How this IT leader is transforming next-gen data management and analytics
What the world needs now is – well, still love, but we also need brilliant, dynamic minds with a talent for absorbing cutting-edge technology and applying it to practical solutions for widespread problems.
And these days, that often means smart data management and analytics. After all, we’re creating more data now than ever before. In 2018, Forbes reported that 90% of the world’s data had been produced in just the past two years, with daily data generation reaching 2.5 quintillion bytes. In 2023, that number was estimated to be 328.77 million terabytes.
Tech professional Maulik Shah has over 23 years of extensive experience in various spheres of IT, and he says that one thing he’s learned is that data is intricately tied to the economy. “Data paves the way for creative business models, products, services and data-driven AI ” says Shah. “We’re looking at a new economic landscape characterized by autonomous cycles of insight and action, where the true value lies in the intelligence gleaned from data”. This intelligence, he says, is effectively the currency of this evolving data and AI-driven economy. That makes data like the new oil. And it’s tech professionals like Shah who know how to drill for it – and use it.
Shah is known for his extraordinary technical expertise, leadership qualities, and exceptional abilities to successfully execute large scale, highly visible, business critical and complex projects – all crucial assets in an industry that thrives on constant evolution and problem-solving. He has led multiple large, complex data analytics and cloud projects and excels in solving intricate problems, overcoming challenges, and devising simplified solutions that drive significant business value.
This is a sector where complexity and rapid change are the norms – and Shah’s capabilities in managing and delivering on these aspects are indispensable. He has vast experience in cloud, hybrid, and on-premises infrastructure, plus a knack for simplifying enterprise data management and business analytics. And that aligns perfectly with the technological advancements and needs of the data-driven enterprises who heavily rely on the technologies.
Shah is skilled at engaging with enterprise customers and stakeholders in the design and development of tailored IT solutions, and he knows how to address the specific needs of data-driven organizations. He has a unique approach to building cost-effective and customized solutions to enhance operational efficiency and create the highest business value. Because our economy and the businesses are increasingly reliant on data and its effective management, Shah’s role in designing and implementing these solutions is critical.
Strong judgment and keen instincts are also traits that are integral in data management and analytics. Shah has both – and he’s known for seeking diverse perspectives while still taking complete ownership of tasks, balancing short-term tactical needs with long-term strategic solutions. He can operate at all levels, stay connected to details, and frequently audit processes are some of the main reasons that the projects he led have been highly successful and sustainable, required minimum post-release support and aligned with broader business goals. His proactive exploration of new possibilities makes him an asset in an industry that is constantly shifting and facing new challenges.
Shah is a strong leader, another quality that’s vital in tech. He has successfully directed large project teams of developers, engineers, analysts, and architects. With more than 2 decades in the industry, he has interviewed over 750 candidates and has hired more than 100 tech professionals in the project teams and is able to identify and nurture talent. He believes in mentorship, and he effectively utilizes each team member’s abilities – which has been pivotal in driving projects toward desired outcomes. It’s a skill that is truly needed in the US tech industry, where team dynamics and leadership significantly impact project outcomes and innovation. During the project lifecycle peer-reviewing and judging the work of others mainly of development and design tasks are very critical for the team and while leading Shah has always thoroughly reviewed and judged the work of his subordinates and members of other dependant teams to make sure overall success for the enterprise and not just within his team.
It’s clear to see why Shah has earned such a stellar reputation in his field. His coworkers trust and respect him, as do his team members, project sponsors, and executives. His substantial contributions are characterized by tackling significant challenges, thoroughly researching requirements and end-results, and going beyond his roles.
Some of the lead and critical roles which transformed the business and generated significant values he’s held include:
- Elavon, a subsidiary of U.S. Bank, is a global leader in payment processing, securely handles over $400 billion worth of commerce annually. Shah, as an architect since October 2022, has played a key role in enterprise data management, delivering solutions for data-heavy business applications for merchants and partners which significantly improved the performance and enhanced overall customer experience.
