Professional Journey

18th Sept 2018 to Present - Philips

Software Competency Lead, Software Excellence, Innovation Engineering, Philips North America LLC & Philips Indiva Private Limited

Datta has been a pivotal figure in Philips' Software Excellence, driving digital transformation and fostering a culture of software excellence globally. He has significantly impacted software quality, reliability, and development practices through coaching, mentoring, and leading key initiatives like technical debt reduction and CI/CD adoption. Datta is recognized for his strong technical expertise, exceptional communication, and leadership skills, enabling him to influence diverse teams and stakeholders across the organization. His contributions have led to measurable improvements in Philips' hiring processes, developer experience, and cost savings. He is a respected thought leader and mentor, consistently inspiring and empowering individuals and teams to achieve higher standards.

Key Skills: Software design, execution, and architecture, Software quality, craftsmanship, and reliability, Technical debt identification and reduction, CI/CD pipeline development and automation, Programming languages and functional knowledge (25+ languages), Secure and resilient software development, Static code analysis and tooling (Fortify, Coverity, BlackDuck, CodeScene, GitHub Actions), Web services and Eclipse-based plugin development, Lean and Agile methods application, Mentoring and coaching (individuals and teams), Workshop facilitation and technical training, Cross-functional team leadership, Strategy influence and change management, Organizational policy development (e.g., BizDevOps, hiring), Problem-solving, ownership, and collaboration

Key work highlights:

• Directed digital transformation and automation initiatives, leading U.S. teams to achieve $300K in infrastructure savings. 

• Orchestrated a continuous value delivery strategy, slashing product delivery time by 60% and enhancing hospital outcomes. 

• Launched and led the global 'Bar Raiser' program with 15 cross-functional team members, training 50+ engineers to cut senior hiring time by 50%. 

• Pioneered the adoption of digital platforms and Service-Ops automation, boosting productivity for 7,000+ Philips engineers worldwide with 99.999% uptime.

• Mentored executive leaders in Software Development & Delivery, Technical Debt assessment & elimination, realizing cost savings.

• Collaborated with business stakeholders to architect a 3-year digital transformation roadmap, delivering €2.1M in savings and unlocking €3.5M in future opportunities. 

• Championed the quality-at-desk program, leading cross-business teams to eliminate technical debt and secure $100K annual savings. 

• Assembled and led a team of 8 to deploy a CI/CD pipeline, slashing release cycles by 30% and elevating software quality. 

• Partnered with C-level executives to overhaul Philips India's hiring strategy, driving 18% candidate NPS and 15% manager NPS gains. 

• Earned promotion to Principal (youngest in Philips India) by spearheading cost savings and delivery enhancements, showcasing executive-level impact.

• Authored the 2024 State of Craftsmanship report, a data-backed report outlining the state of software development practices in global teams of Philips and how we can improve them to achieve speed with quality.

Key Achievements:

• Awarded the Philips CTO Outstanding Technical Achievement Award 2021 for improving the competency of quality and regulatory compliance officers and establishing the bar-raiser hiring process.

• Received Philips PIC Annual Awards 2020 for building organizational capabilities.

• Achieved significant cost savings (€2.1 million in 2021 with a future opportunity of €3.45 million) through technical debt reduction and resource optimization.

• Improved candidate NPS by 18% and manager NPS by 15% by enhancing the Philips hiring process.

• Led initiatives that resulted in reducing release time by 60%.

• Piloted the Quality-at-Desk program, leading to faster feedback cycles and improved developer efficiency.

• Instrumental in managing a cross-functional global team to facilitate the bar-raiser hiring program adoption.

• Shaped the development of a new, more data-driven campus interview process.

• Successfully transformed the IT E&S team towards GitHub InnerSource, creating reusable workflows and significantly reducing the time to adopt security tools like Fortify.

• Influenced teams to remove 18688 lines of duplicate code in 2019.

• Onboarded ~6 teams to CodeScene in 2019, then automated the onboarding process. Currently used by more than 300 projects.

• Received multiple Philips Manager Recognition Awards.

Leadership & Communication highlights:

• Known for a direct but humble communication style that inspires confidence and trust.

• Highly respected by peers and colleagues.

• Effective in building networks of influence across different teams and geographies.

• Actively seeks and utilizes feedback to improve.

