Afshan Meena
Hyderabad
Summary
Technical Program Manager with over 13 years of experience in leading large-scale, data-driven AI/ML, and cloud transformation projects across the telecom, consulting, and technology sectors. Expertise in program governance, product lifecycle management, and Agile/SAFe methodologies, driving operational excellence, and cost efficiency.
Certified in PMI-PMP, Scrum, SAFe Agilist, and Google Cloud, with a proven track record in stakeholder management and technology modernization.
Currently managing global Data and AI initiatives at Verizon, with prior leadership roles at Deloitte, Google, and Skillsoft, overseeing multi-million-dollar portfolios and enhancing PMO frameworks.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Manager- TPM
Verizon
Hyderabad
02.2022 - Current
- Led enterprise-scale Data & AI Industrialization programs and data products, driving adoption of Generative AI, AI automation, and Agentic AI solutions, aligning with OKRs and strategic roadmaps, resulting in $14M global cost savings and $10M build-vs-buy optimization.
- Modernized real-time data processing pipelines by migrating from IBM Streams to Google Cloud Dataflow, reducing latency from 3 hours to 2 minutes and achieving $1.8M in operational cost savings.
- Enhanced engineering productivity and SDLC standardization by embedding AI-driven automation, capability building, and enterprise-wide best practices, enabling faster delivery and consistent compliance across CIO functions.
- Established and scaled centralized PMO governance, implementing Agile, SAFe, and Hybrid program delivery models, while building and coaching high-performing teams of project/program managers, and optimizing financial management & resource utilization.
- Championed organizational transformation from project-based to product-based operating model, driving executive sponsorship, stakeholder alignment, and enterprise-wide adoption through change management, product storytelling, and strategic communication.
Assistant Manager (Program Manager)
Deloitte
Hyderabad
10.2016 - 01.2022
- Directed and delivered multi-million-dollar client portfolios across Financial Services, Public Sector, and Technology industries, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, regulatory requirements, and business outcomes.
- As an effective change agent, implemented SAFe at the organization level, leading multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs), increasing delivery velocity by 40%.
- Built, scaled, and matured a high-performance PMO, defining governance frameworks, portfolio management processes, and automated reporting dashboards.
- Led organizational change initiatives focused on inclusion, employee well-being, and leadership development, implementing structured change management frameworks that improved engagement by 12% as measured by annual surveys and quarterly pulse checks.
Project Coordinator
Skillsoft (Sum Total)
Hyderabad
03.2015 - 10.2016
- Directed end-to-end delivery of 50+ e-learning programs and digital learning initiatives, managing Agile workflows across cross-functional teams (engineering, design, content, and QA) to ensure on-time, high-quality releases and increased learner engagement.
Analyst (Contract)
Google
Hyderabad
09.2012 - 03.2015
- Developed and executed strategic content and knowledge management plans aligning Product, UX, and Engineering teams for Google Ads & YouTube.
- Elevated partner experience by analyzing engagement metrics, authoring scalable help center content, and training, which supported video monetization, ad placement, cutting onboarding support tickets, and boosting user satisfaction.
Education
Bachelor of Engineering - Computer Science
Osmania University
Skills
- Program and portfolio management: program governance, portfolio management, PMO setup and scaling, Agile (Scrum, SAFe®, Kanban), waterfall and hybrid delivery models, program planning and execution, budgeting and financial management, risk and issue management, vendor and contract management, executive stakeholder engagement, cross-functional collaboration, and change control
- Product strategy and management: product lifecycle management (PLM), product roadmap development, requirements gathering and prioritization, OKRs and KPI alignment, design thinking, user-centric product strategy, go-to-market planning, digital transformation programs, business case development, value realization and ROI tracking
- Operational strategy: SDLC standardization, process optimization, KPI tracking, operational risk reduction
- Team leadership: Team leadership and development, resource utilization and capacity planning, coaching and mentoring, change management, organizational agility, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, hiring and talent development, effective feedback, and performance management, global team leadership
- Tools, platform, and technical acumen: Jira, Confluence, MS Project, EazyBI, Tableau, Looker, Figma, SQL, Google Cloud, Generative AI, Data Analytics, and Visualization
Certification
- Project Management Professional: PMP
- Agile certifications: SAFe Agilist, ICP-ACC, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
- Leadership and product: ISB - leading self and team, product management certification, SAFe POPM
- Technology and innovation: Google Cloud Digital Leader, Generative AI certification, AI generalist
Accomplishments
- Managed end-to-end enterprise-wide Data Industrialization, transforming raw siloed data into a standardized, automated, and scalable ecosystem that ensures reliability, governance, and faster availability of enterprise data.
- Spearheaded initiatives to elevate customer experience by deploying a unified enterprise data platform and leveraging AI/ML model scoring to proactively predict escalations, reducing operational friction and driving higher customer satisfaction across the end-to-end journey.
- Led a critical real-time platform modernization initiative, migrating core streaming capabilities from on-prem IBM Streams to Google Cloud Dataflow, reducing data latency by 40%, improving decision-making speed, and enabling scalable advanced analytics in the cloud.
- Drove company-wide agile transformation by implementing agile methodologies, coaching teams via maturity models, establishing new processes for cross-functional collaboration, leading project to product transformation, improving team velocity, and developer efficiency.
- Served as a key program integrator and transformation leader in standardizing the software development lifecycle across all CIO functions, evolving the organization from a traditional delivery model to an AI-augmented ecosystem.
Timeline
Senior Manager- TPM
Verizon
02.2022 - Current
Assistant Manager (Program Manager)
Deloitte
10.2016 - 01.2022
Project Coordinator
Skillsoft (Sum Total)
03.2015 - 10.2016
Analyst (Contract)
Google
09.2012 - 03.2015
Bachelor of Engineering - Computer Science
Osmania University