Venkatesh Balakumar

DevOps Engineering for multiple cloud platforms for Highly Available, Secure, scalable, cloud, mobile/applications requirements with Startups and large enterprises.

Direct Contract GCP re-Architecting 11/2023

• This is a project for a company called Commodity Intelligence; they are Oil and Gas News Research Aggregators and have a small system in GCP that aggregates news; the system uses Python Panda to classify and store in MySQL database and then send them as daily newsletters to subscribers.
• Work with the founder to understand the As-Is environment and create a to-be architecture that includes workflow, scheduler, cloud SQL, cloud build, and app engine.
• Re-architecture the services to tighten security to achieve a secure VPC, Database, and CI/CD.
• Delivered recommendations to re-design the codebase using 12-Factor Principles to increase security.
• Enabled Security Audit in GCP to provide alerts for changes to resources and services based on Google Security Foundation.

Contract Cloud Architect, HSBC 07/2023 to 11/2023

• The agency and HSBC chase and engage me whenever I can provide high-quality GCP Security Architecture. This contract is ending due to their yearly mandatory furlough for their contractors.
• Responsible for Security Architecture and Audit of projects in HSBC businesses worldwide. 
• Securing Big Data Products for Google Cloud, including Cloud SQL, Dataflow, Dataproc and Kubernetes Architecture and Design Patterns across the bank in their Global Cloud CTO team.
• Updated the security design pattern documents by working closely with the teams using them from Europe and Asia. This helped them in security and audit compliance.
• Review Terraform modules and helm charts maintained centrally for creating GKE clusters periodically and submit reports to the security audit.
• Peer review of security audit services by AWS and Azure.

Contract GCP Security Consultant/Architect, MPCH.io London/New York, 05/2022 to 07/2023

• MPCH is a well-funded multi-party computing-based blockchain platform start-up.
• I was commissioned to provide a Google Cloud-based architecture and design for their large, global environment utilising multiple regions and data centres worldwide.
• The architecture is a highly scalable massive service that validates blockchain using their USP service and is built on a highly scalable infrastructure in GCP using service mesh. This can handle multi-tenants and millions of blockchain processes in minutes.
• Responsible for designing and testing implementation for the Cloud Interconnect to their secure on-premises locations in the Middle East, USA, Europe and Asia.
• Initiate the Service Management and Delivery process with ServiceNow for all services in GCP for UAT and Production environments.
• Designed the end-to-end user-authentication service with Auth0 and security/vulnerability scanning service using Snyk.
• Responsible for validating 3rd party deliverables against GCP Security Foundation Blueprint and CSI Security Checklist.
• Responsible for periodic review of Cloud Infrastructure with ISO27001 auditors and Head of Security.
• Responsible for implementing SecOps Architecture with Orca to and provided periodic security review.
• Work closely with development teams to review their code to understand portability and deplorability. Help with CICD design for the deployment and 

Contract Cloud Security Consultant/Architect, LV (Liverpool Victoria) Insurance 02/2022 to 08/2022

• Was contracted to advance their aspirations to move to a cloud-native data transformation and science programme from On-Premises.
• LV is a multi-cloud user with many services running in Azure and GKE.
• Responsible for validating design and architecture against the LV Enterprise Architecture and security requirements.
• Responsible for implementing WAF for customer-facing applications to increase security.
• Responsible for creating Azure Landing Zone Architecture and Design for Data Lake, Databricks and Datawarehouse-based projects. 
• Provides Solution Architecture for migrating their On-Premises SQL Server/SSIS Datawarehouse/Services to a fully managed Azure Datawarehouse.
• Responsible for designing the forward-looking plan for implementing an Analytics team and solution based on Azure Synapse and Databricks.
• Create solution architecture using Azure Databricks and Azure Data Lake for a Data Lake-based data migration service.
• Design the Azure Cloud Adoption Framework for the Data Landing Zone and present it to the Architecture Review Board.
• Periodic reporting to Architecture Review Board on ISO27001 audit done with outsourcing partners.
• Liaise with offshore resources and the DevOps team and formed the DevOps practice for the projects.
• Contributed and participated in the LV Architecture Board.

