Venu Chirukuri is a seasoned Senior Engineering Manager with over 17 years in Financial Technology and Marketplace Engineering. Renowned for building fault-tolerant, cloud-native systems, he has led several transformative initiatives at Walmart Global Tech. His leadership in designing scalable fintech architectures has been instrumental in onboarding 132,000+ sellers and driving $500 million+ in revenue. With deep expertise in distributed systems and embedded lending, Venu continues to play a critical role in fintech innovation, fostering efficiency, security, and growth. His work not only enhances digital commerce but also shapes the future of global payment infrastructure.
Early Life and Academic Foundation
Venu’s technical journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Jawaharlal Technological University (2007). His academic background provided a robust foundation in software engineering, distributed systems, and algorithmic thinking. This early exposure to computer science fundamentals later empowered him to navigate and lead complex system design initiatives, particularly in payment processing and distributed architecture domains.
Professional Journey
Venu’s career spans industry giants and high-stakes projects across the fintech ecosystem:
- Infosys & HCL (2007–2012): As an IBM Sterling OMS Engineer, Venu cultivated his expertise in order management systems. He not only led Sterling OMS implementations but also established a Center of Excellence, training over 15 engineers and supporting client demos—laying the groundwork for his future in large-scale commerce platforms.
- Perficient India Pvt Ltd (2012–2013): Here, he enhanced retail experiences by designing mobile POS solutions and integrating WorldPay payment processing for Urban Outfitters.
- Walmart Global Tech (2013–Present):
- As a Senior Software Engineer, he was instrumental in migrating Walmart’s Order Management Systems (OMS) to Azure Cosmos DB and Kubernetes, achieving processing capabilities of 40,000 orders per minute during peak seasons.
- Promoted to Staff Engineer and then Senior Engineering Manager, Venu led projects like the Plutus payment platform, embedded lending systems, and real-time financial dashboards that transformed Walmart’s seller ecosystem.
Leadership and Innovation
Venu’s leadership style is characterized by technical empowerment, cross-functional collaboration, and a focus on scalable, secure innovation. He has successfully guided global teams through complex system re-architectures, favoring modular microservices and event-driven designs. His ability to align business goals with technical execution has consistently driven measurable outcomes and long-term value.
Key examples include:
- A unified payment onboarding platform that spans 15 countries and integrates 10+ payment providers.
- An embedded lending system that facilitated $80 million in seller funding using event-driven architectures and real-time risk assessment tools like Plaid.
- Real-time transaction processing tools with sub-second latency, reflecting his emphasis on performance engineering.
His leadership extends beyond engineering teams to include collaboration with marketing, compliance, and risk divisions to ensure holistic, scalable outcomes.
Notable Achievements
Venu’s work has yielded remarkable milestones:
- $500M+ in revenue generated from system optimizations.
- 132,000+ new sellers onboarded through unified frameworks.
- 80% reduction in manual processing time in insurance verification systems.
- Industry accolades, including:
- Innovation and Acceleration Award (Walmart U.S. 2023)
- Best Performer of the Quarter (Walmart Mexico 2019)
- Spot Award for engineering excellence in Plutus design (2018)
These recognitions underscore not only his technical depth but also his business acumen and ability to deliver transformative value.
Academic Contributions
While not centered on academic publishing, Venu bridges academic theory with real-world application. His expertise in distributed systems, microservices, and fintech architectures reflects a strong, research-driven foundation. He has demonstrated a lasting commitment to knowledge sharing through early mentorship and establishing Centers of Excellence. Today, he leads high-impact engineering teams, showcasing his dedication to applied innovation and practical leadership in the technology landscape.
Future Vision and Impact
Venu continues to steer Walmart’s fintech innovations toward a more integrated, secure, and scalable future. His ongoing leadership in embedded lending and onboarding automation points to a larger vision: creating inclusive, efficient marketplaces that empower global sellers and streamline financial ecosystems.
As digital commerce evolves, his work will remain central to shaping how enterprise platforms manage complexity, compliance, and user engagement at scale.
Venu Chirukuri exemplifies the blend of visionary thinking, technical precision, and collaborative leadership. His story is one of continuous evolution—driven by purpose, guided by expertise, and destined to leave a lasting imprint on the fintech industry.
