Zahid Ahmed

Spearheaded cloud architecture to support the strategic expansion and technology modernization of Enterprise Cloud & SaaS offerings, significantly enhancing cloud capabilities and cybersecurity posture. Drove the GCP migration architecture and technology blueprints, accelerating the migration of SaaS products to the cloud, thereby enabling business growth with a cost-effective, secure, scalable, and global cloud infrastructure. Directed a global cloud architecture team, ensuring alignment and governance across technical and business units, pivotal in transitioning to a platform-centric enterprise cloud architecture. SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS: ✔ Strategic Cloud Leadership: Co-led a hybrid cloud roadmap & portfolio, aligning priorities with business and SaaS needs, significantly contributing to SaaS revenue growth. Facilitated stakeholder alignment, via cadenced interlocks. ✔ Global Architecture Team & Innovation Culture: Established and led a global enterprise cloud architecture team (in US/IN), fostering innovation and leadership. Co-led ROI-driven projects and strategic capabilities, emphasizing effective stakeholder communications to harmonize technology and execution plans across UKG and with key technology partners. Drove agile design processes. Collaborated with ENG and Cloud teams to deliver & operationalize enterprise cloud architecture guidelines and standards, driving adoptions for cloud-native technologies and strategic partnership with Google. ✔ Technical Strategy & Modernization: Led architecture blueprints & roadmap, steering SaaS/PaaS, Cybersecurity & Resilience, and IAM modernization initiatives. ✔ Cloud Security & Operational Excellence: Drove cloud production operational frameworks and cloud security technology controls, aligning with Cloud Infrastructure, UKG Security & Compliance stakeholders, as well with Cloud Security & GCP Security Best Practices, driving enterprise cloud resilience & maturity across GCP regions.

Recruited to spearhead IoT Smart Device & Cloud Services innovations, garnering company-wide stakeholder support. Established a unified technology vision (North Star), product strategy, and technology blueprint as Product Owner of a digital solution initiative. Oversaw Android-based IoT device and cloud services launches (in AWS/GCP), crafting technology roadmaps, drove commitments, led collaborations with Product and Engineering teams. Drove execution plans, ensuring on-time V1 deliveries. Collaborated with Google Android, Harman, and ODMs. Championed customization of AOSP to comply with Google Android Enterprise Security standard. Incubated an IoT App Store Monetization capability with Google and Enterprise Playstore (and Stripe). Led a cloud-centric device lifecycle management solution initiative in partnership with VMWare, advancing culture shift, accountability and guiding teams (Engineering, UX, Security, IT) to cost-effective solutions, including “org-tech” process simplifications. This included automated and secure provisioning of Android IoT devices including devising last mile innovative automated workflows for IoT Device fulfilment, factory provisioning, and rollouts to SMB customers. Reported directly to SVP/GM, SMB 📌 EXECUTIVE TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP: Drove vendor technology due diligence (Google, VMWare, Okta, etc.) and technology partnerships | Multi-Site Global Technology Team Management | Technology Vision, Roadmap and Architecture | PoC Projects | Digital Platform Strategy and Execution | Android IoT Connected Device Product ➤ KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: ✔ Modernized top revenue IoT product by incubating and building a v.1 Android smart device for SMB shipping automation, integrated with SaaS services and a digital commerce platform for app monetization. Led enterprise-grade security for IoT device complying with Android Enterprise Security Standard. ✔ Drove launch and deployment of the IoT device to SMBs globally, spanning 5 countries.

