Sunil Kanaad

Experience

Career timeline

Dec 2024 — Present

Chief AI Product Strategist

Swan Sprints — Orlando, FL

Hands-on strategic leader advising client CxO, and executive leadership on AI priorities, investments, and governance — translating vision into execution by defining enterprise AI Engineering, Agentic Workflows, MLOps, AI Product Management, AI roadmaps and rapid shipment of platforms/products.

  • AI strategy: define and drive AI products aligned to revenue growth, operational efficiency, and organization outcomes — owning the full lifecycle from strategy and development through deployment and organizational adoption
  • AI product management: specify, architect, map out system integrations, account for user psychology with probabilistic models and data flywheels — shipped decoupled, event-driven B2B/B2C platforms on hybrid & multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP, Others) (, , , , EquitiesBro)
  • KPIs, data & context curation: establish KPIs tied to efficiency gains, cost and error reduction, and client experience improvements across engagements — using vector database implementations (Qdrant, Milvus) for data contextualization and curation
  • BD & capture: lead pursuit of commercial and government contracts, crafting expert, point-of-view-driven RFI/RFP responses that align solutions with core client needs
  • Workflow redesign: partner with business and operations teams to rebuild core workflows around AI, identifying and prioritizing high-value use cases, MLOps/LLMOps & cost optimization
  • Generative AI, agentic & loop engineering: define product vision, architecture and system boundaries for LLM stacks, RAG pipelines, chat-bots, and AI Harnesses for human-in-the-loop agentic workflows
Dec 2018 — Nov 2024

Director, Enterprise Architecture

Cognizant — Orlando, FL

Led complex digital transformation programs ranging for $10M - $300M+ for US financial, insurance, and retail institutions — shaped long-term strategy, designed resilient architectures, and drove cross-functional initiatives across business, operations, geography, and technology.

  • Pre-sales & commercial bid leadership: partnered with executive leadership on application portfolio evaluations, capability mapping, infrastructure assessments, modern target architectures, cost-benefit analysis, and multi-year modernization roadmaps
  • Bespoke client solutions: utilized Domain Driven Design, Event Driven Architecture, Platform Engineering, and Hybrid multi-geo distributed cloud. Federated & standardized Service Mesh, Data Mesh, Identity, Security, Telemetry, Observability & Integration Protocols.
  • AI & automation: identified and prioritized high-impact AI and automation opportunities, audited legacy workflows, identified friction points, and redesigned core workflows using AI & MLOps for measurable operational efficiencies and optimal resource utilization
  • Community development: headed the US Central Architecture Community, institutionalizing rigorous engineering standards and governance (TOGAF & CMMI) across diverse teams, AI Security & Compliance Frameworks for safe AI adoption, data privacy (GDPR/CCPA), and championing talent development through targeted training that accelerated the careers of junior architects
Apr 2018 — Nov 2018

Consultant Architect

Deloitte — Atlanta, GA

Spearheaded the modernization of Anthem's (BCBS) mission-critical mainframe — processing 1M+ insurance claims daily — into an agile, automated operation.

  • Claims lifecycle & adjudication: modernized adjudication workflows — eligibility verification, payment & remittance processing, and appeals — for mission-critical payer operations
  • Automation & fraud detection: transformed claims operations with RPA and ML — intelligent intake, automated alerts investigation, fraud/waste/abuse screening, and deep claims operations analysis
  • Blueprints to production: delivered production-ready product and architectural blueprints, converting complex mainframe processing rules into modern, explainable AI/RPA workflows
Mar 2014 — Mar 2018

Enterprise Architect

DELL-EMC — Dallas, TX

Crafted digital evolution for Global 500 leaders through strategic repositioning and structural orchestration.

  • Architected industry-leading CI/HCI ecosystems management of VxBlock, VxRack, VxRail data-center racks containing Intel, Cisco, EMC, and VMware components utilized by most global data centers
  • Established governance bodies, reference architectures, and PoCs for ML and blockchain
  • Rationalized application portfolios with LeanIX
Jan 2014 — Mar 2014

Consultant Architect

Residential Credit Solutions — Dallas, TX

Engineered a loss-mitigation and recovery SaaS platform for mortgage servicers like Bank of America and Citi Mortgage — giving thousands of delinquent borrowers scalable alternatives to foreclosure while accelerating recovery of outstanding mortgage funds.

  • Loss recovery & collections: built collections-style workflows for recovering delinquent mortgage balances — automated borrower outreach, payment scheduling, and settlement/payoff tracking
  • Foreclosure alternatives: modeled loan workout options — repayment plans, forbearance, modifications, and short sales — with rules-driven eligibility and automated document generation
Aug 2013 — Dec 2013

Sr. Consultant

CBRE — Dallas, TX

Modernized CBRE's legacy Valuation & Advisory Services (VAS) platform — the backbone of its global commercial real-estate appraisal, valuation, and market-analytics business.

