FROM DROPOUT TO DATA LEADER Sanjoosh Akkineni Data & AI Strategy Leader
Now I lead strategy, portfolio, and AI initiatives that turn data into decisions at scale.
About Me – A Journey That’s Uniquely Sanjoosh
My Journey
I didn't come to leadership through a straight line and that has been my advantage. Growing up gay in India, I learned early how to read a room, manage risk, and navigate systems that weren't built for me. I left college, was nearly written off, and faced pressure to become someone I wasn't. I refused. That experience taught me the discipline that defines how I lead today: clarity under pressure, conviction when it's easier to conform, and an instinct for the people a system overlooks.
Technology became my path forward a fascination that turned into a calling. I returned to school, graduated with distinction, earned my Master's in Computer Science in the U.S., and am completing a PhD in Analytics and Data Science. Along the way I learned that the hardest problems are rarely technical; they're human questions of trust, alignment, and whether the people affected believe the work is for them.
Today, at Fiserv, I lead program and portfolio management for a major data-product line — coordinating planning, capacity, and delivery across a ~120-person organization spanning data science, analytics, and engineering, and partnering with senior leadership on multi-million-dollar priorities. It's the throughline of my career:
- Lead enterprise strategy and a ~$75M delivery portfolio, turning ambition into resourced, executable roadmaps across data science, analytics, and engineering teams.
- Built uHoo Analytics, an award-winning AI platform adopted by 500+ faculty, transforming how an institution acts on student-success data.
- Delivered data systems across finance, healthcare, and education from fraud and credit risk to patient safety and workforce retention.
- Advise executives and boards, translating complex technical tradeoffs into decisions leaders can act on, and build consensus across teams that don't always agree.
Across boardrooms, classrooms, and cross-functional teams, one conviction has stayed constant:
"Technology can scale. It's culture that sustains."
I lead from that belief: rigorous about outcomes, deliberate about people, and grounded in the resilience that brought me here.
Who I Am, What I Do, and Why It Actually Works
About Me
My Skills
My Skills
I'm a data and AI strategy leader who went from college dropout to award-winning platform builder driven by resilience, curiosity, and a relentless focus on solving problems that matter. Across higher education, financial services, and the nonprofit sector, I lead strategy, portfolio, and AI initiatives that turn complexity into clarity and ambition into measurable outcomes. Whether I'm advising executives on responsible AI or directing the investments that bring a strategy to life, my aim is constant: empower people, improve outcomes, and build transformation that lasts.
My Skills
My Skills
My Skills
I work at the intersection of technical depth and human-centered leadership more translator of complexity than data robot. I lead the design of scalable analytics and AI strategies, direct the investments and priorities that bring them to life, and ensure data and AI initiatives stay aligned with organizational goals. I build and lead cross-functional teams, drive alignment across diverse stakeholders, and help executives and boards make decisions on complex systems without hiding behind buzzwords or endless diagrams. From data architecture and predictive modeling to strategy, policy, and change management, I turn good data into decisions that move organizations forward.
My Projects
Across financial services, higher education, healthcare, workforce, and emerging tech, I've led initiatives that turn complex data into action and into outcomes leaders can stand behind. My approach is grounded in one principle: data should drive decisions, not just analysis.
- Enterprise Strategy & Portfolio (Fiserv): Lead program and portfolio management for a major data-product line, coordinating a ~$75M delivery portfolio across a ~120-person organization spanning data science, analytics, and engineering, and partnering with senior leadership to turn strategy into resourced, executable roadmaps.
- Education & Student Success: Conceived and launched uHoo Analytics, an AI-powered platform adopted by 500+ faculty, transforming how a public research university acts on retention, accreditation, and curricular outcomes. Recognized with the 2024 Platinum EdTech Award, it became a model for scaling faculty trust in analytics. I also built predictive models that flagged at-risk students and drove targeted advising interventions.
- Healthcare Risk & Safety (MagMutual): Built machine-learning models classifying physician liability-claim severity and surfacing high-risk clinical patterns. These insights informed new safety protocols that reduced liability exposure and improved patient outcomes all within a highly regulated, compliance-bound environment.
- Workforce Analytics (Novelis): Led global workforce analytics, designing HR dashboards and predictive models for attrition, training ROI, and performance. The findings shaped leadership strategies that cut rehiring costs, optimized workforce planning, and improved retention.
- Finance & Fraud Prevention (Equifax): Engineered next-generation credit-scoring models and fraud-detection pipelines using advanced ML and deep learning, strengthening identity resolution and safeguarding customers against fraud-related losses.
- Cybersecurity & Emerging Tech: Earlier work included Android malware-detection tools ahead of mainstream adoption, a blockchain solution to intercept counterfeit pharmaceuticals, and a one-tap SOS mobile app connecting users to emergency help.
Through this work, I've proven my ability to:
- Connect technical depth with executive vision to deliver results that scale.
- Architect enterprise-ready systems that turn fragmented data into strategic advantage.
- Ensure every solution is ethical, inclusive, and built to be adopted, not shelved.
Whether I'm leading enterprise AI strategy, directing a portfolio, or shaping analytics across sectors, my focus is constant: solve meaningful problems at scale, with impact that lasts.
Endorsements of My Leadership — 100% Human, 0% Generated
What Others Say About My Leadership
💬 "Sanjoosh is the architect behind uHoo Analytics. He thrives where strategy meets execution, leading complex work in uncharted territory."— Dr. Michele DiPietro, Executive Director for Faculty Development, Recognition, and CETL, KSU
💬 "Sanjoosh’s leadership set a standard. He helped us navigate major challenges and emerge stronger."
— Yaroslav Lukomskiy, Azure Data Architect, 3Cloud
💬 "He is reliable, hard-working, and makes sure others are seen and valued. That’s a rare kind of leadership."
— Dr. Sherrill Hayes, Assistant Vice Provost, Kennesaw State University(KSU)
💬 "Sanjoosh is a natural leader able to bring dependability to any group he’s in."
— Moe Winograd, Judicial Case Manager, Cobb County DA's Office
💬 "His impact on uHoo Analytics is immeasurable. Sanjoosh is the primary reason for any of its success."
— Jason Rodenbeck, Assistant Director, Academic Web Accessibility, Kennesaw State University
💬 "He transformed modest GSA meetings into major events with over 100 attendees. His drive and tenacity brought his vision to life."
— Dr. Chloe Choi, Professor of Organizational Conflict Management
💬 "He held himself and his team to a higher standard—always seeking ways to elevate what’s possible."
— Elayne Jones, Data Architect, Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales & Services
💬 "Sanjoosh shaped our analytics platform not just with data, but with deep listening and service to faculty and students."
— Michael Haynes, Data Infrastructure Engineer, KSU
💬 "He’s dependable, technically skilled, and has the rare ability to explain complex topics in accessible ways."
— Markea Goodman, Data Science & Analytics Manager, Comcast
Let’s Talk – About Data, Dashboards, or Life
Questions or Comments
Send me a message! I usually reply faster than AI adoption in higher ed.