Contract Cloud Consultant, HSBC Hong Kong (Remote) 02/2021 to 04/2022

• Providing support for implementing GKE-based services for a Cross Broder Taxation Programme for a bank. 
• Implement GKE Architecture and Design adhering to the Bank’s Standards, Guidelines, Rules and Policies. 
• Work closely with the Enterprise Architecture team to audit, report and mitigate security requirements for the GCP projects.
• Responsible for Security Architecture practices adhering to the Enterprise Architecture requirements.
• Responsible for implementing Tax Reporting System Architecture with Dataflow, GKE and AKS.
• Validate all deliverables against the HSBC Standards, Rules and Policies for security and compliance.
• Technologies used: Java, Python, GKE, Dataflow, Cloud VPN, Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, Cloud VM and IAM.

Cloud Migration Architect/Consultant Deltatre (Freelance/Remote/GCP) (11/2021 to 01/2022)

• Deltatre provides an OTT platform for streaming sports and games. Deltatre and Google Italy requested that I assist a PoC in migrating from AWS to GCP.
• Involved in planning and executing infrastructure services using GCP Landing Zone (Cloud Foundation Fabric).
• Identifying faregate services, utilising the As-Is VPC and network, and helping recreate in GCP.
• Help to design GKS services from existing EKS Services.

Cloud Consultant (GCP), Atom Bank (Freelance/Remote) (07/2021 to 08/2021)

• Atom bank is undergoing a significant transformation programme, replacing their 3rd party services with in-house developed services. 
• I was responsible for reviewing and validating a major part of the transformation called Mission 48 which replaces alfresco content management and BPM services with services built in-house.
• Reviewed and improved the GCP services standards utilised by the microservices. Validated VPC and Firewall services for the end-to-end architecture.
• Evaluated Terraform scripts for maintaining the GKE clusters for the new workflow service that is deployed. This service is based on an open-source Temporal.IO (Java) project and will handle around 100 workflow requests/second and replace the expensive Alfresco service.
• Improvised additional standards for accessing external services.

Co-Founder Google Cloud Partner Solution 04/2020 to Till Date

• Co-founder and Architect for an AI and ML-based Job board solution developed and deployed on Google Cloud.
• The solution utilises the best GCP services, including Docker, Google Cloud Build, Cloud Run, Cloud Load Balancer, VPC, Cloud Armor, Cloud API Credentials, Cloud Endpoint, Cloud SQL and Big Query.
• The entire infrastructure was developed using Terraform.
• sold the product to a HR Tech company in USA.

Start-up Cloud Consultant (through a NED Network) 02/2020 to 04/2020

• Supported a Content and Marketing Platform for B2B and B2C start-ups with one of the prominent Mar Tech Strategy Gurus in the UK
• Responsible for developing the Technology Roadmap and shaping the MVP features and Product roadmap.
• Worked closely as co-founder for the pitch deck and business processes.
• The Start-up was in the pre-funding stage and will be pitched for funding in the coming month.

