Sandesh Gaonkar

Accomplished Senior Technical Project Leader with over 22 years of experience spearheading large-scale, complex programs across telecommunications, quick service restaurants, and insurance sectors. Adept at aligning multi-million-dollar initiatives with organizational strategy, enhancing operational efficiency, and consistently exceeding client expectations.

➢
Proven track record of delivering strategic transformation programs, leveraging Agile and traditional frameworks to drive digital modernization, data governance, and cross-functional collaboration across globally distributed teams.
➢
As Senior Manager at Cognizant, led enterprise-wide portfolios with budgets exceeding $10M, overseeing multi-country delivery, vendor governance, and executive stakeholder alignment.
➢
Demonstrated expertise in automation, agile scaling, and process re-engineering, achieving up to 15-20% cost reduction and a 20-25% increase in delivery velocity through innovation and optimization.
➢
Strong command of KPI-based delivery, risk mitigation frameworks, and client engagement models, contributing to consistent client satisfaction improvement and repeat business.
➢
Empowering leader recognized for cultivating high-performance cultures, increasing employee engagement, and mentoring next-generation project leaders across diverse geographies.

Bachelor's in Electronic Engineering completed in 2001