Alok Dath

Alok Dath

Senior Technical Program Manager & AI Transformation Leader

I lead large-scale engineering programs across cloud data, CDN and security, aligning cross-functional teams from concept to launch, and I build AI-powered tools that drive real productivity gains.

📍 Bengaluru, India 🏢 Akamai Technologies

About Me

I'm a Senior Technical Program Manager at Akamai Technologies, where I drive corporate AI transformation and lead high-profile AI infrastructure and Data Experience programs, including Akamai's Real User Monitoring (RUM) and Observability solutions that give customers real-time insight into application performance and end-user experience. Over 15 years I've grown from systems and DevOps engineering into program leadership at Akamai, Cisco and Infosys. That background lets me work closely with engineers on architecture and distributed systems while keeping executives aligned on goals, trade-offs and outcomes.

15+Years in Tech
3Global Companies
6Certifications
16Enterprise Apps Managed

Experience

Where I've worked and what I've delivered

Senior Technical Program Manager

08/2025 – Present
Akamai Technologies, Inc. · Bengaluru
  • Drive corporate AI transformation by leading end-to-end execution of high-impact AI programs and productivity-enhancing applications.
  • Lead high-profile AI infrastructure and Data Experience programs, driving Akamai's Real User Monitoring (RUM) and Observability solutions that turn real-time performance and user-experience data into actionable customer insights.
  • Engage with engineers on architecture, data pipelines and distributed system design aligned with Akamai's infrastructure standards.
  • Track KPIs (SLOs, performance, adoption), manage risks and drive improvements in reliability, automation and cost efficiency.
  • Present program updates and trade-offs to executives, ensuring alignment on goals, progress and dependencies.

Engineering Program Manager

07/2024 – 08/2025
Cisco Systems, Inc. · Bengaluru
  • Managed multiple engineering programs for Cisco's cloud and network security portfolios, delivered on time and within budget.
  • Led quarterly commit planning for Cisco Secure Access, a cloud-delivered zero-trust SSE solution across Mac, Windows, iOS and Android.
  • Defined program goals, scope and deliverables with engineering, product and UX; reported progress through KPIs.

Technical Program Manager II

05/2021 – 06/2024
Akamai Technologies, Inc. · Bengaluru
  • Led technical program management for critical portfolios including Cloud Computing, Analytics, Data Experience, Billing and CDN Delivery.
  • Formed and led product-centric core teams with Engineering, Product, Architects, DevOps, Sales & Service Enablement.
  • Partnered with product managers to define, develop and deploy product roadmap solutions.
  • Championed Agile adoption, helping engineering teams implement SAFe and Scrum; facilitated PI Planning, Scrum of Scrums, PO Sync, System Demos and Retrospectives.
  • Defined, built and tracked program-level metrics, business & technical risks, key dependencies and PI boards.
  • Introduced Aha!–Jira integration across the organization as technical SME and program manager, ensuring real-time integration between both applications (one in the cloud, one in the internal data center).

Senior Systems Engineer Lead

07/2016 – 04/2021
Akamai Technologies, Inc. · Bengaluru
  • Managed the global systems engineering team for 16 enterprise applications including Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket, Black Duck, Coverity, Artifactory and Perforce.
  • Planned and executed application migrations, change management and problem management programs.
  • Rolled out Jira best practices across engineering and non-technical teams (Marketing, HR, Sales); owned vendor budgeting and procurement.

Senior Systems Engineer

07/2011 – 07/2016
Infosys Limited · Bengaluru
  • DevOps tools engineer; migrated a heavily used Atlassian stack to new Linux environments and performance-tuned Jira, Confluence and Bitbucket.
  • Integrated key data between Jira/Confluence and other systems; customized Docker images for lower environments.

Skills

Program leadership, delivery frameworks and AI tooling

📋 Program Leadership

Program & Portfolio MgmtRisk & Issue Mgmt Risk & Dependency MgmtChange Management Analytics & Program MetricsServant Leadership Interpersonal SavvyScrumSAFe

🤖 AI & GenAI

Google GeminiOpenAI (GPT-4o)Anthropic Claude GitHub CopilotPrompt EngineeringRAG Architectures Workflow AutomationAPI IntegrationCustom Tooling

🛠️ Tools & Platforms

JiraConfluenceAha! eazyBIAtlassian PluginsAWS

Education & Certifications

Continuous learning

🎓 Education

M.Tech – Computing Systems & InfrastructureBITS Pilani · 2018 – 2020
B.Sc – Information TechnologyBharathiar University, Coimbatore · 2008 – 2011

🏅 Certifications

SAFe® 6 Release Train EngineerScaled Agile, Inc.
SAFe® 6 Agile Product ManagerScaled Agile, Inc.
Certified Scrum Product Owner®Scrum Alliance
Certified ScrumMaster®Scrum Alliance
ITIL® FoundationAXELOS
Product, Program & Portfolio MgmtIIM Bangalore

Personal Projects

Small tools I built for myself: local-first, lightweight and private by design

✅

Todo App

A lightweight to-do list with both a command-line interface and a browser UI, sharing a single local SQLite database.

  • Add, edit, complete, cancel/restore and delete tasks
  • Low / medium / high priorities
  • Runs as a background service with a native-feeling app window
PythonSQLiteJavaScriptCLI
View on GitHub →
💰

Daily Expense Tracker

A personal expense tracker that runs locally in the browser, installable as a Progressive Web App and usable offline.

  • Categorised spending across expenses, income, EMIs and SIPs
  • Charts and summaries of where the money goes
  • Data stays on-device in a local JSON file, with no cloud or account needed
JavaScriptPWAChart.jsPython
View on GitHub →

Beyond Work

What keeps me curious outside the office

🎬

Cinema

Nothing beats the magic of a darkened theater. I'm a firm believer that a great score is half the movie.

  • Directors I admire: Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino
  • All-time masterpiece: The Prestige
  • Currently watching: The Boys
🏏

Cricket

Test cricket is the ultimate test of character. I track the stats, the pitches, and the swings of momentum.

  • Loyalties: Team India & Royal Challengers Bengaluru
  • Favorite players: Sachin Tendulkar & Rahul Dravid
  • Best memory: India vs Sri Lanka, 1999 World Cup
⚽

Football

Weekends are defined by kickoff times. The tactical battles and the sheer unpredictability keep me hooked.

  • Club supported: Manchester United
  • Favorite league: Premier League
  • Preferred style: High-pressing attacking football
🏛️

Politics

Observing the ever-changing landscape of global and local politics. I love a good debate grounded in facts.

  • Key interests: Geopolitics, Public Policy, Elections
📚

Reading

A quiet corner and a good book. I enjoy diving deep into new narratives, histories, and perspectives.

✈️

Travel

Exploring new cultures, cuisines, and landscapes. I believe the best education comes from a stamped passport.

Let's Connect

Open to conversations about program leadership, AI transformation, and building great engineering teams.