automating data processes with Python, and optimizing backend Java code for improved reporting performance. She has been instrumental in migrating legacy systems, ensuring security compliance, and mentoring junior developers.
Prior to this, she contributed as a Full Stack Developer at Freedom Mortgage (April 2021 – August 2022), US Tech Systems Inc. (December 2020 – April 2021), Plato Technologies (August 2020 – December 2020), and Deloitte (July 2018 – July 2020), where she developed complex applications, refactored codebases, integrated APIs, and followed agile methodologies to deliver high‑quality software solutions.
Kavya holds a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Gannon University, PA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering from Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College. She is also an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, further highlighting her expertise in cloud technologies.

Kavya Pathuri is an accomplished Full Stack Developer with extensive experience in the Information Technology domain, specializing in Java/J2EE technologies, Spring frameworks, and front‑end development frameworks such as Angular and React. Over the ... Show more

Emil Vinčazović

Emil Vinčazović

Emil Vincazovic holds a Master's degree in Statistics from the University of Düsseldorf, where he specialized in econometrics and artificial intelligence.
With a strong foundation in analyzing large-scale economic and business data, he has built deep expertise in data preparation, data analysis, and the operationalization of Al.
In his current role, Emil works extensively with Microsoft Fabric, Azure Foundry, and Azure ML Studio, focusing on unlocking the value of data for advanced analytics and Al use cases. His recent work centers on data governance with Microsoft Purview, helping organizations strike the balance between innovation and compliance.

At the intersection of statistics, Al, and cloud technologies, Emil brings both the technical know-how and the strategic perspective to make data trustworthy, discoverable, and usable at scale.

Emil Vincazovic holds a Master's degree in Statistics from the University of Düsseldorf, where he specialized in econometrics and artificial intelligence. With a strong foundation in analyzing large-scale economic and business data, he has built dee... Show more

Ramesh Kamakoti

Ramesh Kamakoti

Ramesh Kamakoti is a technology leader and systems architect with extensive experience in enterprise infrastructure, middleware platforms, DevOps engineering, and cloud-native system design. His career has focused on building, standardizing, and operating highly available, scalable, and secure platforms supporting mission-critical production systems in the financial services and telecommunications sectors.
He is currently a Senior Consultant at Visa Inc. (Austin, Texas), where he architects DevOps standards and CI/CD platforms for global payment processing systems deployed across multi-datacenter and hybrid environments. His work includes designing multi-environment CI/CD architectures, Kubernetes-based container orchestration platforms, and internal release management tools built using MERN/MEAN stacks. He has led automation frameworks for application, configuration, database, and infrastructure deployments, reducing deployment times from hours to minutes while maintaining 99.99% service availability.
At Visa, Ramesh has contributed to AI-driven automation initiatives, observability platforms using Prometheus and Grafana, and security-first DevOps practices incorporating automated vulnerability scanning and compliance gates. He plays a key role in defining architectural standards, leading design reviews, and mentoring engineering teams on distributed systems and microservices architecture.
Previously, Ramesh worked at Verizon as an IaaS DevOps Middleware Engineer, where he architected enterprise automation and CI/CD frameworks, supported high-volume digital platforms, and helped achieve 99.99% uptime through resilient, multi-region infrastructure designs.
Before that, he served as a DevOps Engineer at Visa Inc. (Singapore), contributing to large-scale hosting platforms, enterprise Single Sign-On (SSO) implementations, and zero-downtime data center migration initiatives.
Earlier in his career, Ramesh held middleware engineering and team leadership roles at Citibank, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and STAR Alliance, specializing in IBM WebSphere, IBM MQ, middleware operations, release management, and production support for high-availability environments. His early professional background includes UNIX administration and customer support engineering.
Ramesh holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Periyar University and is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Program in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the University of Texas at Austin. His certifications include IBM WebSphere, ITIL v3, and Microsoft Certified Professional credentials.