- At Georgia-Pacific, one of the world’s top manufacturers, Shah led the development of the “CPG Data Cloud” project as a Lead Solution Architect in 2022/2023. He integrated data from 14 digital advertising platforms into a BI data mart, architecting and building the entire data engineering solution using both real-time event driven and batch processing methods on AWS clouds using cloud-native technologies like S3, Lambda, Glue, SQS, Eventbridge, Step Functions, Redshift, Spectrum, Google Bigquery. The solution has enabled a more efficient, effective and accountable marketing and digital advertising campaigns where the company spends hundreds of millions of dollars. It has streamlined the company’s marketing campaign analysis, resulted in millions of dollars of savings and saved over 30,000 man-hours annually in managing enterprise data manually.
- For the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), Shah served as a Solution Architect in Summer 2022. He designed the blueprint to the modernization of ABEM’s legacy applications using the latest cloud technologies on Microsoft Azure, to solve major issues and bring next-gen user experience for physicians, authors, writers and administrators for the entire certification process.
- At TMX Finance, Shah led the creation of an Enterprise MPP Data Warehouse, integrating data from multiple sources. This role was crucial in transforming TMX Finance into a data-driven organization, supporting various business functions like settlements, accounting, collections, compliance, and marketing.
- While at Cox Communications, Shah developed a data engineering framework and jobs to transform and integrate the data, significantly impacting Sales, Marketing, and Incentive Management. His work enabled the rollout of new sales incentive plans and automated, data-driven solutions, proving pivotal for the company’s sales and marketing initiatives.
- At Standard & Poor’s (S&P), Shah’s role as a Lead ETL Architect in 2011 was instrumental in building a securities rating application, handling complex algorithms and processing billions of historical transactional data records.
- Shah worked as an onsite technical lead at CitiGroup, developing the “Global Information Data Warehouse” to analyze billions of global payment and money transfer transactions.
Prior to that Shah worked in India, UK, Singapore and Malaysia for major global IT consulting firms and played a very critical role to develop data and business intelligence solutions for distinguished organizations like credit suisse, washington mutual bank, maxis telecom, ANZ bank, courts UK.
Shah says “Despite success with the previous enterprises, I never be overconfident or try to replicate the things as it is. As past success never guarantees future success, large experience on technologies and acquiring business knowledge definitely helps and makes you an expert, however every single IT solution for the business requires fresh and unique ideas based on the situations and demands of that particular organization. While I always remain very positive on my abilities to deliver and work with absolute clarity”. However Shah believes that to minimize the risk of the unknown, sometimes negative thinking can be the tool that allows him to carefully assess a situation, think through all the possibilities and change the direction on-time.
In the highly competitive US tech industry, project outcomes can significantly impact a company’s position in the market. Shah is a sought-after individual due to his exceptional abilities and is renowned as a key influencer and thought leader in his industry. His leadership has often been the differentiator between success and failure in large teams and projects; and his inclusion in teams brings a unique blend of technical acumen and strategic foresight, essential in driving projects towards success.
It’s not uncommon for tech geniuses to lack business sense – and for skilled business leaders to fall short with technical knowledge. Rare indeed is the individual who exemplifies both sectors – individuals like Shah. He’s the uncommon common ground between business and technology. He understands how tech can be used to achieve business goals – and he comprehends what those goals should be. He knows the bottom line and how to get there with advanced tech.
But he’s the exception – not the rule. It’s unusual to encounter professionals as advanced in their technical acumen who also possess a solid knowledge of business strategies. Yet that is exactly what the US economy and businesses desperately needs, especially in the realm of data management and data analytics. The advancement of AI in data analytics has been a game changer, but these complex algorithms still need talented professionals to manage them.
The integration of technologies in various sectors is accumulating, and professionals like Maulik Shah are necessary in order to drive innovation, increase efficiency, and help businesses stay competitive. His experience and skills in data analytics and cloud computing align with the industry’s push towards digital transformation, big data, and cloud infrastructure. Technology is the bedrock of future growth, and professionals like Shah know how to bring game-changing business transformations using data and technologies.
Learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maulik-shah-4260usa/
