Empowered to lead a dynamic team comprising Data Scientists, Process Engineers, and Software Engineers, driving innovation across AI/ML, Computer Vision, and Operations Research to revolutionize seed manufacturing operations on a global scale.Served as the voice of global seed manufacturing hubs in NA, EMEA, and LATAM. Skillfully advocated for our digital innovation initiatives, successfully securing a substantial $2.35 million CapEx in 2023. This investment is projected to yield $16.3 million in business value by 2025.Spearheaded the assessment, development, and application of AI/ML models of site operations at Bayer’s global vegetables manufacturing hub in Oxnard, CA. This strategic move not only unveiled capacity bottlenecks but also paved the way for debottlenecking, propelling the site to achieve an impressive $20 million in incremental sales revenue annually.Collaborated closely with stakeholders from the manufacturing organization, corporate IT, and innovative minds to develop a comprehensive long-range plan poised to transform the landscape of digital innovation in seed manufacturing.

Championed the development, implementation, testing, and refinement of AI/ML methods tailored for the modeling and visualization of extensive Biotech laboratory and greenhouse operations data. The primary goal? To enhance R&D productivity and expedite the "lead to seed" journey.Stewarded a substantial IT budget totaling $9.6 million over a span of three years. I not only managed but strategically allocated resources to drive innovation and efficiency.Steered a team comprising software engineers, data scientists, and biologists, to optimize capacity utilization in critical areas of Biotech lab and greenhouse operations. We applied Operations Research methods to solve the constrained optimization problem of plant placement in greenhouses to achieve a twofold improvement in greenhouse capacity utilization and increased throughput.Spearheaded the implementation of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with computer vision based on deep learning for Plant Tissue Culture. This breakthrough not only reduced costly late-stage failures but also resulted in an annual saving of approximately $10 million in resources.Initiated and scaled up a comprehensive Data Science Training Program within the company. The program, designed to increase the digital quotient of biologists, saw remarkable growth from 30+ participants in 2019 to over 700 participants registered for 2022 onwards. Participants were organized into cohorts based on learner personas, fostering a tailored and impactful learning experience. These efforts were recognized with a Global IT Award from Bayer Cropscience CIO Sascha Israel.Evaluated the data needs of biologists in lab and greenhouse settings, crafting a robust org. data strategy. Supervised the implementation of a contemporary data virtualization stack. The result? A seamless acquisition, aggregation, and analysis of data, catering to the diverse needs of stakeholders in the R&D organization, ranging from bench scientists to senior managers.

Elevated to the role of leading the Biotech R&D site in Bangalore, India—an ambitious endeavor overseeing a team of over 50 scientists and an annual budget of US $6.5 million. Tasked with supporting the regional Bt cotton business, generating approximately $115 million annually, all while aligning seamlessly with global Biotech R&D goals.Faced with the challenge of delivering a groundbreaking integrated site in Bangalore, with a budget of $16.5 million, amidst shifting business dynamics, engineering complexities, and claims from the site's developer. Undeterred, I successfully completed and launched the new site, harmonizing Monsanto Company’s Biotech R&D, IT, and Shared Services functions under one roof. This was not just about finding cost-effective solutions but ensuring uninterrupted business continuity throughout the process.Negotiated a settlement with the site's developer, resolving outstanding issues and averting a potential liability of $9 million from claims raised by the builder. These efforts were recognized with a Rapid Recognition Award from Monsanto India’s CEO, Shilpa Diverkar-Nirula.Adapting to unforeseen challenges, I collaborated with regional business leads to mitigate risks to the Bt cotton business posed by the pink bollworm's resistance to the Bollgard Bt cotton technology. Our site's scientists devised innovative measures to monitor and control the spread of the resistant trait in the pest population. This extended the life of the Bollgard Bt cotton technology by 2-3 years, providing the company crucial time to introduce a replacement trait to the market while sustaining revenues of over US $100 million per year from trait licensing fees Fostered an operationally excellent, collaborative, and innovative culture that achieved safety and compliance excellence, maintained high employee engagement, delivered goals within budget constraints, and increased operational efficiency through process improvements and enhanced data systems.

Managed an IT budget exceeding $20 million, catering to the software support needs of the global R&D organization, boasting over 5000 users and operating under a robust "Follow the Sun" model.Received the prestigious Global Ethics Award for spearheading the development of IT capabilities that meticulously tracked the flow of foreign germplasm into India. This groundbreaking initiative facilitated an accurate audit of germplasm origin in crop improvement programs, ensuring regulatory compliance. The resulting "Germplasm Import Management Systems (GIMS)" garnered recognition for significantly enhancing Monsanto’s Freedom To Operate (FTO) in the Asia-Pacific region. Another Ethics Award was earned for the swift integration of crucial data assets from Seminis, a monumental $1 billion acquisition. In response to the pressing need from Monsanto scientists, my team achieved the assimilation of Seminis data into Monsanto IT systems with remarkable efficiency. The initial estimate of 4.3 FTE-Years for manual curation was surpassed, accomplishing the objective with only 1.5 FTE in less than a year. This feat was achieved through meticulous automation using Perl and Pareto analysis.At the helm of a Lean Six Sigma program, I championed the streamlining of customer support processes, identifying and eliminating waste at its root cause. Key areas such as Identity Management witnessed significant improvements in Turn-Around Time (TAT) through the automation of routine and time-consuming tasks like recertification audits. This initiative resulted in saving 1 FTE annual recurring in the first year and at least 2 FTE annual recurring every year since, demonstrating the sustained impact of lean initiatives.During a period of rapid organizational growth, I led the expansion from under 15 employees to more than 75 employees over three years. Throughout this transformative journey, our reputation flourished, and we remained steadfast in upholding our organizational values.

Elevated to a leadership role overseeing the development and support of the company's scientific databases and software. Effectively supervised software development operations across global locations in Bangalore (India), Wolfenbuttel (Germany), Novosibirsk (Russia), and Boston (USA). Implemented a strategic pivot, redirecting efforts towards the analysis, interpretation, and reporting of biological data for computational drug discovery in the pharmaceutical sector. This initiative not only propelled our focus but also played a pivotal role in sustaining key accounts with leading pharmaceutical companies in North America, Europe, and Japan.Recognized for my expertise, I was specifically chosen by the CFO and COO to represent the product development team during the company's acquisition process. Ultimately, the company was successfully acquired by Qiagen under my representation.

Selected to drive the collaboration with the Human Genome Center, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo at Shirokanedai, that led to successful development of Cell Illustrator, a systems biologic tool for modeling and simulation of biological pathways.

Selected to lead the software development team in Bangalore, improve quality and usability of databases and software, expand services portfolio.Led the development of the Company's strategies in bioinformatics, cheminformatics and systems biologic tools and associated databases.

Selected to research machine learning approaches and develop working prototypes of medical diagnostic software for GE Healthcare.

Development of a toolkit for Artificial Intelligence-based diagnosis and prognosis of people and equipment, based on non-invasively acquired electric and acoustic signals.