Information Technology Awards Judging Committee
Chair:
Rhonda Vetere, Board of Directors
Laureus Sport For Good USA, Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Rhonda is a seasoned global leader experiencing over 23 mergers and acquisitions. She combines STEM and Sports to bring technology and joy to the world. She is a true Corporate Athlete making her the perfect match for her latest role as Board member for Laureus Sport For Good. Across Industries, Rhonda has worked in global executive positions at Herbalife Nutrition, Santander Bank, Estée Lauder Companies, AIG, HP Enterprise Services, Barclays, Bank One/JPMorgan Chase, and several telecommunications companies. Kicking off 2024, she just returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, where she spoke for the third year on AI, technology, innovation and leadership.
She has lived and worked internationally – in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Mumbai, and across India – and has managed teams of up to 20,000 people. She is also a two time Author. Rhonda contributes her perspective and knowledge by serving on Boards for professional and educational institutions, including Laureus Sport for Good, Longwood University Advisory Board, and George Mason University Board of Directors. In October 2022, she was inducted as the Global STEM Ambassador by Meghalaya Chief Minister and the Chancellor of the University of Science & Technology Meghalaya (USTM), India and provided the golden scroll.
Rhonda has been recognized for her leadership and influence, notably as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology by the National Diversity Council in 2019 and 2020. In 2021 & 2023, she was named one of the Most Influential Businesswoman in Technology by Corporate Vision and Top CIO/CTO by the 2021 Tech Inclusion Conference. Outside of work, Rhonda is very active as an athlete — she regularly competes in IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons (among other events) and is a member of Winged Foot Golf Club. She has run over 100 races since 2016.
Committee:
Vivek Anand, Director, Advanced Analytics
Gap Inc., Austin, Texas, United States
Vivek is an accomplished Operations Research professional with over a decade of expertise in Analytics and Optimization, currently serves as the Director of Advanced Analytics at Gap Inc. Leading a team focused on optimizing inventory productivity and business outcomes through pricing and inventory analytics, Vivek plays a pivotal role in driving Gap's success.
Rupenkumar Anjaria, Software Engineer
Acclaim Systems Inc., Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, United States
Rupenkumar Anjaria has more than 20 years of experience in the in the software industry. He is a science graduate with a master's in computer applications.
Chintamani Bagwe, Vice President
Citibank, Frisco, Texas, United States
Manish Choudhary, Global Lead - Open Cloud and Security
Google LLC, Lake Steves, Washington, United States
A competent professional with over 19 years’ experience in Cloud computing focused on Strategy, Cross collaboration & Program Management. Manish is presently working as the Global Lead for Open Cloud and Security with Google LLC, based in Kirkland.
Rama Damodaran, IT Director Technical Delivery
Accolite Digital Inc., Prosper, Texas, United States
Ram Damodaran has been IT Delivery Director of Accolite Digital since February 2022. He has 19 years of experience in IT Software development and Management. He has a U.S. Master's degree in Electrical Engineering. He has worked for various clients in Oil , Finance, Manufacturing , Consumer Goods, Pharma & Healthcare.
Sai Sharan Donthi, Vice President-Reporting Analytics & Visualization
Credit Suisse, New York City, New York, United States
Sai Sharan is a software engineering manager by profession with 16 years of experience in developing software systems for the financial tech industry. Sai works on developing data analytics, reporting, and visualization systems. Sai brings a unique cross-section of business acumen, deep technical knowledge, and an innovation outlook to develop business-critical solutions.
Mattieu Fauveau, Founder
Alterable, Orlando, Florida, United States
Sagar Ganapaneni, Data Science Leader
Intuit, San Jose, California, United States
Sagar is an expert in the field of Data Science and seasoned in building data-powered products and driving enterprise-level business and marketing optimization efforts. He is currently leading data science and analytics efforts for SMB MediaLabs at Intuit. With a wealth of experience, he applies his extensive knowledge in Economics, Information Systems.