Interim Cloud Architect, 02/2017 to 02/2020

Santander – Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK

• Engaged with Business Managers and Directors through regular meetings and workshops to identify business goals and concerns that need to be addressed with Technology. 
• Followed Strict banking Governance, Standards and Principles and delivered architecture through the solution architecture team for Fraud Detection, PSD2 and Open Banking Initiatives.
• Implemented Security Architecture Standards and Principles.
• Initiated and Promoted Architecture practices like 12-factor application development and event-driven Architecture throughout the division.
• Responsible for the DevOps practice around GCP. My DevOps team was responsible for helping around 15 project teams with 150 team members.
• The infrastructure is a Hybrid mixture of OpenShift and GKE clusters deployed and utilised by all the projects for developing Highly Available Microservices and Web applications.
• Terraform is primarily used for creating IaaS GCP infrastructure.
• Designed a massive implementation of API, including internal and external facing APIs with Swagger 2.0 and OAuth 2.0. Around 300 APIs and their respective microservices are implemented. 
• The Microservices are implemented using Java/Spring Boot and NodeJS in Kubernetes, with some handing around 2 million daily requests.
• Introduced MoM using RabbitMQ for the Reactive Architecture pattern used throughout the division.
• Responsible for implementing Kappa Architecture for processing NRT and Batch data using Dataflow and Apache Beam.
• Contributed to the continuous improvement of Standards, Guidelines and Regulatory Compliances that includes ISO27001, PSD2 and Open Banking. 
• Technologies used Java 8/11, Spring Boot, Spring Webflux, Python, Kafka, SQL, Kafka, Cloudera (Hadoop, Azure Data lake), NodeJS (Express JS) and CI/CD using Jenkins, SonarQube, OWASP Plugins, Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift, AWS EC2, ELB, EKS and GCP (Dataflow, Managed Instance Groups and Kubernetes).

Lead Architect – Cloud Migration, 12/2014 to 12/2016 

Motability Operations – London, UK

• Lead Architect for one of the largest providers of customised car lease in the UK. 
• Responsible for managing 3rd party like AWS, Oracle, and Microsoft. Responsible for managing software licenses that cost around 1 million Pounds.
• Responsible for a team of solution architects and technical architects to achieve the goal assigned for this assignment, which is to migrate all on-premises applications, infrastructure, and data to the cloud. 
• Design Authority for all the infrastructure design and migration plan.
• Introduced DevOps best practices and guidelines to the team.
• Identified the As-Is Architecture and created the To-Be and Transition Architectures for the migration that introduced proper security, DR and High Availability in the Cloud with less impact to the BAU.
• As part of the migration plan, developed the MDM, metadata model, Sunset planning and migration planning.
• Work closely with the Management team that includes Business Managers and Directors of IT to deliver the Target Architecture within the given time frame.
• Introduced Event Driven Architecture and Message Driven Middleware for new applications developed in the Cloud.
• Tightened the security using new security architecture, audits and standards after identifying a key security issue with the mailing system in the first month of joining the organisation.
• Technologies used are Java, Spring, Spring Boot, SQL, RabbitMQ, Oracle Middleware, Oracle DB, Oracle WebCentre.

Chief Architect, 06/2013 to 11/2014

Metropolitan Police – London, UK

• One of the prestigious projects where I was responsible for end-to-end Transformation of IT and migration of all assets to Cloud and Big Data (Data lake)
• Worked closely with 3rd party vendor Deloitte to deliver the Total Technology Policing Strategy and 3-year roadmap.
• Responsible for developing Big Data Capability that includes building a Data lake using open-source technologies like Hadoop for bringing together all structural and non-structural data.
• Designed Message Driven Middleware using ESB for applications and apps to interact securely with each other and the data set. 
• Created DevOps best practices and guidance for microservices-based middleware architecture that utilised private cloud.
• Managed 3rd party vendors like Microsoft, RackSpace, Apple and MuleSoft.
• Design Authority for Application Architecture with a Stack Development team spanning 200 hundred developers and 15 different applications/apps. 
• Reported to CTO/CIO.
• Due to the strategies, ageing applications are migrated to a Private Cloud, MDM, Big Data, integration and DevOps capabilities are created and established.

Other Lead Architect Roles, 01/2002 to 06/2013 

Northgate, Wipro and AIG – UK, India and USA 

Chief Architect - Northgate Information Systems, UK, Migrating and managing products to SaaS.

Enterprise Architecture - Wipro helped various Insurance clients in executing their IT Strategy—managed Technology implementation in Japan, USA and Europe regions.

Chief Architect - AIG Consumer Finance Group. Managed Technology Teams in USA, Poland, Taiwan and Argentina

• Fintech Programme: Said Business School, Oxford University, UK 
• Master of Science: Information Technology, Alagappa University, India 
• Bachelor of Science: Mathematics, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, India