Breakthroughs require boldness
To achieve breakthrough results, we must be willing to embrace unconventional approaches.
Kiran Chaluvaraju
Engineering Executive Director | Scaling Global Platforms | Driving Business Transformation
AI-accelerated deliveryBuild high-trust teamsCross-functional leadershipEnterprise transformationDesign Fault-tolerant, horizontally scalable systems
About Me
Engineering leader with 15+ years of experience scaling global platforms and driving enterprise transformation in custody services and payment applications. Grounded in hands-on development, I lead large, distributed teams to deliver business-critical systems under pressure.
Quickly masters new domains and technologies, from complex financial platforms to emerging AI. Specializes in translating high-level business goals into scalable, measurable solutions with real impact.
I'm known for building trust-based relationships with teams, peers, clients, and stakeholders. I simplify complexity, align cross-functional groups, and lead organizations that thrive on innovation, inclusivity, and collaboration. I also drive team velocity through AI-accelerated software delivery — turning speed into a competitive edge.
Principles
Leadership
The real architecture is the team
As a leader, my primary role is to act as a systems designer, building a framework of principles and trust that empowers the team. This human-centered architecture is the foundation for all our technical achievements.
System Design
Resilience is Foundational
Assumes failure is inevitable in complex systems, proactively architecting for resilience to anticipate and absorb errors, ensuring graceful degradation.
Start with Intent
I believe in a proactive engineering philosophy. My strategic focus is on understanding the core business intent, to ensure our solutions are optimally aligned with organizational goals and consistently deliver meaningful impact.
Delivery
Measure outcomes, not opinions
Our success is defined by objective, measurable criteria established upfront. All decisions are evaluated through consequence-based analysis to ensure they align with our goals.
Pragmatism without compromise
I lead with a proactive mindset to have long-term positive impacts. While it's important to have strategic foresight, I believe in being pragmatic, not idealistic.
Ship when it matters most
I believe that a timely solution is better than the best/ideal solution. In the real world, the value of a solution diminishes the longer it takes to deliver.
Professional Experience
Goldman Sachs & Co. — Executive Director - Custody Services
July 2022 — PresentLocation: Dallas, TX
Role: Global Lead of Wealth Management's Asset Transfer and Payments. Manager Custody Services, Dallas
Impact:
- Established and strategically integrated a core Custody team in Dallas, accelerating long-term investments through targeted hiring and training.
- Built and mentored a global 30+ person Custody Asset Transfer team, enhancing technical skills and fostering collaboration to significantly improve project delivery.
- Managed multiple cross-divisional initiatives across various global regions, aligning diverse stakeholders and technical teams to ensure seamless execution on complex business goals.
- Oversaw the modernization of the asset transfer platform, coordinating a globally distributed team to upgrade core technology and improve operational capabilities.
- Designed and directed the development of a next-generation asset transfer processing platform that was engineered to handle a 500% increase in business volume while maintaining high speed and data integrity.
Goldman Sachs & Co. — Vice President - Software Engineering
Jan 2020 — July 2022Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Role: Global Lead of Wealth Management's Asset Transfer and Payments.
Impact:
- Engineered the foundation for a Mobile Check Deposit service, overseeing the end-to-end integration with a third-party vendor to enable a new digital business capability.
- Led the design and integration of a high-security encryption and access control system to meet the rigorous standards of Swiss regulations.
- Developed a high-performance platform for client account activity review, leveraging ElasticSearch to provide advisors with real-time access to critical data.
- Introduced and built an automated, scheduled transaction generator to handle internal cash movements, which enhanced consistency and reduced manual operational tasks.
Goldman Sachs & Co. — Vice President - Software Engineering
Jan 2016 — Dec 2019Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Role: Lead Wealth Management's Asset Transfer and Payments.
Impact:
- Designed and integrated a complete suite of Asset Transfer capabilities, successfully transitioning a key business function from a vendor platform to an in-house solution.
- Directed the full lifecycle of the BREXIT initiative, from design to implementation.
- Oversaw the design and implementation of a highly available payments platform for clients.
- Led a multi-year Strategic Asset Transfer Program, including a 'Push Authentication' feature that improved efficiency by over 50%.
Goldman Sachs & Co. — Software Engineer - Associate
Jan 2013 — Dec 2015Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Role: Software Engineer - Associate
Impact:
- Designed and built a scalable application to modernize the automated transaction approval process.
- Implemented key controls for regulatory projects like Regulation E.
- Maintained a critical business application ensuring smooth, uninterrupted operation.
Goldman Sachs & Co. — Software Engineer - Analyst
Jun 2010 — Dec 2012Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Role: Software Engineer - Analyst
Impact:
- Engineered the core job scheduling and execution component for a billing system, automating tens of thousands of daily transactions.
- Developed and deployed a critical gateway enabling communication between a legacy system and new Java-based applications.
Certifications
Stanford OnlineDeepLearning.AI
Machine Learning Specialization
Issued Dec 2023Coursera
View Certificate →