Suresh Kalaga
Principal Engineer -Executive Director | Cloud, AI/ML, And Scalable Systems Expert
Bengaluru,KA
Summary
A strategic Principal Engineer (Executive Director) with 17+ years of experience in building scalable, cloud-native, event-driven enterprise platforms. Expert in Azure Cloud, Kubernetes, Golang, .NET Core, and Kafka. Proven leader in complex platform migration (PKS → OCP), AI-enhanced modernization, and delivering mission-critical systems for banking and global enterprises. Currently leading architecture for RAG-based GenAI applications, high-throughput event pipelines, and large-scale cloud modernization initiatives. Known for strong execution, technical leadership, and engineering systems that reduce cost, improve reliability, and accelerate business outcomes.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
2
2
Certifications
Work History
Principal Engineer (Executive Director)
WELLS FARGO
01.2015 - Current
- Architecture & Strategy: Served as the principal technical owner for large-scale distributed systems, microservices, Kubernetes workloads, and cloud modernization initiatives on Azure.
- Cloud & Platform Ownership: Led the PKS to OpenShift migration. Designed secure, scalable, multi-region cloud solutions, establishing governance patterns for API management, identity, and observability.
- GenAI/AI Integration: Architected the RAG-based GenAI platform integrating Azure OpenAI, vector databases, and real-time semantic search, utilizing Golang and Python for ingestion and embedding pipelines.
- Engineering Leadership: Drove best practices, conducted rigorous architecture reviews, and established coding standards for a portfolio of over 20 microservices.
Principal Software Engineer
Tesco HSC
01.2013 - 01.2015
- Designed and delivered highly scalable retail platforms, resulting in a 35% performance improvement across critical systems.
- Developed advanced routing algorithms and workflow automation systems, achieving 95% on-time delivery for critical programs.
Technology Specialist
Cognizant
01.2010 - 01.2013
- Delivered high-impact enterprise systems with measured 30% performance improvements.
- Led client engagements, maintaining a 98% client satisfaction rating.
Software Developer
IBM (Network Solutions)
01.2006 - 01.2010
- Worked on service desk automation, workflow systems, and internal enterprise tools.
Education
MS - Computer Science
Manipal University
01.2011
B.Tech - Computer Science
JNTU Hyderabad
01.2005
Skills
Golang Python Angular Kubernetes Azure Data Science DevOps Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) Strategic Planning Microservices Artificial Intelligence,Microsoft NE,React,SQL,Kafka,Machine Learning,Cloud Architecture,Agile Methodologies,Leadership,Docker,Serverless Architecture
Certification
Advanced Data Science & Machine Learning – IIT Roorkee
KEY CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS
- Cloud & Platform Modernization (PKS / OpenShift / Azure)
- Led a critical PKS to OpenShift platform migration for a large banking ecosystem, directly improving platform stability and deployment reliability by 40%.
- Designed and implemented cloud-native microservices architectures on Azure + Kubernetes, which resulted in a 25–30% reduction in infrastructure costs due to optimized scalability.
- GenAI & RAG Platform Architecture
- Currently leading architecture for cutting-edge RAG-based GenAI applications, integrating vector databases, LLM orchestration, semantic search, and Azure OpenAI.
- Improved data retrieval accuracy and response time for GenAI applications through the design of optimized embedding pipelines and context graph modelling.
- High-Throughput Event-Driven Systems
- Architected multiple high-throughput distributed systems using Kafka, achieving 99.99% reliability for critical, real-time banking workflows.
- Designed reusable, standardized Kafka patterns (producers/consumers, schema evolution, DLQs, event orchestration) that were adopted enterprise-wide.
- Technical & Engineering Leadership
- Mentored over 15 engineers and provided architecture review and governance across multiple enterprise teams.
- Recognized with multiple Champion Awards at Wells Fargo for technical excellence and platform innovation.
Timeline
Principal Engineer (Executive Director)
WELLS FARGO
01.2015 - Current
Principal Software Engineer
Tesco HSC
01.2013 - 01.2015
Technology Specialist
Cognizant
01.2010 - 01.2013
Software Developer
IBM (Network Solutions)
01.2006 - 01.2010
B.Tech - Computer Science
JNTU Hyderabad
MS - Computer Science
Manipal University