Ramesh Kamakoti is a technology leader and systems architect with extensive experience in enterprise infrastructure, middleware platforms, DevOps engineering, and cloud-native system design. His career has focused on building, standardizing, and oper... Show more

Sudhir Saxena

Sudhir Saxena

Sudhir Saxena is an accomplished AWS Data Engineer with more than 15 years of experience in building, optimizing, and modernizing enterprise-grade data platforms. His career has spanned a wide range of industries, including transportation, finance, insurance, and real estate, where he has played pivotal roles in driving cloud data strategies and delivering scalable, secure, and performance-driven data solutions.
He specializes in designing end-to-end data pipelines and has a deep command of AWS technologies such as Glue, Redshift, Lambda, EMR, Athena, and Lake Formation. His technical toolkit also includes PySpark, Apache Hudi, and Python, enabling him to build high-performance ETL frameworks and implement Change Data Capture (CDC) logic to handle large volumes of structured and semi-structured data efficiently. Sudhir has led critical migration projects, successfully transitioning on-premise platforms like Teradata and Hadoop to cloud-native architectures on AWS and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
Throughout his career, Sudhir has taken on leadership roles that involved guiding cross-functional teams, reviewing high-level architecture designs, and ensuring the alignment of technical implementations with organizational goals. He has built and deployed CI/CD pipelines using tools like AWS CodePipeline, Bitbucket, Terraform, and GitHub, reducing manual intervention and improving deployment reliability. His projects often included implementing orchestration with Step Functions and monitoring with CloudWatch and Datadog to ensure operational excellence.
Sudhir is certified in multiple AWS domains, including as an AWS Certified Data Engineer, Solutions Architect, Machine Learning – Specialty, and Cloud Practitioner. These credentials underscore his depth in cloud infrastructure, data architecture, and machine learning integrations.
He holds a Master of Computer Applications (MCA) degree from the College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai, India. With a strong foundation in data engineering and cloud computing, Sudhir continues to drive impactful solutions that enable organizations to unlock the full potential of their data.

Sudhir Saxena is an accomplished AWS Data Engineer with more than 15 years of experience in building, optimizing, and modernizing enterprise-grade data platforms. His career has spanned a wide range of industries, including transportation, finance, i... Show more

Jared Casner

Jared Casner

Jared Casner is the cofounder of Blacksmith InfoSec, where he helps MSPs and SMBs build audit-ready security programs without enterprise budgets. He has been building secure software for more than 25 years. For the past 15 years, he’s led software and cybersecurity at Silicon Valley startups, primarily in govtech, healthtech, and fintech. He earned a BS in Computer Science from the University of Denver and an MBA from the University of Colorado. Jared is the coauthor of Forging Trust, creator of multiple open-source compliance tools, and cohost of the “Get NIST-y” podcast.

Jared Casner is the cofounder of Blacksmith InfoSec, where he helps MSPs and SMBs build audit-ready security programs without enterprise budgets. He has been building secure software for more than 25 years. For the past 15 years, he’s led software an... Show more

Jennifer Bonenfant

Jennifer Bonenfant

Jennifer Bonenfant brings a 360° perspective shaped by experience as a KPMG auditor, finance leader, and board member. She specializes in guiding organizations through compliance, audit readiness, and ERP transformation—leveraging Dynamics 365 Business Central and emerging AI capabilities to build secure, scalable finance environments. Her approach blends governance rigor with practical innovation, empowering teams to achieve confidence in controls while embracing the future of digital finance.

Jennifer Bonenfant brings a 360° perspective shaped by experience as a KPMG auditor, finance leader, and board member. She specializes in guiding organizations through compliance, audit readiness, and ERP transformation—leveraging Dynamics 365 Busine... Show more

Almir Zulic

Almir Zulic

Principal Developer and Solution Architect with 28 years of IT experience, specializing in cloud technologies for enterprise customers. Currently focused on serverless development and deploying AI models in production, with an emphasis on security, cost optimization, and reliable delivery on AWS.

Authors software delivery and CI/CD security policies for supply-chain protection, and implements automated guardrails through endpoint compliance checks and standardized GitHub CI/CD templates. Developed a code scanning tool, improving auditability and consistent delivery across a large engineering organization.

Builds end-to-end machine learning solutions for factory defect detection, from secure model training pipelines to production inference, reporting, and monitoring applications.

