What I’m Focused on Now
Leading Gen AI strategy at Fannie Mae. Building internal LLM workflows, mentoring architects, and experimenting with local AI agents. My goal is pragmatic: automate the boring, de-risk the complex, and scale the useful.
Speaker Bio
Ravi Sivasubramaniam is a seasoned technologist and pragmatic leader with over 20 years of experience spanning data engineering, automation, machine learning, and AI.
Currently a Principal at Fannie Mae, Ravi leads strategic initiatives in data, security, and generative AI. He has delivered transformations at companies like NielsenIQ and American Tire Distributors, blending technical depth with enterprise leadership.
He regularly speaks at universities and mentors professionals on building scalable, secure, and efficient systems.
Core Strengths
Pragmatic Leadership
Building high-trust, result-oriented engineering teams that deliver.
Technical Depth
Hands-on expertise in data engineering, cloud, automation, and Gen AI.
Efficiency at Scale
Automating pipelines, refactoring systems, and streamlining workflows.
Mentorship & Impact
Helping teams and individuals grow through coaching and clarity.
Career Highlights
Early Spark (1990s–2003)
My passion for technology started early in India—tinkering with BASIC, UNIX, and reverse-engineering radios. I built websites for local businesses before turning 18 and dove deep into Assembly, Verilog, and MATLAB during my engineering degree. These formative years hardwired my drive to solve real-world problems through code.
Engineering Foundations (2003–2012)
At Caritor (later NTT DATA), I built Java-based enterprise systems and transitioned into data engineering—refactoring 1,000+ ETL pipelines and designing large-scale data warehouses. This decade laid the foundation for how I think about systems: scalable, secure, and future-proof.
Scaling Platforms & Automation (2012–2018)
With a fresh Master's in CS, I led strategic migrations at Aetna and built NielsenIQ's on-prem ML platform using Spark and Hadoop. My work spanned platform architecture, DevOps enablement, and cross-functional leadership across teams in India, Europe, and the U.S.
Strategic Growth & Cloud Leadership (2018–2022)
At American Tire Distributors, I delivered over $100M in savings by building a cloud-native ML platform. I wore many hats—from coding production-grade Python apps to scaling engineering teams from 3 to 50+. At Torqata, I led architecture for multi-tenant SaaS and integrated Salesforce, Shopify, and more into a unified analytics stack.
Generative AI & Enterprise Strategy (2022–Present)
Today at Fannie Mae, I lead AI and automation initiatives that modernize legacy systems, improve data integrity, and shape internal LLM adoption. My focus is enterprise-scale impact through intelligent automation and secure design. I continue mentoring engineers and championing pragmatic solutions that actually ship.
Beyond Work: Consulting, Mentorship & Community
Outside corporate roles, I consult with startups and small businesses to streamline operations, enhance customer relationship management, optimize digital commerce solutions, and integrate automation to drive operational efficiency and scalability. My approach emphasizes delivering measurable value, driving results across various business functions, and ensuring robust and secure technology integrations tailored to each organization's specific needs.
I have spoken and conducted workshops at universities and professional groups across the U.S., focusing on Product Development, Automation, DevOps, Machine Learning platform development, Cloud Adoption, and Generative AI. My commitment to mentorship extends to guiding professionals in building technical expertise, gaining industry credentials, and navigating meaningful career pathways.
On a personal note, I spend quality time with my son, engaging in various outdoor and indoor activities. I also actively contribute to non-profits, including organizing coding clubs, volunteering in food kitchens, and supporting environmental conservation initiatives.