• Delivers engaging and informative presentations and workshops, receiving positive feedback on content delivery and knowledge.

• Mentors and coaches individuals effectively, adapting communication to different audiences.

• Facilitates cross-functional collaboration and communication.

• Recognized for strong consultancy, communication, and negotiation skills.

• Ability to simplify complex technical concepts for diverse audiences.

• Proactive in sharing knowledge and best practices.

15th Feb 2015 to 31st Aug 2018 - Amazon

Software Development Engineer II, Amazon Development Center India Private Limited

Datta played a crucial role in enhancing Amazon’s infrastructure, fraud prevention, and operational efficiency by building automation tools, optimizing performance, and ensuring seamless system migrations. His expertise in data processing, API development, and workflow automation contributed significantly to major projects like Amazon Pay, fraud risk scoring, and large-scale data ingestion. He demonstrated exceptional problem-solving skills by quickly identifying and resolving critical issues, such as fraud detection anomalies and SLA-missed workflows. His leadership extended beyond technical contributions, as he actively improved team processes, introduced best practices like SOLID design principles, and created resources like onboarding wikis and documentation. Recognized for his ownership and impact, he earned multiple TRMS ZEUS Team Awards and commendations for his work on high-impact projects.

Technical Skills: XML/JSON conversion, API development, data ingestion, fraud detection, automation, performance optimization, system migrations, workflow management, Linux administration, bash scripting, scrum process improvement, SOLID design principles, AWS, Amazon Linux, queue management systems, reporting tools, documentation, onboarding automation, Java, and REST-based microservices.

Key Achievements:

• Led XML to JSON conversion and migration tools, ensuring smooth data transitions.

• Successfully migrated 57 hosts across 22 environments, earning commendation for dedication.

• Developed fraud detection APIs for Amazon Pay, supporting its high-performance launch.

• Created bulk action tools that resolved thousands of SLA-missed tasks, improving operations.

• Designed and deployed a fraud risk scoring API, earning a TRMS ZEUS Team Award.

Leadership & Communications:

• Spearheaded onboarding initiatives by creating and maintaining onboarding wikis for new hires.

• Advocated for engineering best practices, introducing SOLID design principles to colleagues.

• Actively improved scrum processes to enhance team efficiency.

• Played a key role in technical documentation, providing clear and structured design wikis.

• Contributed to hiring processes by developing practical interview questions.

Key Work Highlights:

• Automated daily ingestion of over 2 billion ASINs for analytics.

• Reduced fraud check latency by 86%-89% through performance optimizations.

• Investigated and resolved high-impact fraud rule anomalies during Prime Day 2018.

• Enabled secure document uploads, replacing a legacy fax-based system, earning a TRMS ZEUS Team Award.

• Developed tools that saved ML scientists and engineers 60% effort in variable comparison.

April 2013 to Nov 2015

Senior Lead - Software Development, Exeter Software India (ESI) Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Exeter Group

As a Senior Lead - Software Development at ESI, Datta's work was characterized by strong technical leadership, active involvement in project delivery, a commitment to team growth through mentoring, a significant contribution to building a vibrant technical community through TExeter, and a proactive approach to knowledge sharing and problem-solving. He was a recognized and valued member of the Exeter India team, with a proven track record of driving successful project delivery, architectural innovation, and team leadership. Expert in managing end-to-end software development lifecycles, resolving critical technical challenges, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing. Recognized for delivering high-impact solutions and mentoring high-performing teams.

Technical Skills: Java/J2EE, LifeRay, TomCat, Oracle Policy Automator, Oracle Siebel, Oracle SOA Suite, Oracle WebLogic, Agile (Scrum, Kanban), Design Patterns, System Architecture, Root Cause Analysis, Debugging, Problem Solving, Solution Design.

Key Achievements:

• Edifecs Integration Success: Spearheaded the successful Proof of Concept (POC) for OneGate integration with Edifecs, resolving critical data exchange challenges between OneGate and third-party apps.

• Portal Stack Ownership: Managed the OneGate portal stack, ensuring efficient development workflows and timely product releases.

• Architectural Leadership: Provided key architectural direction, contributing to Apollo architecture discussions and optimizing system performance through re-architecting central modules.

• "Manual Override Tool" Development: Played a pivotal role in developing and deploying the "Manual Override Tool," enhancing product functionality.