Comfortable working across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, delivering practical solutions that balance security, cost, and operational needs. Hands-on across the full stack, from backend services and APIs to web applications and mobile apps, with a strong focus on reliability, observability, and predictable deployments.

Core Strengths:

- Enterprise cloud architecture on AWS
- Serverless platform engineering
- Security engineering and governance
- Cost optimization and FinOps practices
- Well-Architected reviews and remediation
- Internal developer tooling for code quality and compliance
- Machine learning pipelines and production inference
- Data and reporting for finance and collections
- Workflow automation for operations
- Technical leadership and mentoring
- Public speaking and technical writing

Principal Developer and Solution Architect with 28 years of IT experience, specializing in cloud technologies for enterprise customers. Currently focused on serverless development and deploying AI models in production, with an emphasis on security, c... Show more

Paul Innella

Paul Innella

Paul Innella, CEO of TDI, is a globally recognized cybersecurity executive with over 30 years of experience advising critical infrastructure, government, and enterprise organizations. He pioneered Cybersecurity Performance Management (CPM), a strategic approach to measuring cybersecurity effectiveness in operational environments. Paul has guided top institutions including DARPA, the U.S. Navy, Deutsche Bank, and the IMF. His insights have appeared in Forbes, Financial Times, CNBC, and ABC News. He holds CISSP-ISSMP, CISM, and NSA IAM certifications and completed executive programs at Cambridge, IMD, and Edinburgh Business School. He also chairs White Hat USA, supporting Children’s National Medical Center.

Paul Innella, CEO of TDI, is a globally recognized cybersecurity executive with over 30 years of experience advising critical infrastructure, government, and enterprise organizations. He pioneered Cybersecurity Performance Management (CPM), a strateg... Show more

Uros Milanovic

Uros Milanovic

As a Senior Product Manager for Azure SQL Managed Instance, I focus on building a better platform for running SQL Server in Azure - one that’s elastic, flexible, and optimized for cost and performance. My goal is to empower individuals and organizations to adopt the cloud with confidence, using tools and capabilities that make SQL Server workloads more efficient, scalable, and secure.

I collaborate with customers across industries - from finance to retail - to simplify cloud migration, optimize cost and performance, and ensure high availability for mission-critical applications. Whether you're just starting your cloud journey or scaling complex environments, I’m here to help you succeed with Azure SQL Managed Instance.

As a Senior Product Manager for Azure SQL Managed Instance, I focus on building a better platform for running SQL Server in Azure - one that’s elastic, flexible, and optimized for cost and performance. My goal is to empower individuals and organizati... Show more

Victor Aguayo

Victor Aguayo

Víctor Aguayo, Technology Architect en BCP con +20 años en tecnología y miembro de Rust Perú. Diseña plataformas cloud-native en Kubernetes (AKS/ACA) y estandariza microservicios con Dapr (invocación, pub/sub, estado, secretos, observabilidad). Orquesta flujos event-driven con Kafka y Flink e integra agentes de IA (MCP). En BCP lidera POCs, define guías/baselines y optimiza costos. Ex Principal Architect en Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes (AWS). Speaker en Peru Global Azure (PUCP), DevFest 2025 (UPC), miembro de la comunidad Rust Peru.

Víctor Aguayo, Technology Architect en BCP con +20 años en tecnología y miembro de Rust Perú. Diseña plataformas cloud-native en Kubernetes (AKS/ACA) y estandariza microservicios con Dapr (invocación, pub/sub, estado, secretos, observabilidad). Orque... Show more

Brian Ferdinand

Brian Ferdinand

Brian Ferdinand — Portfolio Manager & Trader, EverForward

Brian Ferdinand is a Portfolio Manager and Trader at EverForward, where he is responsible for portfolio construction, active trading, and overall capital deployment. At EverForward, he leads the firm's trading operations with a focus on disciplined execution, structured risk management, and consistent performance across market conditions.

His work centers on identifying asymmetric opportunities, managing drawdowns, and maintaining strict risk parameters while actively adapting to evolving market dynamics. EverForward operates with a performance-driven mindset, prioritizing clarity of strategy, capital preservation, and scalable trading frameworks.

Brian plays a central role in shaping EverForward's trading philosophy, ensuring that decision-making remains data-driven, accountable, and aligned with long-term objectives.