  • Global CRE data aggregation: unified property, transaction, and comparable-sales data from markets worldwide into a single valuation backbone serving appraisers and property assessors
  • Market analytics & insights: delivered regional market analysis and benchmarking used in appraisals, market & feasibility studies, and portfolio valuations for lenders and institutional investors
  • Workflow modernization: replaced fragmented legacy appraisal workflows with a scalable, auditable platform supporting valuations across property types and geographies
Jul 2012 — Jul 2013

SOA Architect

Encoura (Campus Management) — Boca Raton, FL

Led the technical development and implementation of Renaissance, the SaaS platform integrating CampusVue and Talisma capabilities into a unified, API-first architecture — modernizing the operating model for educational institutions and non-profit clients with seamless scalability and rigorous data governance.

  • Student lifecycle SaaS: supported CampusVue (student information: onboarding, course-progress tracking, tuition & fee management) and Talisma CRM (enrollment, advancement & fundraising for non-profits)
  • SOA API backbone: designed and built the service-oriented API backend integrating both product lines into a unified, API-first architecture
  • Platform DNA: architected the Data Dictionary and Audit Tracking frameworks while orchestrating complex deployment workflows across distributed multi-server environments
Dec 2009 — Jun 2012

Data Warehouse Lead Architect

Digital Infuzion — Gaithersburg, MD

Architected Genzyme's global medical-intelligence data warehouse — the first system giving the Sanofi company real-world effectiveness data on its rare-disease drugs, reported directly by treating physicians.

  • Real-world evidence: standardized and aggregated treatment outcomes from physicians operating in the field worldwide into a central analytics environment
  • Development feedback loop: analysis of field results informed fine-tuning of drug development, formulation, and distribution strategy
  • Market & prevention impact: insights strengthened market penetration of treatments and supported earlier detection of rare conditions such as Gaucher disease
Nov 2006 — Dec 2009

Sr. Consultant

PSEG — Salem, NJ

Architected operations and risk-mitigation platforms for the Salem & Hope Creek nuclear power plants — from real-time plant telemetry to regulatory compliance.

  • Real-time plant telemetry: captured temperature variations and multiple operational datapoints from equipment across the plant in real time, streaming them into a central data warehouse
  • Anomaly detection & dashboards: tracked and visualized anomalies on operational dashboards, enabling plant personnel to act on deviations before they escalated
  • FMS compliance platform: designed and built the regulatory compliance platform end-to-end as a self-service web portal, tailored to personnel across functional roles in the plant
Aug 2003 — Nov 2006

Sr. Programmer/Analyst

McGraw-Hill — Hightstown, NJ

Owned full-cycle development of a nationwide bid-management and lead-generation marketplace for McGraw-Hill Construction (parent company of S&P), connecting vendors and service providers to active commercial projects.

  • Construction marketplace: aggregated commercial real-estate data, massive construction project blueprints, and contacts so SaaS subscribers could participate as vendors on ongoing projects — a Zillow-style marketplace for the commercial construction industry
  • SSO integration layer: built the platform and its SSO layers, integrating numerous upstream and downstream applications into one seamless subscriber experience
  • Physical-to-digital: pioneered workflows coordinating Xerox centers to ingest and distribute project specs and addenda at scale
Apr 1998 — May 2003

Sr. Programmer/Analyst

Fidelity Investments — Boston, MA

Spearheaded the architecture of enterprise-wide systems at Fidelity spanning corporate financial planning, security auditing, and executive compensation.

  • ORCA budgeting & forecasting: built a high-performance OLAP system for enterprise budgeting and forecasting — Informatica ETL pipelines feeding Oracle data marts and Hyperion Essbase cubes for fast, multi-dimensional financial analysis
  • SMARTsource security DataMart: architected, in partnership with InfoSec officers, a centralized repository of employee access privileges across 18 high-security applications — enabling unified access auditing and compliance reporting
  • Executive compensation visibility: built a total-compensation dashboard for the top 10% of performers, breaking down every pay component so top executives had a clear, motivating view of what they were working toward
Jan 1998 — Apr 1998

Consultant

John Hancock — Boston, MA

Architected the core financial intelligence platform for John Hancock's HNRG fund managers — tracking and reporting multi-billion-dollar farmland and timberland investments for ultra-high-net-worth investors.

  • Investor reporting system: built the investment tracking and reporting platform by aggregating monthly, quarterly, and yearly performance datapoints across the funds
  • KPI framework: defined the KPIs driving investor reports — fund NAV, market condition movements, and weather-condition impacts on farmland and timberland assets
  • Annual investor reports: automated production of the printed annual reports shared with investors, packaging fund performance into a clear, trusted narrative
Jun 1997 — Dec 1997

Staff Consultant

Eastern Research Group (ERG) — Boston, MA

Designed, developed, and implemented OSHA's Establishment Data System (EDS) data mart — the Bureau of Labor Statistics backbone consolidating statistical data and inspection reports on every company, in every industry, across the entire United States.

  • Establishment Data System: built the data mart unifying BLS statistical data and OSHA inspection reports into a single compliance-analytics environment
  • Compliance targeting: enabled compliance officers to pinpoint employers in their jurisdiction with ongoing safety and health problems, recognize hazards, and document workplace deficiencies
  • Intervention support: powered the selection of establishments for targeted interventions and the technical support and compliance-assistance work officers carried out in the field
Oct 1996 — Jun 1997

Staff Consultant

Brainstorm Technologies — Boston, MA

Engineered the core case-management architecture of ORCA (Online Resources for the Children of Alaska) — the statewide automated child-welfare system protecting Alaska's most vulnerable and at-risk children in state custody.

