Raghu Akkihalli
Director, Software Development
Plymouth,MN
Summary
Results-driven leader with strong background in strategic management and organizational growth. Skilled in developing and implementing effective business strategies, optimizing processes, and driving team performance. Known for adaptability, effective collaboration, and delivering measurable outcomes in dynamic environments. Strong communication and problem-solving abilities, coupled with focus on fostering productive and positive team culture.
Personable and strategic thinker with passion for driving organizational success and fostering collaborative team environments. Possesses deep understanding of leadership principles and financial management, with strong skills in project oversight and strategic planning. Prepared to deliver impactful results through innovative solutions and effective team leadership.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Director, Software Development
AspenTech
Medina, MN
03.2017 - Current
- Developed high-performing local & remote teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Cultivated a positive work environment that fostered employee engagement, increased retention rates, and boosted overall team morale.
- Improved project efficiency with strategic planning, resource allocation, and time management practices.
- Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
- Implemented innovative solutions to solve complex problems, resulting in increased productivity and streamlined operations.
- Established a culture of continuous improvement by fostering open communication channels and empowering employees to voice their ideas.
- Facilitated cross-functional collaboration for improved decision-making processes within the organization.
- Proactively identified potential risks and implemented mitigation strategies to minimize negative impacts on projects or business operations.
- Evaluated employee performance objectively using established metrics, leading to fair compensation adjustments based on meritocracy principles.
- Boosted client satisfaction rates through exceptional relationship management and prompt resolution of issues.
- Secured key partnerships that contributed to the company''s overall growth strategy and market reach.
- Spearheaded successful product launches that resulted in increased brand visibility and customer acquisition.
- Navigated company through periods of significant change, maintaining focus on long-term strategic goals.
- Transformed organizational culture to embrace continuous improvement, leading by example and mentoring teams.
- Trained and guided team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
- Interacted well with customers to build connections and nurture relationships.
- Recruited, hired, and trained initial personnel, working to establish key internal functions and outline scope of positions for new organization.
- Observed each employee's individual strengths and initiated mentoring program to improve areas of weakness.
- Tracked employee attendance and punctuality, addressing repeat problems quickly to prevent long-term habits.
- Reported issues to higher management with great detail.
Software Development Manager
Kewill Logistics
Minneapolis, Minnesota
10.2014 - 02.2017
- Mentored junior developers and engineers distributed across the US, India and China through onboarding process and long-term team contributions.
- Led sprint planning, reviews and retrospectives.
- Discussed issues with team members to provide resolution and apply best practices.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of new features into existing systems.
- Monitored development efforts to maintain high levels of quality control and reduce impact of unforeseen issues.
- Led cross-functional teams of engineers, quality assurance engineers and system designers in development of products and resolution of product defects.
- Built inter-team collaboration guidelines to reduce dependence and redundancy and accelerate development efforts by integrating diverse developer voices.
- Successfully delivered multiple high-impact projects on time and within budget constraints.
- Collaborated with senior leadership to define requirements and build projects that achieved or exceeded corporate plans.
- Established clear performance metrics for the development team, monitoring progress toward objectives regularly and adjusting strategies as needed to achieve desired outcomes.
- Reduced software defects by designing robust testing strategies and leading the QA team in executing test plans.
- Presented regular status updates to senior management, articulating project milestones and highlighting areas of concern to facilitate informed decision-making.
Software Development Manager
IBM
11.2006 - 09.2014
- Mentored junior developers and engineers through onboarding process and long-term team contributions.
- Discussed issues with team members to provide resolution and apply best practices.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of new features into existing systems.
- Monitored development efforts to maintain high levels of quality control and reduce impact of unforeseen issues.
- Researched and implemented new technological tools to optimize business process workflows.
- Inspected final products for application uptime, overall performance and ease of use.
- Led sprint planning, reviews and retrospectives.
Education
Master of Science - Computer Science
Mangalore University
Mangalore, India 06.1996 - 05.1998
Bachelor of Science - Electronics
Karnatak University
Dharwad 06.1996 - 05.1998
Skills
Problem-solving
People management
Relationship building
Decision-making
Strategies and goals
Verbal and written communication
Team collaboration
Change management
Time management
Goal setting
Crisis management
Analytical thinking
Employee development
Corporate communications
Timeline
Director, Software Development
AspenTech
03.2017 - Current
Software Development Manager
Kewill Logistics
10.2014 - 02.2017
Software Development Manager
IBM
11.2006 - 09.2014
Master of Science - Computer Science
Mangalore University
06.1996 - 05.1998
Bachelor of Science - Electronics
Karnatak University
06.1996 - 05.1998