Venkata Ashok Gorantla, Associate Director
Verizon, Irving, Texas, United States
Ashok, an Associate Director at Verizon, pioneers advanced AI/ML algorithms to enhance customer experiences, driving loyalty and profitability. He has over 17 years of experience in Low-code & No-Code platforms, AI/ML, intelligent systems and driving business & technical transformations. A graduate of GeorgiaTech, he is also a published IEEE researcher.
Pankaj Gupta, Principal Data Engineer
Discover Financial Services, Morrisville, United States
Pankaj Gupta is currently working as Principal Data Engineer at Discover Financial Services and has more than 16 years of experience in Data engineering, Big Data and Cloud services.
Ed Jackiowak, VP Special Projects
Vordel, Newton, Massachusetts, United States
Ed possesses over three decades of executive management and sales experience in the high-tech sector. He excels in building and leading profitable domestic and international sales teams. As CEO of CyGlass, he orchestrated a management buyout and later oversaw its acquisition by WatchGuard. Ed has facilitated successful acquisitions of multiple startups by major tech firms throughout his career.
Sachin Kachhawaha, COO, SAP Fieldglass
SAP America Inc, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, United States
Sachin Kachhawaha is the COO of the SAP Fieldglass Product Engineering Group and has been working with SAP since 2008. He has more than 16 years of experience in IT and technology management around the globe. He holds an MBA and an Engineering degree in IT.
Divya Karthik, Software Engineer
Poshmark, San Francisco, California , United States
Divya is a Software Engineer focused on automation and productivity. Experience working with a variety of new technologies and taking them from POC to production. She has a strong background in debugging critical site reliability issues, software system design, and DevSecOps.
Surendra Kumar Reddy Koduru, BI & Analytics Delivery Lead
Kontoor Brands, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
Priyanka Koushik, VP of Engineering
Blueyonder, Irving, Texas, United States
Priyanka is a dynamic and visionary leader with a proven track record of driving innovation and delivering impactful solutions in the realm of product engineering and technology. With over 16 years of experience across leading organizations, she brings a wealth of expertise in spearheading the development of industry-leading Order Management, Centralized Inventory Management.
Varun Milind Kulkarni, Senior Product Manager
Cisco Systems Inc., Seattle, Washington, United States
Varun is a Senior Product Manager at Cisco Systems Inc. and leads cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Modernization Product Management efforts in the IT sector. He is a Product Leader with MBA, MS degrees and 9+ years of experience in building and launching complex digital products across IT ecosystems.
Gauri Kulkarni, VP Development
Humanitarian Software Holdings, Clemson, South Carolina, United States
Gauri is the Vice President of Development and a board member at Humanitarian Software Holdings. She was also the sole representative of her company to set up a branch in London, UK for Humanitarian software, where she managed teams globally. She has been developing and managing ERP systems for over 10 years now.
Hao Kuo, Senior IT Project Manager
Accurate Background, Irvine, California, United States
Hao Kuo has been with Accurate Background since 2011, after two acquisitions in the industry. He has more than 15 years of experience in the combined fields of technology, project management, and marketing. He spends his free time with his children and traveling.
Keshav Prasad Kuruva, Director of Software Development
Autodesk Inc., San Francisco, California, United States
Keshav is an experienced Director of Engineering with 18 years of leadership experience in developing and managing software in industrial, entertainment, health care, and enterprise systems. He is adept at delivering innovative solutions to complex engineering projects and has experience managing and driving growth across lean startups and large SaaS-based organizations.
Arvin Maleki, Product Designer
Futuredge Design Studio, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Arvin, a renowned figure in industrial design, has earned gold at the A'Design Award, alongside five additional gold medals. Globally ranked 12th in Canada and 731st worldwide, he shapes the industry as a juror and author. His authoritative book and dedication to mentorship through global workshops significantly contribute to fostering innovation.
