Twenty years, one firm, 30+ state agencies.
At Deloitte, I've navigated the full arc of technology transformation—from designing 1000-entity databases supporting millions of Texans, to advising CIOs, CTOs, and Commissioners on $150M+ modernization strategies.
I started building databases. Then building systems. Then building teams. Now I help leaders build strategies that actually work.
That journey from technical depths to strategic advisory isn't common. But it's precisely what makes me effective. I've built relationships with executives across Texas state government—from the Comptroller's office to Health and Human Services, from the Attorney General to the Department of Motor Vehicles—not through sales calls, but by delivering results.
The agencies that call me aren't looking for generic consulting frameworks. They need someone who understands both the technical reality of migrating a 40-year-old mainframe AND the political reality of defending that budget to skeptical legislators. Someone who's sat in the technical trenches debugging production issues at 2am and can translate those technical realities into business imperatives in executive strategy sessions the next morning.
I've built the systems. Led the teams. Made the migrations. Now I help leaders make the decisions that determine whether their initiatives succeed or become headlines.
I understand what works because I've done the work.
I've sat in the room when leaders face impossible choices.
The 40-year-old mainframe processing millions of transactions daily—reliable but unsupportable. The vendor proposing a $30M cloud migration with promises of "seamless transition." The budget that covers maybe half that. The legislative session that won't wait. The team that needs answers this month, not next year.
I've evaluated technologies across the full spectrum—from COBOL/Natural on mainframes to microservices architectures, Adabas to cloud-native databases, legacy reporting systems to modern AI platforms. Small departmental applications serving dozens of users. Enterprise systems supporting millions of Texans. Everything in between.
Each decision carries real weight. Choose wrong, and the system breaks. Services stop. Citizens can't get benefits. Revenue collection halts. Headlines happen.
But move too slowly, and costs spiral. Technical debt compounds. Talent leaves. The vendor you need today won't be available next year. The window closes.
I've seen the patterns repeat across agencies:
The CIO defending a $50M budget request to skeptical legislators—without clear data on what they're actually getting. The IT director evaluating three vendor proposals that all claim to solve the same problem, each with different price tags and risk profiles. The modernization initiative migrating 22 applications while maintaining zero downtime for mission-critical services.
The feature "needed yesterday" conflicting with the architecture that takes months to build right. The performance issues in production requiring immediate fixes while planning the long-term solution. The resource constraints where the team you need doesn't exist at the salary you can pay. The future-proofing requirement when you can barely fund today's needs.
This is where I work. In the space between competing constraints, limited information, and high-stakes decisions.
I've helped the Texas Department of Insurance, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Health and Human Services, Office of the Attorney General, Department of Motor Vehicles, Water Development Board, Department of Public Safety, Department of Information Resources, and 20+ other Texas state agencies navigate these exact challenges—not with generic frameworks, but with battle-tested judgment about what actually works when the constraints are real and the stakes are high.
Over 20 years with Deloitte Consulting, I served as Solution Services Director for the Texas Department of Information Resources, managing the consulting portfolio across 30+ Texas state agencies and building executive relationships with CIOs, CTOs, Commissioners, and senior technology leaders across Texas state government.
What this looks like in practice:
Migrating 40-year-old mainframes to cloud platforms without breaking systems serving millions of Texans. Evaluating $150M vendor proposals and cutting through the marketing speak to identify real capabilities and hidden risks. Assessing 22-application portfolios to prioritize what modernizes first versus what can wait. Building technical roadmaps that legislators will actually fund.
The work spans legacy system modernization, cloud migration strategy, AI initiative development, enterprise system evaluation, and vendor governance—helping leaders make confident decisions despite complexity and uncertainty, choosing the right path at the right time with the right resources for requirements that won't sit still.
For the past 10 years, I've served as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer and Guardian ad Litem with CASA of Travis County, advocating for children in the foster care system.
This work reminds me weekly what really matters: showing up for people navigating impossible situations, bringing clarity to complex decisions, and advocating for those who need someone in their corner. The parallels to my professional work aren't accidental—whether it's a child facing an uncertain future or a CIO facing a critical technology decision, the core need is the same: someone who listens deeply, sees clearly, and helps navigate the path forward.
When I'm not working or volunteering, you'll find me on Austin's mountain biking trails or occasionally on a tennis court. I also spend time mentoring young adults navigating early career decisions—helping them think through choices that feel overwhelming when you're just starting out.
I've called Austin, Texas home for over 25 years, though I originally grew up in Chennai, India. The journey from there to here has shaped how I think about transitions, adaptation, and building a meaningful life in the face of uncertainty.
MBA in Systems Management BS in Electronics and Communication Engineering Project Management Professional (PMP) Author: "Virtualization using VirtualBox" (http://virtualbox.guru)
"Senthil brought clarity to our complex IT modernization initiative. His ability to translate technical requirements into business outcomes helped us secure executive buy-in and move forward with confidence. His experience with other state agencies was invaluable."
- IT Director, Texas State Agency
"We were evaluating multiple technology vendors and feeling overwhelmed. Senthil's systematic assessment process helped us make an informed decision aligned with our long-term strategy. His public sector expertise meant he understood our unique constraints."
- CIO, Government Contractor
"Our Cloud migration felt daunting until Senthil helped us create a phased approach that balanced risk, cost, and capability. He didn't just give us a plan—he helped build our team's confidence to execute it."
- Technology Manager, Texas State Agency
I'm passionate about helping organizations and individuals unlock their potential through strategic technology and thoughtful guidance.