Promoted to Chief Security Architect at Nokia HERE (now HERE Technologies), transforming it into a global location platform. Deployed secure AWS platforms across 200+ countries, accessed by 80% of US/EU cars, with multi-petabyte content. Established standards for Open Location Platform APIs for autos, devices, and OEM. Reported directly to CSO. 📌 EXECUTIVE TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP: Security Architecture Governance | Security Architecture Team Management | Team Mentoring & Building | Global Span: North America, EU, APAC ➤ RESPONSIBILITIES: Led E2E security for HERE Location Cloud Platform, including for AWS cloud security, mobile security and Platform API security to enable secure and trusted location experiences for in-store (AWS), cars, search engines (Bing), ridesharing, parking services, etc. Key deliverables encompassed end-to-end security threat analysis, cloud-centric data protections, driving security standards for: encryption, Network Security, KMS, DRM. Drove HERE Cloud Platform deployment architecture in AWS, including AWS IAM, API Security, DR, HA, BC as part of migration from private cloud to AWS, and satisfying contractual SLA requirements for strategic, global customers. Collaborated with various PM, Product, and IT teams to drive HERE Platform and Data monetization via subscription and API billing infrastructure (Aria, SAP). Collaborated with GRC & Privacy teams to include privacy by design. Led strategic security project management for early adopter automotive companies and strategic enterprise customers. Drove implementation of end-to-end security and compliance standards, which were widely adopted through clear, practical guidelines, including ISO 27000 and GDPR requirements, including for data retention, PII data protection, and back-ups. ➤ KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: ✔ Drove Cloud Security Architecture Standards, and HERE Platform security solutions delivery ✔ Drove secure auto cloud services, enriching trusted experiences in HERE ecosystems

Recruited within Nokia Devices & Services Group to roll out new digital commerce experiences reaching millions of consumers. Served as technology evangelist and seamlessly directed the full lifecycle of complex technical projects, designing clear roadmaps and execution plans for fast delivery of V1 products and services. Built, led, and drove architectural teams across 3 countries, boosting efficiency and sustainable resource pipeline. Reported directly to VP/GM, Digital Commerce. 📌 EXECUTIVE TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP: Architecture Governance | Global Architecture Team Management | Team Mentoring and Building | Global Span: North America, Europe, India | RFP & Vendor Technical Due Diligence ➤ RESPONSIBILITIES: Mentored Architects and key technical engineers in US, EU, and India. Led architecture for end-to-end digital commerce and global payments platform, ensuring monetization of Nokia Devices & Services, including App Store and Mobile client payment integration. Collaborated with stakeholder leadership in Nokia Devices and Services, Developer Platform, Developer Experience and PMs to deliver Commerce & Payment Strategy and Connected Commerce Strategy. Delivered designs for mobile payment services and device-directed APIs, using Cybersource payment platform and fraud management, including mobile OAuth-based SSO, subscriptions, in-app payments, consumer accounts, and one-time purchases. Integrated services with 150+ mobile operators globally, enabling app, music, and game purchases. ➤ KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: ✔ Led design and execution for mobile payment and device-directed SDKs and APIs. Established global integration for 150+ mobile operators and delivered seamless commerce and payment experiences for mobile consumers ✔ Directed end-to-end platform architecture for digital commerce and global payments, integrated payments experiences with O-Auth-based SSO and fraud management ✔ Drove patented innovation of NFC P2P Payments & Wallet Incubation with CTO Team

Hand-selected to lead product architecture for SaaS, PaaS, and cloud platform products, features, and v1 solutions. Played crucial role in technical due diligence for strategic mergers and acquisitions. Aligned strategies with EMCRSA CTO Teams, and evangelized SaaS solutions to key customer CIO/CTO. Reported directly to SVP/GM, SaaS BU. 📌 LEADERSHIP: SaaS Product Launches| SaaS/Cloud Technical Strategy & Solution Architecture | M&A Tech Due Diligence | Architecture Team Management, Mentoring and Building ➤ KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: ✔ Founded EMC SaaS & cloud services division. Created strategic technology roadmap and vision, partnering with RSA, and delivered scalable, secure Enterprise SaaS product solutions (for back-up and storage). ✔ Recruited, trained, and mentored a highly productive technology team of 3 to incubate and drive adoption among strategic, early adopter, global enterprise customers. ✔ Inventor on 4 patents, driving innovative enterprise solutions across SaaS, cloud storage and data protections.