Subhav Mital, Lead Product Manager and Strategy
Microsoft, Redwood City, California, United States
Subhav (Bob) has a proven track record of conceptualizing, building, and launching several 0-1 software products that accounted for revenues ranging from $500M-$1Billion. He has 15+ years of experience in Technology, Product Management, and Strategy. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School and a Masters in Computer Science from Georgia Tech.
Monik Pamecha, Co-Founder & CEO
Toma Inc., New York City, New York, United States
Monik Pamecha is the co-founder and CEO of Toma which is backed by YCombinator. He has worked in the areas of distributed systems at companies like Uber, Braze, and Turing.com. Prior to that, he pursued machine learning research at UC Berkeley.
Robin Patra, Director Innovation
ARCO Constructions, Milpitas, California, United States
Robin is a seasoned Director of Innovation at ARCO Constructions, with two decades of industry expertise. His track record spans sectors like Construction, Wealth Management, and Supply Chain. He has orchestrated digital transformations at global giants like BlackRock and Cisco and has consistently propelled organizations to new heights, earning him recognition.
Vijayaraghavan Pitchumani, Director of Product
Okta, San Francisco, California, United States
Vijay Pitchumani is currently Director of Product Management at Okta and is focused on building a modern Identity Governance solution for customers. Vijay has over nine years of experience, working with multiple companies such as Okta, VMware, and SparkCognition. His expertise includes work identity and access management, enterprise mobility, and security.
Arun Rajagopal, Sr. Director, AI/ML, Search & Optimizations
AdMarketplace Inc, New York City, New York, United States
Arun is an AI/ML leader with extensive experience in search optimizations, ad auctions, and AI-enhanced product discovery. He currently serves as Senior Director of Engineering at AdMarketplace. He is also the founder and lead contributor of YarnChain.org, promoting open data ecosystems. He also worked in data science, engineering, and AI initiatives.
Narendran Santhanam, Senior Director, Analytics
Apixio, Irvine, California, United States
Narendran Santhanam is a data-driven leader with 15+ years in healthcare, combining strong analytical skills (full-stack, ML) with product management expertise. He successfully built and led high-performing teams, delivering impactful solutions across claims, cost, and risk analytics.
Abhishek Sinha, Business & Integration Architect
Manager, Accenture LLP, Northborough, Massachusetts, United States
Abhishek is a digital enterprise solution architect, transformation expert, and thought leader, solving complex business problems across various industries with a key focus on Life Sciences vertical. Abhishek is also a business coach and pitch coach for underrepresented entrepreneurs, enabling them to reach their desired milestones.
Subhash Talluri, Senior Solutions Architect - AI/ML
Amazon Web Services, United States
Subhash Talluri is a lead Telco AI/ML architect as part of the global telecom solutions architecture team at Amazon Web Services. He’s been leading the development of innovative AI/ML solutions for Telecom customers and partners worldwide.
Tânia Tomé, CEO & President
Ecokaya Corporate, Africa, Brazil, United States
Tania Tomé is a highly accomplished professional, recognized for her achievements as a serial entrepreneur, international speaker, performance coach, global ambassador, and author of more than seven books, including "Succenergy – Activate Your Success." With over a decade of coaching, business advisory experience, and as a successful entrepreneur.
Venkatraman Umbalacheri Ramasamy, Principal Software Engineer
Walmart, Sunnyvale, California, United States
Venkatraman, a Principal Software Engineer with over 14 years of experience, graduated with a Bachelor's from Sastra University. He possesses extensive expertise in software development, specializing in algorithms, data structures, software design patterns, and cloud technologies. Known for leading and implementing large-scale complex software solutions effectively.
Nitin Uttreja, IT Security Director
Estee Lauder Companies, New York City, New York, United States
Nitin is an accomplished and proactive Cybersecurity expert with over 15 years of specialized experience in the field. Renowned for his exceptional leadership qualities and collaborative approach, Nitin has a proven track record of effectively working alongside executive teams and key stakeholders. His expertise lies in synchronizing cybersecurity strategies with overarching business objectives.