Hey, I'm Akhil! 👋

The Mission: Platforms That Empower

I’m an Engineering Leader specializing in Platform Engineering, DevOps, and Cloud Architecture. For me, modern DevOps isn't just about the tools we use or the pipelines we build, it’s about Platform Ownership.

I believe the most effective engineering organizations treat their platforms as long-lived products. My goal is to design systems that reduce cognitive load, enforce security by default, and ensure that the "right way" to build is also the easiest path for every developer.

What I Do Today

Over the last 11+ years, my work has evolved from hands-on execution to owning the strategic standards for complex, enterprise-scale environments. Currently, I operate in an Azure platform leadership capacity at Neudesic (an IBM Company).

I am responsible for the architecture, governance, and reliability of 96+ Azure subscriptions that support multiple product and engineering teams. This involves more than just keeping the lights on; it’s about shaping how an entire organization uses the cloud, from identity and networking standards to security and cost management.

My Core Focus Areas

  • Engineering Leadership & Team Enablement: I’ve led and mentored teams of 10-11+ DevOps engineers across Azure, AWS, and GCP. I focus on aligning technical execution with business goals and partnering with product and security teams to make delivery sustainable.

  • Strategic Governance & Scale: I specialize in designing enterprise Azure Landing Zones and defining standards that allow platforms to scale without sacrificing velocity.

  • Operational Excellence: Whether it's building reusable IaC foundations or implementing SRE practices, I look for ways to reduce operational friction. My previous work resulted in a 60% reduction in CI/CD effort and a 40% faster infrastructure provisioning rate.

  • Future Readiness (AI & MLOps): I am actively exploring the next evolution of our industry, AI enablement and MLOps foundations. I’m interested in how intelligent automation and platform insights can create even more resilient systems.

The Philosophy of Trade-offs

What differentiates my approach is how I think about trade-offs. In leadership, you are constantly balancing speed with governance, autonomy with standardization, and innovation with operational stability. I don't believe in chasing trends; I believe in building platforms that serve both the engineering teams and the business long-term.

Beyond the Architecture

I’m a firm believer in giving back to the community that helped me grow. I am an Azure Content Hero and Azure Kudos recipient, and I frequently share real-world lessons on my blog and through public Azure DevOps extensions.

This site is where I document those lessons, not as a rigid lecturer, but as a peer sharing what works (and what doesn't) in the world of platform engineering and engineering leadership.

My Operating Principles

  • Standardize the Mundane: Automate everything that doesn't require human creativity so the team can focus on what matters.
  • Security as an Enabler: Security isn't a "no" department; it’s a guardrail that allows us to go faster.
  • Growth-First Mentorship: I measure my success by how many of my associates have moved into lead roles.

🏆 Awards & Certifications

  • 🏅 Microsoft Azure Content Hero

  • 🏅 Azure Kudos

  • 🛡️ Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert

  • ⚙️ Microsoft Certified: Azure Architect Expert

  • 🌐 Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect

  • 🧩 CKA, CKAD, CKS, Terraform Associate (Expired)

These aren’t just badges, they represent hours of learning, real-world execution, and a deep commitment to excellence in cloud-native and DevOps disciplines.

📫 Let’s Connect

Let’s build something amazing together, automation-first, future-ready, and user-centric.