  • Case Folder super-entity: planned, designed, and developed the central case-management entity that bound together Report of Harm, Investigations, Assessments, Contacts, Case Plans, Case Plan Reviews, Court Cases, and Administrative Case Reviews
  • Case-plan workflows: supported the foster-care, family-rehabilitation, and financial-assistance plans used to restore normalcy for children and juveniles in state care
  • Deep object orientation: delivered within a highly object-oriented statewide system serving Alaska's child protective services
Nov 1995 — Aug 1996

Sr. Programmer/Analyst

Lutron Electronics — Coopersburg, PA

Pioneered GRAFIK Eye Designer™, the global architectural lighting-controls implementation design software that automated complex engineering workflows across the design, marketing, and sales phases.

  • Full product lifecycle: owned the platform end-to-end — architecting the core business-logic components through to delivery
  • AutoCAD integration: generated dynamic, AutoCAD-friendly wiring diagrams directly from design specifications
  • Point-of-sale automation: automated bill-of-materials generation at the moment of sale, standardizing the design process and accelerating high-value customized sales for lighting architects, electrical engineers, and sales teams worldwide
Jul 1995 — Nov 1995

Sr. Programmer/Analyst

AERCO International — New York, NY

Developed Heat Smart II, the water-heater sizing application used by AERCO system engineers and sales representatives to spec the right models for large facilities.

  • Thermodynamic modeling: implemented extensive thermodynamic computations interpolated against laboratory data to size water-heater models
  • Field tool: adopted by system engineers and sales reps serving casinos, apartment complexes, hospitals, universities, and hotels
Jan 1995 — Jul 1995

Sr. Programmer/Analyst

AT&T — Bridgewater, NJ

Created AT&T's call-center capacity-sizing software, used worldwide to help clients successfully plan and stand up telephone call centers.

  • Capacity analytics: modeled service-level objectives, agent headcount against call-load volume, average talk time, speed of answer, and average delay time
  • Global deployment: became the standard sizing reference for AT&T clients establishing call centers around the world
Apr 1994 — Jan 1995

Sr. Programmer/Analyst

Carrier Corporation — Farmington, CT

Created the Carrier Transicold Refrigeration Unit Selection Guide — the product-sizing software behind truck refrigeration products sold for virtually every truck in North America.

  • Engineering computation: combined truck and operating-environment parameters with complex engineering models to identify the right refrigeration product for each client
  • Sales enablement: turned a complicated product-specification process into a guided selection tool covering Carrier's North American truck-refrigeration lineup

Toolkit

What I work with

Business Strategy & Consulting

Strategy ConsultingEnterprise Solution DevelopmentEnterprise Architecture AssessmentBusiness Process OptimizationThought LeadershipStrategic Thinking & RoadmappingStakeholder ManagementProduct ManagementProduct Operating ModelDesign ThinkingGap AnalysisCross-Functional CollaborationMentor Architect Community

Governance, Risk & Delivery

TOGAF / CMMIStandards & Governance FrameworksAI Security & Prompt GuardrailsFinOps & Resource AllocationDependency, Risk & Compliance MgmtGDPR / CCPALeanIX APMEventStormingSAFe AgileCybersecurity StrategyObservability & SREInnovation Labs & IncubationPoC / Lighthouse Projects

AI Strategy & Orchestration

AI EngineeringRAG & Vector EmbeddingsLLM & SLM IntegrationAgentic WorkflowsVibe & Loop EngineeringSpec-Driven DevelopmentRapid B2B & B2C SaaSAI Voice AppsHuman-in-the-Loop (HITL) Harnesses

Autonomous AI Agents/Tools

Claude CodeOpenAI CodexDevin, Google AntigravityOpenClawHermes & DeepSeek AgentGrokQdrant, MilvusTextract OCRLangChain / LangGraphPydantic AI

Architecture & Cloud

Enterprise & Information ArchitectureEvent-Driven ArchitectureDomain-Driven DesignRESTful MicroservicesMicro FrontendsTest-Driven DevelopmentApache KafkaDockerKubernetes / Istio / OpenShiftCI/CD & MLOpsAWS / GCP / AzureBlockchain

Languages & Frameworks

PythonJavaScript / TypeScriptC#RustJavaNext.jsNode.jsTailwindMobile App Development

Data & Intelligence

Data Lakes & WarehousingCanonical Data ModelingMaster Data ManagementDecision Support SystemsBusiness IntelligencePostgreSQL / Oracle / SQL Server / MySQLQdrant / Milvus / MongoDB / CassandraElastic Stack (ELK)Informatica / MuleSoftTableau / Power BI

Platforms & Domains

ERP — SAPCRM — SalesforceITSM — ServiceNowGuidewire / Duck CreekFIS / FiservReal-Time TransactionsInfrastructure SizingCustomer Experience Personalization