Ashok Renukappa - Software Engineering Director

Ashok
Renukappa

Director - Product Engineering | Software Architect | Innovation Leader

Transforming businesses through strategic technology leadership. 20+ years architecting enterprise-scale cloud platforms, building high-performing engineering teams, and pioneering AI/ML integration to drive revenue growth and operational excellence. Track record of delivering products generating $90M+ ARR while leading teams of 20+ engineers across multiple companies.

Ashburn, VA

Career Timeline

Core Competencies

Engineering Leadership

  • • Enterprise Architecture & System Design
  • • Team Building & Talent Development (20+ engineers)
  • • Agile/Scrum at Scale
  • • Cross-Functional Stakeholder Management
  • • Technical Strategy & Roadmap Planning
  • • Budget Management & Resource Allocation

Backend & Architecture

  • • Java • TypeScript • Groovy • Python
  • • Spring Boot • Spring Cloud
  • • Microservices Architecture
  • • RESTful APIs • GraphQL • gRPC
  • • Event-Driven Architecture (Kafka)
  • • Domain-Driven Design

Frontend & Full-Stack

  • • React • Next.js 14 • TypeScript
  • • Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
  • • Tailwind CSS • Modern UI/UX
  • • State Management (Redux, Zustand)
  • • Component Libraries & Design Systems
  • • Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

Cloud & DevOps

  • • AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, ECS, CloudFront)
  • • Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation)
  • • Container Orchestration (Kubernetes, Docker)
  • • CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab)
  • • Configuration Management (Ansible, Chef)
  • • Monitoring & Observability (DataDog, New Relic)

AI/ML & Data

  • • Google Gemini • OpenAI GPT Integration
  • • LangChain • Vector Embeddings
  • • RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
  • • Prompt Engineering & LLM Optimization
  • • Model Context Protocol (MCP)
  • • AI-Powered Search & Recommendations

Databases & Search

  • • PostgreSQL • MongoDB • Redis
  • • Elasticsearch • OpenSearch
  • • Graph Databases (Neo4j)
  • • Database Design & Optimization
  • • Data Modeling & Schema Design
  • • Caching Strategies & Performance Tuning

Security & Compliance

  • • OAuth 2.0 • SAML • JWT Authentication
  • • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
  • • Security Best Practices & OWASP
  • • Vulnerability Management
  • • Compliance (SOC 2, GDPR, CCPA)
  • • Secure SDLC Practices

CMS & Content Platforms

  • • Payload CMS • Headless CMS Architecture
  • • Content Modeling & Localization
  • • Multi-Tenant Platform Design
  • • Content Delivery & CDN Optimization
  • • API-First Content Management
  • • Digital Asset Management (DAM)

Key Accomplishments

🚀 AI-Driven Business Transformation

Impact: Pioneered Google Gemini AI integration that revolutionized customer risk assessment, delivering personalized Attack IQ package recommendations. This AI-powered solution increased sales conversion rates by 35% and reduced risk consultation time from days to minutes, directly contributing to revenue growth and customer satisfaction.

💼 $250M Insurance Platform Engineering

Impact: Architected and delivered a next-generation risk orchestration platform for Resilience Insurance/Arceo Labs, supporting $250 Million Annual Gross Written Premium. Built on modern microservices architecture with React/Next.js frontend and Java Spring Boot backend, processing 10,000+ risk assessments annually with 99.9% uptime.

🤖 Enterprise AI Knowledge Management

Impact: Spearheaded Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration creating an intelligent search ecosystem across 50,000+ documents (FAQs, knowledge articles, technical documentation). Reduced average query resolution time by 70% and improved team productivity by enabling instant access to critical information through AI-powered semantic search.

🌍 Global Content Platform & Localization

Impact: Designed and implemented enterprise-grade headless CMS platform using Payload CMS with integrated AI translation capabilities, enabling content delivery in 12+ languages. Reduced localization costs by 60% through automation and expanded market reach to 5 new international regions, supporting 200+ content creators.

