Technology Insight, Enterprise Impact.

  • Reduced Infrastructure Overhead by $1M+
  • Lowered Organizational Risk Profile by 20%
  • Enabled 30% Operational Efficiency Gains
  • Standardized Post-M&A Integration for multiple acquisitions
  • Improved Threat Detection Accuracy by 35%
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Career summary

About Aarati

  • LEADERSHIP
  • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
  • DEVOPS
  • SECURITY
  • DATA

Industries

  • Financial Services
  • Asset Management / Wealth Management
  • Lending
  • Banking
  • Retail

Core Skills

  • Technology Strategy Development
  • Agile Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Management |Enterprise Architecture
  • Cybersecurity & Risk Management
  • Regulatory Compliance (NIST, ISO, PCI, SOX, GDPR)
  • Security Governance & Policy Creation
  • Cloud Transformation
  • Team Leadership & Development
  • M&A Technology Integration
  • Compliance & Regulatory Oversight
  • Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Planning
  • Vendor & Partner Management

Financial & Operational Impact

  • $1M+ annual cost savings from cloud modernization and infrastructure optimization
  • 40% reduction in infrastructure overhead through cloud architecture redesign
  • 10% reduction in cybersecurity spend while maintaining full compliance
  • 30% operational efficiency gain within 12 weeks of digital transformation roadmap execution

Risk & Security Improvements

  • 20% decrease in organizational risk profile
  • 50% improvement in audit readiness through compliance frameworks (SOC2, ISO 27001, SEC, NIST)
  • 50% drop in phishing incidents after security training and awareness programs
  • 95%+ regulatory compliance achieved across multiple organizations

Speed & Scalability

  • 50% reduction in deployment time through CI/CD and DevSecOps practices
  • 15% faster time to market via secure SDLC integration
  • 20% acceleration in disaster recovery time objectives (RTOs)
  • 35% increase in threat detection accuracy with advanced monitoring tools

Leadership & Growth

  • 60+ global team members managed across the U.S., Europe, and India
  • 400+ employees trained in enterprise security awareness programs
  • 200+ vendor contracts streamlined through strategic vendor management
  • 98% team retention rate driven by leadership, mentorship, and culture-building

Case Studies

Safeguarding Cloud Migration Through Strategic Alignment

Situation:

During the early stages of a cloud transformation, the CFO proposed accelerating cost savings by decommissioning on-prem systems ahead of schedule. As Head of Technology, I recognized this posed a risk to financial data integrity due to unvalidated cloud integrations.

Action:

  • Scheduled a one-on-one with the CFO immediately after the leadership meeting
  • Acknowledged the strategic goal behind the proposal
  • Presented a data-backed status of the migration and outstanding dependencies
  • Outlined risks to business continuity and data governance
  • Proposed a revised, checkpoint-driven timeline to balance speed with stability

Results:

The CFO adopted the revised plan, leading to a smooth migration with zero unplanned downtime. This approach protected financial operations and reinforced my role as a trusted strategic advisor.

Aligning Teams for Scalable Cloud Modernization

Situation:

During cloud/MSP migration planning, the team preferred a fast lift-and-shift method. I advocated for a phased modernization approach to ensure long-term scalability, security, and compliance.

Action:

  • Organized a working session to evaluate both strategies collaboratively
  • Presented a risk-benefit analysis with cost, compliance, and scalability insights
  • Proposed sprint-based phases to balance early wins with long-term value
  • Emphasized visibility, momentum, and minimal disruption in the new plan

Results:

The team aligned around the phased strategy, resulting in uninterrupted uptime, over $1M in annual cost savings, and a 75% improvement in reporting speed—while deepening trust and team ownership.

Leading Cybersecurity Due Diligence in High-Stakes M&A

Situation:

During early M&A planning, there was no cybersecurity due diligence plan—just six weeks before closing. This posed major risk to compliance and deal integrity.

Action:

  • Volunteered to lead the cybersecurity effort, despite it not being formally assigned
  • Formed a cross-functional task force to move quickly
  • Developed a due diligence framework aligned with NIST and SEC standards
  • Coordinated with internal teams and Knight Capital’s IT group
  • Prioritized assessments of infrastructure, data privacy, and access controls
  • Delivered a post-merger integration roadmap to ensure secure transition

Results:

Completed due diligence ahead of schedule, identified and mitigated critical risks, and enabled a secure, seamless integration—strengthening both compliance and leadership credibility.

Driving User Adoption for Cloud Transformation Success

Situation:

While leading a cloud transformation, I saw that rapid rollout of tools like Office 365, SharePoint, and Power BI was overwhelming users—jeopardizing the initiative’s success, despite it being outside my technical scope.

Action:

  • Initiated and led a change management program focused on user adoption
  • Delivered department-specific training, office hours, and step-by-step guides
  • Partnered with department heads to tailor content to real user needs
  • Created a network of “champions” to provide ongoing peer support post-launch

Results:

Achieved over 90% user adoption within two months, improved productivity across departments, and set a repeatable model for future rollouts—earning recognition from leadership for proactive impact.

"Aarati is a consistently strong performer, capable of taking control of extensive, complex projects and executing to the fullest. She is also a detailed-oriented perfectionist who is always willing to lend a hand to co-workers when necessary. It is rare to come across an individual who is talented at both big picture ideas and executing the small details. Personally, Aarati was a pleasure to work with, always bringing a smile and cheerful attitude that is sorely missing in today’s work environment. I highly recommend Aarati for a job at any company seeking a solid, professional."
- Brendan Eccleston
"Aarati is the ultimate professional and has a desire to always do things the right way. Her educational background along with here professional experience made her a valuable resource to our organization ! I enjoyed being on the same team as Aarati and respected her wisdom and opinion. I am happy to discuss specifics on Aarati’s background."
- Jim Going

Jason is a top caliber leader in the real estate world and property management.

"I worked with Aarati as a service provider for MSP services and environment hosting. We have worked together for years. She is a consummate professional able to toe the line between being demanding and being a pleasant and respectful person in doing so. Her team building was effective in working with a group with many SME's keeping in touch with the details and the big picture. You always want someone that you can set and forget and know it will be done."
- Michael Curry
"Aarati is one of the most detailed, cost conscious leaders I've also worked with during my career. Aarati's technical expertise along with her ability to see the big picture in the organization allows her to be dynamic, effective, and a strong leader for the IT team. She is exceptional at budgeting, planning and oversight of IT initiatives and projects, ensuring timely results in all that she does."
- Sueann Snodgrass

Contact

(609) 977-8800

[email protected]

Let's grab a coffee and chat.