• TExeter Technology Evangelism: Recognized as a "Texeter Thought Leader" for driving technology adoption through the TExeter initiative, fostering a collaborative knowledge-sharing environment.

Leadership & Communication:

• Team Leadership & Mentoring: Led and mentored development teams, providing constructive feedback and fostering career growth.

• Talent Acquisition: Contributed to building high-performing teams through active participation in candidate interviews.

• Knowledge Sharing & Training: Conducted technical workshops and seminars on key technologies and methodologies, both internally and externally.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Effectively communicate with stakeholders, including international teams, to align on architectural vision and resolve integration issues.

• Emergency Response Team (ERT): Actively participated in the ERT, contributing to defining responsibilities and ensuring timely resolution of critical incidents.

Key Work Highlights:

• End-to-End Project Delivery: Managed the complete software development lifecycle for key OneGate features, ensuring timely and high-quality product releases.

• Critical Issue Resolution: Effectively resolved complex integration issues and performed root cause analysis, minimizing downtime and ensuring system stability.

• Proactive Problem Solving: Demonstrated initiative in proposing alternative solutions to complex problems, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced risk.

• Architectural Guidance: Provided critical architectural direction, bridging legacy and new technologies.

• Technology Evangelism: Drove technology adoption and knowledge sharing through the TExeter initiative, organizing workshops and events.

July 2007 to March 2013

Software Engineer, IBM India Software Labs Private Limited

During his first five years at IBM, Datta established a strong foundation in software development, technical leadership, and innovation. His ability to drive complex projects, collaborate effectively, and communicate technical concepts is evident. His experience at IBM provided a strong foundation in software development, technical leadership, and fostering innovation within a large organization; he is passionate about leveraging technology to solve complex problems and thrive in collaborative and competitive environments.

Technical Skills: Java, J2EE, JAX-WS, Web Services, JUnit, Accessibility Testing, Requirement Analysis, Software Development Lifecycle, Agile Methodologies (Scrum), Middleware Development, Source Code Management.

Key Achievements:

• Received multiple Bravo Awards for leadership and technical contributions.

• Awarded IBM’s inventor award for approved patent disclosure.

• Won the "Best Implementation" award for "Micro-Insurance" at India Hackday 2010.

• Recognized as the most influential Technical Experts Council Member of India at IBM’s Regional Technical Leadership Exchange.

• Achieved the “Excellence in Leadership” award in the District 82 Toastmasters meet.

• Co-authored three published DeveloperWorks articles on LotusLive.

• Presented "Visual Component Dependency Management" at the National Conference on Computing, Communication, and Technology (CCT-2010).

Leadership & Communication:

• Organized and led numerous technical events and team-building activities.

• Actively participated in and won awards at the Toastmasters Club.

• Conducted technical workshops and seminars at engineering colleges.

• Presented technical talks at conferences and internal IBM events.

• Led IBM University Relations 2011 program Think-Explore-Evolve Challenge.

• Hackday Advisory Council member for India-wide Hackdays.

• Submitted patent disclosures and participated in innovation contests.

Key work highlights:

• Led full-lifecycle software development for Lotus Expeditor Webcontainer, including requirements analysis, feature implementation, and defect resolution.

• Developed and maintained key components of Lotus Expeditor Toolkit (v6.2.1, v6.2.2, v6.2.3), ensuring successful product delivery.

• Engineered integration layers to enable Light Weight Infrastructure (LWI) support for JAX-WS web services, enhancing system interoperability.

• Implemented and verified JAX-WS specification features, ensuring compliance and functionality.

• Developed and maintained middleware services in Java for a condition monitoring application within the Natural Resources Center of Excellence.

• Led User Interface development and integration services, contributing to seamless application functionality.

• Managed source code administration and VM maintenance, ensuring efficient development workflows.

• Served as Scrum Master for project deliverables, facilitating agile development practices.

• Wrote JUnit test cases and conducted accessibility testing, ensuring high-quality software releases.

• Provided comprehensive technical support and documentation, aiding in product usability and knowledge transfer.

• Contributed to the Face Detection and Recognition project at R.V. College of Engineering, gaining foundational development experience.

• Ensured interoperability between LWI and WebSphere Application Server (WAS), contributing to stable system performance.