Led product & technology strategy & architecture of next generation Web 2.0 SaaS technology platform to build hosted SaaS Apps for enterprise, SMB & social communities. Specific deliverables: * Devised product strategy and architecture of white-label social networking application services platform targeted for public, private, business, and social communities. * Application services platform allowed users to build, share, composite and personalize purpose oriented apps capable of processing any kind of user-defined content and accessible via a network of personalized web sites. * Delivered a multi-tiered architecture that specified application-, widget-, item description languages and corresponding run-time processing components. * User-defined app services handled wikis, documents, presentations, blogs, PIM data (e-mails and attachments, contacts, text messages), message boards, video, audio, photos, tags, bookmarks, and connections with local/remote content, application, and web sites. * Designed a low-cost, high-performance, distributed, extensible data management system for managing user-generated content. * Inventor on 3 patents issued/filed.

Architected and launched eBay API, Billing, and Marketplace platforms, enhancing cloud features and user experience for third-party developers. Directed 50+ technology projects, product initiatives and 500+ product, engineering and operational infrastructure teams across 4 global locations. Fostered alignment among product, business, security, and compliance stakeholders. Reported to VP of Architecture. 📌LEADERSHIP: Platform Strategy | Tech Maturity Roadmap | Architecture Governance | Mentoring | Regions: North America, Europe, Asia, India, China ➤ RESPONSIBILITIES: Set eBay's technical vision and roadmap aligned with business strategy. Aligned platform architecture with Engineering, Production, and Operations for scalable, secure, and reliable capabilities. Mentored tech leads, promoting organic growth in Platform, API, Billing & Payments technical domains. Led eBay's API Architecture and Payments & Billing Architecture Groups. Led technical due diligence, operational architecture of eBay Marketplace integrations with 50+ global partners including shipping, ID verification, communications (including mobile) and payments service providers. Designed integrations with payment processors and banks in US, EU, China, and India, ensuring secure, PCI-compliant environments. Improved performance, reliability, and security across platforms like API Management and billing. ➤ KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: ✔ Boosted eBay's revenue growth, generating 60% of revenue via API launches. Innovated & patented API technologies, ensuring scalable and secure architecture. ✔ Transformed Global Payment and Billing Platform, uplifting conversion rates and increasing customer satisfaction. Drove Global Payment Billing Platform & Payment Gateway Architecture for integrating with various global and regional payment processors & banks. ✔ Led platform architecture to support 200M+ users, multi-petabyte storage, 40+ countries, $60B transaction volume, and millions of daily API & DB calls.

Early-Stage B2B Enterprise Software Leadership at Commerce One (Pre-IPO): Integral to the development of an XML-based B2B Integrated Services Hosting Platform, enabling secure, interoperable transactions for OEM's B2B e-commerce. This platform automated sourcing-to-buying processes, setting benchmarks in transaction security and data protection. Awarded MVP Engineer (1999) for technical excellence. ➤ Key Accomplishments: ✔ Driving Enterprise Web Security and B2B Capabilities: Hired specifically to elevate Commerce One’s enterprise product and web infrastructure security. Pioneered solutions in the early enterprise and B2B domain, enhancing product offerings and serving as a key business enabler. ✔ Innovative Security Solutions Development: Led the design and implementation of XML-based services and components. Created a secure B2B customer/partner profile repository and developed protocols for content protection and transaction security using XML Enc/DSig, S/MIME. Co-founded the SAML standard, setting industry-wide standards for application-level authentication and authorization. ✔ Released 5 major product versions. ✔ Directed cost-effective solutions; influenced product strategy and roadmap; led key development efforts. ✔ Participated in standards activities: ebXML, WS-Sec, SAML. ✔ Core team developing B2B connector solutions for SAP, Web Methods, and marketplace partners like NTT DoCoMo, Covisint, Exostar.

Completed all required tracks for Advanced Management Executive Program at Sloan School: 1) Management and Leadership 2) Strategy and Innovation 3) Technology and Operations