Saurabh Gopinath
Bangalore,KA
Summary
Highly organized and self-motivated professional experienced in project management, team development and process improvement. Skilled in developing and implementing strategies to increase efficiency and performance. Passionate about driving business growth and creating positive work environment.
20+ years of experience in leading global IT service management programs with exposure to multiple domains namely, BFSI, Telecom, Industrial, and Logistics. Adept at leading global transformation programs for cloud migrations, zCloud, service transitions, deploying SRE toolset, IT AiOPS, etc. with budgets between 1 to 15+ million USD. Consulting clients to help advise and lead in their journey to cloud/adoption initiatives.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Associate Director, Program Management
Kyndryl Solutions Pvt Ltd.
Bengaluru
11.2021 - Current
- Led global T&T programs, achieving goals and milestones within allocated budgets ranging between 10 to 150+ million USD
- Led teams of up to 30 personnel, supervising daily performance as well as training and improvement plans.
- Developed and executed strategic plans, driving business growth, revenue increase, and operational optimization
- Aligned client IT strategies, engaged stakeholders, and led cross-functional collaboration efforts
- Implemented process improvements, ensured compliance, conducted solution and contract reviews, and led talent management initiatives for high performance.
- Managed and supervised administrative and daily program operations, complying with policies and regulations.
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders, ensuring support for program initiatives.
- Managed multiple strategic projects with numerous sub-projects or workstreams.
- Identified program obstacles and communicated possible impacts to team.
- Fostered a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging staff to share innovative ideas and providing resources for professional development.
Operations Manager: Transition and Transformation
IBM India Pvt. Ltd.
Bengaluru
07.2011 - 10.2021
- Directed IT portfolio management, overseeing strategic planning, resource allocation, and performance measurement, leading to improved performance and alignment with business objectives
- Managed a diverse team of 150+ IT professionals with a span of 40 direct reports, providing leadership, coaching, and talent management initiatives to foster a high-performing culture and address skill gaps
- Implemented IT governance processes, collaborated with stakeholders to identify opportunities, and prioritized initiatives to deliver value, ensuring compliance with industry standards and driving strategic technology investments.
- Supervised operations staff and kept employees compliant with company policies and procedures.
- Empowered employees to take ownership of their responsibilities, leading to increased accountability and improved performance outcomes.
- Led hiring, onboarding and training of new hires to fulfill business requirements.
- Conducted regular performance reviews, identifying areas for improvement and developing action plans to address them.
Sr. PM: Transition and Transformation
IBM India Pvt. Ltd.
- Successfully executed diverse transformation projects ensuring control over scope, schedule, cost, and quality, utilizing comprehensive project management methodologies
- Managed end-to-end project activities including requirements gathering, scope definition, scheduling, budgeting, reporting, and stakeholder communication for projects lasting from months to over a year, involving global teams and diverse IT technologies.
Project Manager
Hewlett Packard Globalsoft Pvt Ltd
11.2004 - 06.2011
- As part of the New Logo team of Americas Server Delivery Organization, driving end-to-end infrastructure project implementation across US, EMEA, and ASIA PACIFIC regions, ensuring stakeholder engagement, strategic alignment, and continuous project health monitoring.
Subject Matter Expert / L2 Engineer
Hewlett Packard Globalsoft Pvt Ltd
- Provide L2 support for GE Engineering and allied applications.
Technical Support Engineer
Dell International Services
06.2003 - 08.2004
- Worked as the Technical support analyst for providing technical support for Dell Desktop systems to corporate users in the US.
Education
Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (MBA-Operations) -
Symbiosis, Pune, India
01.2012
Bachelors of Corporate Secretaryship -
University of Madras
01.2003
Skills
- Portfolio/Program/Project Management
- Strategic leadership
- Business Consulting
- Stakeholder Management
- Analytical Thinking
- Contract Management
- Communications Management
- Relationship Building
- Decision-Making
- Team Collaboration and Leadership
- Problem Solving
- CRITSIT Management
- Team Management
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Financial Management
- Resource Management
- Quality Assurance
- Appraisal/Performance Management
Certification
- PMI PMP (In good standing)
- Azure Fundamentals
- Google Cloud Digital Leader
- ITIL V3 Foundation
- IBM Global Sales School certified
Key Programs Implemented
- AI based chatbot, Led the development and deployment of an IBM Watson AI-based Chatbot for a major consulting client, acting as the primary interface for enterprise users to resolve daily IT issues. This initiative resulted in decreased calls to the helpdesk, enhancing efficiency by 20%, and reducing overall operational expenses (OPEX).
- ZCloud Mainframe Migration, Successfully managed the transition into and out of zCloud systems for major industrial clients in the UK, France, and US, resulting in year-over-year CAPEX reduction and improved environment management with enhanced security, resilience, and availability measures.
- DC Build, App Migration and consolidation, Managed comprehensive On-Premises data center programs for numerous large clients across the UK and EU, guiding critical tasks including application migration, data center builds, and platform resizing efforts. These initiatives served as pivotal steps in laying the groundwork for their journey to cloud.
- Competency initiative to develop skills, Led the establishment of a Program Manager upskilling initiative, encompassing curriculum development, candidate selection, course duration definition, and engagement of practice leads for training, assessment, mentoring, and coaching. Resulted in competency development and numerous advancement opportunities within the team.
Awards
- Be Essential’ award
- Multiple Manager’s Choice awards for various projects and initiatives.
- Multiple recognitions from client and executive leadership.
Timeline
Associate Director, Program Management
Kyndryl Solutions Pvt Ltd.
11.2021 - Current
Operations Manager: Transition and Transformation
IBM India Pvt. Ltd.
07.2011 - 10.2021
Project Manager
Hewlett Packard Globalsoft Pvt Ltd
11.2004 - 06.2011
Technical Support Engineer
Dell International Services
06.2003 - 08.2004
Sr. PM: Transition and Transformation
IBM India Pvt. Ltd.
Subject Matter Expert / L2 Engineer
Hewlett Packard Globalsoft Pvt Ltd
Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (MBA-Operations) -
Symbiosis, Pune, India
Bachelors of Corporate Secretaryship -
University of Madras