Kiran Lekkala stands out as a dynamic leader in enterprise SAP management. With over 23 years of hands-on experience and a reputation built on strategic foresight and technical excellence, he currently serves as an Advisor in Enterprise SAP and an SAP Technical Project Manager. His leadership has guided some of North America’s most complex and high-impact SAP transformations, making him an influential figure in driving innovation and organizational growth.
Early Life and Academic Foundation
Kiran’s journey into enterprise technology began with a strong academic foundation in computer science. He completed a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from SVU/VTU, followed by a Master’s degree in Computer Applications (M.C.A.) between 1999 and 2002. This combination of academic rigor and technical acumen set the stage for his deep engagement with enterprise solutions, particularly SAP.
His formal education was further enhanced by professional certifications, including PMP-101, AWS Cloud Essentials, and SAP Activate Methodology, equipping him with the modern methodologies and cloud-native tools necessary for contemporary SAP project execution.
Professional Journey
Kiran began his career at Intelligroup Asia Pvt Ltd (now part of NTT DATA), building strong expertise in SAP ABAP/4 and SAP PI/PO. His rapid growth led him to become a Principal Consultant, contributing significantly to design, development and integration projects.
At TARGET Corporation, Kiran’s leadership stood out as he managed a $27 million SAP SRM & Sourcing implementation—TARGET’s largest SAP project at the time, projected to save $700 million. His responsibilities spanned infrastructure, development, integrations, and testing.
Kiran later joined Coca-Cola, leading Master Data Management and Product Information Management implementations, ensuring robust data integration and governance.
At T-Mobile, he directed comprehensive SAP development across supply chain modules, managed a 50+ member global team, and aligned IT solutions with strategic business objectives.
Currently at Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Kiran leads multiple SAP initiatives, including S/4 HANA, C4C Sales Cloud, and SAP SuccessFactors upgrades. His ability to manage large-scale, multi-million-dollar programs has driven innovation and operational excellence, reinforcing his reputation as a strategic SAP leader with a proven track record across diverse enterprise environments.
Leadership and Innovation
Kiran’s leadership is defined by executional excellence, collaboration, and innovation. Balancing strategic oversight with a hands-on approach, he manages every detail—from architecture to communication. He has successfully led cross-functional teams of 20 to 100 through high-stakes projects using rigorous planning, transparent RAID management, and stakeholder alignment. Beyond delivery, Kiran fosters high-performance cultures through mentorship and team-building, consistently driving results that exceed business expectations.
Notable Achievements
Kiran’s accolades include the Platinum Award from PSE IT Management for the “Gas First Response” project, which cut customer calls and boosted service reliability. He also led a successful SAP HANA migration, implementing ECC, CRM, and BW within a year. Additionally, his strategic migration of Data Center and Disaster recovery consists of 350+ servers and 20+ applications to AWS saved $700,000 and achieved zero production issues—setting a high standard in cloud transformation.
Academic Contributions
Though Kiran hasn’t published academic research, he significantly influences the academic-to-practical pipeline. He bridges theory and practice by implementing SAP solutions aligned with academic best practices and applying frameworks like SAP Activate and Agile, offering critical real-world insights that enrich and inform the broader SAP ecosystem.
Future Vision and Impact
Looking ahead, Kiran continues to drive digital transformation with a vision focused on cloud enablement, intelligent automation, and user-centric SAP designs. His current projects at PSE showcase a commitment to modernizing utility systems through advanced SAP landscapes and customer-focused design thinking.
As enterprise systems evolve to include AI, machine learning, and real-time analytics, Kiran remains at the forefront, ensuring that his clients are prepared for the future and shaping it. His ability to translate emerging technology into scalable, impactful business outcomes makes him a pivotal force in the ongoing evolution of enterprise IT.
Kiran Lekkala’s journey is a testament to the power of visionary leadership, technical mastery, and relentless execution. His story is of continuous growth, from a computer science student in India to a leader steering multi-million-dollar SAP transformations in America. In an era where technology leaders must balance innovation with reliability, Kiran exemplifies what it means to be a trusted advisor, innovator, and transformational leader.