Brian Ferdinand — Strategic Advisor, Helix Alpha

Brian Ferdinand serves as a Strategic Advisor to Helix Alpha, providing market insight and strategic perspective to support the firm's quantitative research and trading initiatives. In this role, he works closely with the Helix Alpha team to help align strategy design, execution considerations, and real-world market behavior.

His advisory focus includes strategy evaluation, risk awareness, and the practical application of systematic models within live trading environments. Brian contributes an execution-oriented viewpoint, helping ensure that research-driven strategies remain robust, scalable, and responsive to changing market conditions.

Through his advisory role, he supports Helix Alpha's mission to develop precise, disciplined, and resilient trading systems.

Brian Ferdinand — Portfolio Manager & Trader, EverForward Brian Ferdinand is a Portfolio Manager and Trader at EverForward, where he is responsible for portfolio construction, active trading, and overall capital deployment. At EverForward, he lead... Show more

Kjell de Ruiter

Kjell de Ruiter

Kjell de Ruiter is an Agile Coach who believes we can do a lot of great things in our teams, but sooner or later we run into our organisations. As such he is very driven to find ways to make the organisations a catalyst, rather than an anchor. He does so by focusing on clear communication structures and prioritizations and reinforcing healthier relations and expectations for and within our teams. Kjell is keen builder of communities and any other event that will allow people to learn together.

Kjell de Ruiter is an Agile Coach who believes we can do a lot of great things in our teams, but sooner or later we run into our organisations. As such he is very driven to find ways to make the organisations a catalyst, rather than an anchor. He doe... Show more

Dr. Don Barden

Dr. Don Barden

Dr. Don Barden is an internationally recognized behavioral economist, author, and corporate strategist with more than 30 years of transformative leadership experience. Named one of North America’s Top 30 Most Transformational Leaders by John Maxwell and Entrepreneur of the Year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Dr. Barden has built billion-dollar sales teams and reshaped organizational cultures across the globe.

His Wall Street–backed research, The Perfect Plan, uncovered the behavioral patterns that drive elite leadership performance. His latest doctoral study, Here Come the Girls, reveals the next global paradigm shift in leadership—forecasting that between 2028 and 2032, women’s rise to power will redefine how organizations grow, innovate, and lead. Dr. Barden’s message equips leaders to adapt, embrace inclusive collaboration, and prepare for the future of business through measurable 3× impact in growth, profit, and retention.

Dr. Don Barden is an internationally recognized behavioral economist, author, and corporate strategist with more than 30 years of transformative leadership experience. Named one of North America’s Top 30 Most Transformational Leaders by John Maxwell ... Show more

Aftab Moin Khan

Aftab Moin Khan

Aftab Khan is a Vice President at MSCI Inc. and a Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert with over 10 years of experience in software development and cloud technologies. He specializes in Kubernetes, monitoring solutions, and DevOps practices, with deep expertise in tools like Prometheus and Grafana. His background in full-stack development and enterprise monitoring makes him an authority on implementing cloud-native observability at scale.

Aftab Khan is a Vice President at MSCI Inc. and a Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert with over 10 years of experience in software development and cloud technologies. He specializes in Kubernetes, monitoring solutions, and DevOps practices, wi... Show more

Surya Rao Rayarao

Surya Rao Rayarao

Surya Rao Rayarao is a distinguished thought leader at the forefront of artificial intelligence and data modernization. With deep expertise in machine learning applications and enterprise transformation, he specializes in helping organizations navigate the complex landscape of digital evolution.

His work particularly focuses on the financial and insurance sectors, where he has pioneered innovative approaches to hyperautomation, anomaly detection, and intelligent data processing. Through his speaking engagements, Surya shares practical insights on implementing AI solutions that drive real business value.

Known for his "enlightening" and "inspiring" presentations, Surya combines technical depth with accessible communication, making complex AI concepts understandable for diverse audiences from technical teams to executive leadership.

Surya Rao Rayarao is a distinguished thought leader at the forefront of artificial intelligence and data modernization. With deep expertise in machine learning applications and enterprise transformation, he specializes in helping organizations naviga... Show more

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