☁️ Cloud Migration & DevOps Excellence

Impact: Led the complete migration of iDefense threat intelligence platform from OpenStack to AWS within 6 months, establishing a modern DevOps culture with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and automated CI/CD pipelines. Reduced infrastructure costs by 40%, improved deployment frequency from monthly to daily, and decreased incident recovery time by 85%.

💰 $90M ARR Product Leadership

Impact: Built IntelGraph cyber threat intelligence platform from concept to market leader, growing to $90M+ annual recurring revenue. Led cross-functional team of 15+ engineers, defining product vision, technical architecture, and go-to-market strategy. Platform serves 500+ enterprise customers and processes 1M+ threat indicators daily using graph database technology and advanced analytics.

👥 Engineering Team Scaling & Culture Building

Impact: Grew and mentored engineering teams from 5 to 20+ engineers across multiple companies, establishing cultures of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous learning. Implemented modern development practices including pair programming, code reviews, automated testing (achieving 85%+ coverage), and knowledge sharing sessions. Maintained team retention rate of 95%+ through career development, mentorship programs, and fostering inclusive engineering culture.

🔒 Enterprise Security & Compliance Leadership

Impact: Designed and implemented comprehensive security architecture across multiple platforms, achieving SOC 2 Type II compliance and implementing zero-trust security model. Established secure SDLC practices, automated vulnerability scanning, and security training programs, reducing security incidents by 90% while enabling faster, safer deployments.

Work Experience

Resilience

Software Engineering Director – Application Engineering

Oct 2025 – Present
  • • Leading 20+ engineers across 4 agile squads building enterprise-scale cyber risk management platforms serving 1,000+ customers
  • • Architecting next-generation AI-powered customer portal leveraging React/Next.js and Java microservices with GraphQL APIs
  • • Driving platform modernization strategy including migration to cloud-native architecture and implementation of event-driven design patterns
  • • Ensuring effective security content delivery through cross-functional collaboration with Product, Security, and Customer Success teams
  • • Establishing engineering excellence through automated testing (85%+ coverage), CI/CD best practices, and comprehensive observability
  • • Mentoring senior engineers and engineering managers, conducting architecture reviews, and driving technical decision-making

Senior Engineering Manager – Workbench & Portal

Apr 2024 – Sep 2025

Software Engineering Manager – Insured Portal

Jun 2022 – Mar 2024

Staff Engineer – Insured Portal

Feb 2022 – May 2022

Accenture

Software Development Manager – Cyber Threat Intelligence

Dec 2018 – Feb 2022
  • • Led IntelGraph product implementation for Cyber Threat Intelligence
  • • Advanced search platform for real-time threat actors and relationships
  • • Successfully transitioned iDefense to AWS cloud within 6 months

Software Development Associate Manager – iDefense

Apr 2017 – Dec 2018

Verisign Inc (US)

Engineer IV – Software Development (iDefense)

Apr 2016 – Mar 2017
  • • Designed IntelGraph advanced intelligence threat creation platform
  • • Established DevOps model with OpenStack and Ansible

Engineer III – Software Development (iDefense)

Sep 2014 – Mar 2016

NTT America

Senior Developer – Cloud VPN

Dec 2013 – Aug 2014
  • • Guided development team on Liferay-based customer portal
  • • Managed user and company provisioning with cloud VPN

Verisign Inc (India)

Senior Lead Engineer – Software Development (iDefense)

Aug 2013 – Nov 2013
  • • Led iDefense development team with technical architecture
  • • Full SDLC ownership from requirements to UAT
  • • Developed MSS system for parsing security device logs

Lead Engineer – Software Development (iDefense)

Jan 2011 – Jul 2013

Senior Software Engineer – iDefense & MSS

Apr 2008 – Dec 2010

Software Engineer – MSS

Aug 2006 – Mar 2008

Let's Build Something Great

Interested in discussing architecture, engineering challenges, or building high-performing teams?